Twins from Nunavut have baby girls on the same day — including one set of twins
Growing up together in Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, twins Christina and Chris Meeko rode bikes together and graduated high school at the same time.
Now 29, the sister and brother have had babies — in different communities — one hour apart on the same day, May 30.
"That was so amazing, we didn't ever expect anything like this," said Sarah Meeko, Chris and Christina's mother.
Chris's daughter Leah Naulalik was born at 11 a.m. with the help of a midwife in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, and Christina's twin girls Makaila and Brianna were born at 12 and 12:15 p.m. in a hospital in Winnipeg.
Kelly Naulalik, Chris's girlfriend, was due May 26, and Christina wasn't due until June 9, but ended up delivering early.
"We couldn't sleep the day the babies were going to be born. Chris's mother-in-law messaged me a little after four in the morning telling me that Kelly went to [deliver] the baby," Sarah said.
Sarah says a week on, the family is finally starting to settle down from the excitement, and she's hoping that she will finally get some sleep — though she's not so sure Christina will.
She says she remembers raising twins being "hectic," but rewarding. "They did everything together. They were always together."
For Christina she has this advice: "You have to be patient, and you have to do things one at a time, even if there's two of the babies."
Twins in the family
Christina says she believes her twins are fraternal, because she can already tell them apart. She says they have unique face shapes and hairlines, and she's catching glimpses of their personalities.
Makaila, who was born first, likes to eat a lot, while Brianna likes her sleep.
Both Christina and her common-law partner Gordon Qavvik have twins in their families; her great-uncle even had triplets.
Christina laughs when asked if the timing of the births was on purpose — it wasn't, but she says there are lots of kids in the family, some of whom are born in the same year.
Christina still lives in Sanikiluaq, as does her sister Jennifer, but Chris has lived in Rankin Inlet for the last eight years.
He has six kids and Christina has seven now with the twins. Her oldest son turns 10 this year.
"My oldest daughter was very excited. In school, she would always talk about that she was expecting two babies and in all her colouring, she would draw two little babies along with the rest of her siblings and us all together," Christina said.
Chris and Kelly were supposed to get married in July, but decided to postpone when they found out they were expecting, so the wedding will be rescheduled for later this year.
Christina says she hopes the family will all be able to get together for the occasion and she will be able to meet baby Leah.
