Saturday 31 May 2008

icLiverpool - "I'm 17, Dean's 16: we've just had triplets!"

A LIVERPOOL teenager today showed off her three little marvels – identical newborn triplet girls.
Staff at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, who delivered the tiny babies on Saturday, said it was extremely rare to conceive triplets naturally.
The fact that Shauny, Summer and Savanah are identical makes them extra special.
Proud mum Siobhan Daly, 17, said she and boyfriend Dean Mao, 16, were shocked when she fell pregnant because she was on the pill.

But the couple, who have been together for 18 months, said they were delighted with their new arrivals and could not wait to take them home.
Siobhan, from Dingle, said: “We have twins in both our families.
“Dean’s mum is a twin. But we have no idea where triplets have come from.
“I just keep looking at them and can’t believe that they are really mine and will be coming home with me.
“They are so gorgeous and are getting little personalties already.
“I keep thinking how did they ever fit in my tummy?”

Thursday 29 May 2008

Times online - Spanish twins separated at birth by mistake are united by chance

They were unaware of each other's existence for nearly 30 years, until their uncanny likeness caused a misunderstanding at a clothes shop that led to their reunion.
Now one of the identical twins - separated at birth 35 years ago after a mix-up at the hospital where they were born - is suing the Spanish health authority for a mistake that led to her growing up in the wrong family.
The woman is seeking €3 million (£2.4 million) in damages for the error, which came to light after she was spotted in a shopping centre by a friend of her twin sister. “In just one day, my world fell apart,” she said of the chance reunion. “I wish it had never happened.”
In an attempt to shield them from the intense media interest that their case has generated, her lawyer, Sebastián Socorro, has not revealed the women's identities. The case is further complicated by the existence of a third victim: the baby who was inadvertently switched with one of the twins when they were born.
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The reunion occurred in 2001 after one of the sisters walked into a shop in the Canary Islands. The assistant was taken aback by the unfriendly manner of the woman who she thought was her friend, and offended that she did not even say hello.
When the shop assistant called her friend to upbraid her about the snub, she was assured that the friend had not been at the shopping centre. A few days later, when the other woman came into the shop again, the assistant approached her and began to ask questions. “The similarity was crushing,” the shop assistant said. “They were like two drops of water.”
Astounded by their likeness, she arranged a meeting between the two sisters. Standing in front of each other, as if facing a mirror, the siblings began to compare notes. One of them said she had a twin sister but that they did not look alike.
They had been born at the same hospital, it emerged, but apparently three days apart. In fact, the lawyer explained, it was the other girl who had been born three days after the twins. Their documentation had also been switched in error.
The twins decided that the only way to confirm what had happened would be to take a DNA test. But the twin who had grown up with the wrong family got cold feet, the lawyer said.Three years later, she relented and took the test, which concluded that the two were genetically identical.
Mr Socorro said that the similarity between the twins was striking. “They walk the same, they talk the same, they have the same look and the same tone of voice,” he said.
They lodged a complaint with the Canary Islands health authorities but, their lawyer said, they “were met with complete apathy from the very first”. Now his client was suing the health authority for “moral damages” and malpractice. “She has received years of psychological treatment,” Mr Socorro said.The Canary Islands government did not immediately respond to calls for comment.
The identity of the third woman in the case remains a mystery: it has yet to be ascertained whether those who brought up the twin with whom she was swapped at birth are in fact the third woman's parents.
Mixed doubles
— Holly and Douglas Funk discarded their hopes of adopting twins when they found Mia in a Chinese orphanage in 2006. Back in Chicago they joined an internet chatroom and met Carlos Ramirez, who had also adopted a child from Yangzhou and named her Mia. Their stories matched, and DNA tests revealed that the two Mias were twins
— In 2007, 35 years after their adoptions, Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein discovered each other in New York and found out that they had been separated purposefully as part of a study in the relative influences of nature and nurture. They had both studied film at university and were writers
— In 2001 Wendy Brooks found her twin brother, John, on the internet after 62 years apart. The twins, aged six weeks, had been left in a cardboard box on a doorstep in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, at the outbreak of the Second World War, and separated soon after
— A chance meeting in 2003 brought together Adriana Rabi and Rabi Scott, neither knowing that she had a twin. They had had the same nightmares as small children, and now dance together for a DJ outfit

Daily Mail - Hospital denies claims that British couple dumped newborn twins 'because they were girls'

A hospital today denied claims that a couple who had received IVF in India had then dumped their twin babies after finding out they were both girls.
It had been claimed that the mother aged 59 and the father 72, had abandoned the babies after telling medics they were the 'wrong sex' because they wanted boys.
However Wolverhampton hospital today said that the parents were being 'attentive' to the babies' needs .
A spokesman said: "The parents are visiting their daughters whilst they are being cared for in hospital and are attentive to their needs."

Abandoned: The babies were delivered by Caesarean at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton, West Midlands
It had been claimed that the babies, who are now less than two weeks old, were abandoned soon after birth and have not been visited once by their parents.
The couple travelled to India for fertility treatment but returned to Britain for the birth. The twins were born by Caesarean Section at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.
Their mother - one of Britain's oldest - reportedly discharged herself against the advice of doctors who told her she should stay in hospital for a week after her operation.
She and her husband are thought to be of Indian descent but British residents living in the West Midlands.
Aftter the birth in Wolverhampton, the children were transferred to another hospital in Birmingham.
A spokeswoman for New Cross Hospital said today: 'We can confirm a pair of twins were born at New Cross Hospital. They were healthy and well.
'They were born here because the maternity (facility) where the parents were living was busy, so a few days later they were transferred to a Birmingham hospital, where the parents were living.'
In certain Asian cultures, sons are more highly prized than daughters because it is believed they will work from a younger age and carry on the family name.
In India, girls are considered an economic burden as their parents traditionally need to provide a dowry payment for them when they get married - often resulting in financial ruin or extreme hardship for many families when the women marry.
Last year, research revealed that between 1990 and 2005, about 1,500 fewer girls were born to Indian mothers living in England and Wales than would have been statistically probable for this group.
In the Nineties, 112 boys were born for every 100 girls. Between 2000 and 2005 this rose to 114 boys for every 100 girls.
A report last year revealed Indian women in Britain are travelling to the subcontinent to use the services of IVF doctors who for 4,000 rupees (about £49), will reveal the sex of an unborn child and recommend someone who can terminate the pregnancy.
It is thought that the couple may have travelled to India for IVF due to their late ages. In Britain, women are given IVF on the NHS between the ages of 23 and 39.
There is no absolute age limit for IVF in Britain, but the NHS will not fund it for women aged over 40. Most private clinics have an upper age limit of 55. Many other older women have gone abroad for IVF.
Britain's oldest mother, Patricia Rashbrook, paid £10,000 for IVF treatment in Russia using a donor egg.
Child psychologist Dr Rashbrook became pregnant under the supervision of Italian fertility expert Professor Severino Antinori, and her son JJ was born by elective caesarean.
IVF treatment has sparked an emotive debate over the rights and wrongs of giving women who are many years past their natural childbearing age the ability to reproduce.
The controversy was again in the spotlight last year after Carmela Bousada, an unmarried Spaniard then aged 67, became the world's oldest mother.
She gave birth to twins after lying about her age to doctors at a private clinic in Los Angeles which refuses to treat women over 55. Miss Bousada, who came close to death during a difficult pregnancy, went through the menopause 19 years ago.
Last night, a spokesman for New Cross Hospital said: 'We have no comment to make due to data protection reasons.'
In 2006, it was revealed a businesswoman dumped her new-born twins in a cardboard box in a hospital car park because they were the product of an affair.
The married 44 year old, who has three grown-up sons, said she could never reveal the truth of the twins' birth to her family because of the devastation it would cause.
The babies, born a month premature had to be put in incubators because they were so cold and were named Holly and Joseph by nurses.

Tuesday 20 May 2008

The New Baby Jogger City Mini Twins

We it's been a long drawn out launch, but as they say all the good things are worth waiting for..and the new Baby Jogger City Mini is, will be a great buggy for our members.
We were first made aware of them at a trade show way back in September 07 and was told they would be with us in Jan of 08 - sadly they were delayed and put back to April....which was delayed again, but we are now exspecting them (fingers crossed) late June.
Lots of info on them on www.twins-store.co.uk and we are taking pre-orders, just email us and we will add to our growing list and contact you near the dispatch date.

Wednesday 14 May 2008

BBC News - Hospital's new breast milk bank

A hospital is accepting donations of breast milk to help premature babies.
The new scheme, launched at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (RD&E), accepts milk donated by new mothers who are back home in the community.
Donated milk will be tested for bacteria, pasteurised, then screened again before being stored in a freezer.
It will then be available for mothers who are unable to breastfeed, providing vital nutrition for sick or premature babies.
Mothers must be non-smoking and drug free and will be given blood tests before being accepted for donation.
It's like gold dust and you don't want to waste it
Jo Simpson, donor mother
Sister Karen Read said the hospital's guidelines were strict and any milk failing the screening process would be discarded.
"Breast milk can be stored in the freezer for up to three months, so we are encouraging women who produce more milk than their own baby needs to donate it because it is a valuable source of nutrients and protection against infection for babies."
Jo Simpson agreed to sign up to the scheme after breastfeeding her daughter, who was born three months prematurely.
"You spend so much time and energy producing the milk - it's like gold dust and you don't want to waste it," she told BBC News.
"Previously you would have had to throw it away, whereas now you can take it to the hospital and donate it to a good cause."
New mother of triplets Kay Dennis said the RD&E scheme was "fantastic".

Kay Dennis is using donated milk to top up feeds for her triplets
During pregnancy she had planned to breastfeed, but discovered she did not have enough milk to satisfy three hungry mouths.
She has been using the hospital's breast bank to top up the triplets' feeds.
"I consented to it from the day they were born," Ms Dennis said.
"To me it's better than formula milk because there's more in it for the babies."
Nursing mothers who are HIV positive, undergoing chemotherapy or on certain medication are not able to donate milk.
Classed as a satellite milk bank, the unit can also donate milk to the Princess Anne maternity hospital in Southampton.

Daily Mail - Fertility doctor makes staggering £8million in ONE YEAR off couples desperate for a baby

A fertility doctor made £8million in one year, it has emerged.
Mohammed Taranissi's private London-based IVF practice has quadrupled its profits in six years, according to its accounts.
His company made a pre-tax profit of almost £8million - based on charging £2,500 for a basic IVF treatment - and had £ 20million in the bank.
Other clinics making millions include that of Harley Street fertility pioneer Professor Ian Craft, with £5million a year and almost £850,000 in the bank.
The profits, revealed in an investigation by the London Evening Standard, highlight the growth in demand from childless couples.
An estimated one in six couples experiences problems conceiving.
On average, an IVF cycle from a private clinic costs £3,500 with hormone drugs costing an extra £2,000.
But patients typically need two or three attempts to fall pregnant.
Mr Taranissi's profits are based on his work at the Assisted Reproduction and Gynaecology Centre.
According to accounts for the year to August 2006, he has paid himself £2million in a year as director of the practice.
Treatments on offer include egg freezing for £2,000, donor sperm at £110 a sample and surgical sperm retrieval for £1,250. The initial IVF consultation alone costs £150.
This year the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority warned clinics to outline their rates from the start amid fears patients are unaware of the potential bill.
A spokesman said: "It is like a taxi fare meter. It is rising but you do not know what it will cost at the end of the journey."

BBC News - Midwives fear service 'collapse'

Midwives claim services provided in the south east Wales area are under-staffed and they are calling for more positions to be filled.
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) said: "It's only a matter of time before the quality of care plummets and the service collapses".
The Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust said more midwives would be employed.
But said it agreed not enough funds were available to solve some staffing issues.
Midwives are exhausted attempting to care for women and their families...
Helen Rogers, RCM
The calls for more staff came in the wake of changes in services in the area.
Helen Rogers, RCM's board secretary for Wales, said: "Whilst we welcome and acknowledge the trust's commitment to employing more midwives, it still falls short of the numbers needed, and this cannot continue.
"Midwives are exhausted attempting to care for women and their families when they know they need many more midwives to run an acceptable standard of service.
"It is only a matter of time before the service collapses and the quality of care plummets."

The Royal Gwent closed its special care baby unit temporarily recently
The community midwives say they originally asked for 31 extra staff and will continue to fight for the posts to be filled.
According to the RCM, a reconfiguration of services has relieved some of the pressure with more midwives working in clinical roles - but they say this has not resulted in more midwives being employed.
Breastfeeding
We are aware of the shortage of midwives in Gwent and are currently looking to find a solution to this problem
Welsh Assembly Government
The RCM say it will raise the issue with assembly members and health minister Edwina Hart.
Health Inspectorate Wales has been contacted and are currently interviewing midwives, managers and medics who work in the maternity services in Gwent.
A spokesman for Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust said: "We have had some success in securing funding for the required additional midwives and share the RCM's view that even more are required.
"We are continuing to negotiate with our Local Health Board partners and are hopeful that some additional midwives can be funded.
"In the meantime our midwifery teams across the trust are totally committed to providing a high quality service."
An assembly government statement said: "We are aware of the shortage of midwives in Gwent and are currently looking to find a solution to this problem."
Last Friday, the Royal Gwent Hospital's special care baby unit closed temporarily because a run of multiple births had taken all the cot spaces.
The situation had not affected women with low-risk pregnancies, who were able to have their babies at the Royal Gwent over the weekend.

Thursday 8 May 2008

The New EasyWalker Double Buggy

The new EasyWalker DuoWalker Sky due in mid May

The impressive new double buggy will be back in stock within the next few days and we can’t wait, the interest from members has been better than we thought possible.

We have been importing the much loved EasyWalkers direct from the makers in Holland for just over 8 months, and just couldn’t get them quick enough, that will soon change with the new distribution setup. We will be selling them exclusively and from time of order to delivery will be 2-3 days.

Why is the EasyWalker causing so much fuss, well with a similar style to the Mountain Buggy – safe and easy to push, the EasyWalker is just 13 kg and the same width. A classic in the making, having already won major awards.

Take a look inside www.twins-store.co.uk or click the title above to be zinged across to the page.

Daily Mail - The Devon school with an amazing 15 sets of twins ... and a set of triplets

It would be fair to say that teachers at that teachers at a Devon college and primary school have seen more than their fair share of sibling rivalry.
With 15 sets of twins and even a set of triplets between them, teachers at Chulmleigh Community College and the nearby primary school certainly have their work cut out for them remembering who is who.
The sibling symmetry has been causing some confusion at the college, because five sets of twins are identical and there is even one set of triplets, while staff at the primary school have been left befuddled over four sets of twins.
The four sets of twins bring the total to 20 sets from just 750 pupils - more than double the national average at nearly six per cent.
Head teacher Michael Johnson said: "It's amazing that we have so many twins here and triplets are even rarer. I've never come across triplets at any of the previous five schools I've worked at.
"It's an astonishing figure that's for sure, I've no idea what if anything has caused it - a bit of a strange phenomenon really."
Tom and Oliver Bradley, 12 from Winkleigh, are identical twins in Year 8 at the college.
Tom said: "People are always getting us confused, teachers especially. We get on really well and very rarely squabble."
Oliver added: "Sometimes, if I haven't done my homework, Tom gets told off about it which is hilarious although I've done a couple of detentions for him, so we're pretty much even."
For identical twins Jennifer and Rachel Manning, 16, from Witheridge, their favourite subject is PE.
Jennifer said: "People who don't really know us tend to think we're the same person but we have different personalities.
"Rachel is known as a bit of a naughty girl whereas I'm just an angel." Rachel said: "We both play rugby for Cullompton under 18s and work well on the field together.
"We get on well at home but sometimes we can spend too much time together, just don't mention boys."
Music appears to be the only similarity for non-identical twins Freddie and Tom Sasse, 14 from Burrington.
Freddie said: "I play the drums and Tom plays bass guitar. We're in a band together and seem to have a good chemistry when playing together on stage.
"Aside from that, we don't look or sound the same or even like the same subjects."
It's a similar story for Year 7 triplets Charlotte, Alex and Georgia Jones, 12, of Eggesfprd.
Charlotte said: "We're not identical and we definitely wouldn't want to be either. Although we're all very active people, we each specialise in different sports."
Georgia said: "I'm more of a girly girl whereas Charlotte could be described as a bit of a tomboy.
"We're in different classes but we all share the same group of friends which is cool. We're very close and are always talking at the same time and thinking alike."
Charlotte added: "We always know what each other is going on about and even what we're thinking sometimes.
"No one ever guesses we're related unless we tell them - strange really."

Friday 2 May 2008

Summer Fun - new goods at twins-store

Well I'm not sure I dare say it....but summer is on the way, walks in the park and days on the beach, fun for all. We www.twins-store.co.uk have always been interest in finding the right products, one's that our members tells us are true essentials, and sun protection for your babies is a must.

We've had great feedback on the Protect-a-bub sun shades we've added to our range, with the Phil & Teds sun shade and the Car seat sun shades

Our stocks of the Mountain Buggy Double UV Sun Shade are selling fast, and we've just added the Mountain Buggy Triple UV Sun Shade

Lots of things for everyone, have a look around.

Welcome to twins-storeblog

This blog is an add on from our web site www.twins-store.co.uk and its aim is to give our members and vistors updates on the world of twins or more, with news, articals of interest and new products of interest. We will try to keep uptodate, but please don't tell us off if we fall behind - we are busy parents of twins too :)

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