By SOLA OGUNDIPE

WHEN 28-year-old Faidat Ismail put to bed recently, she was delivered of a female set of twins. There was joy in the household at 2, Akindele Street, Ijora Oloye, in Ijora Local Government, Lagos.

Before the birth of the twins, Faidat, who hails from Ilorin in Kwara State, was already mother to four children including a 4-year-old set of twins.

“The birth of my two sets of twins is not unusual. In my family, giving birth to twins is a piece of cake,” she stated in a chat. “We are known for our prowess to produce twins and almost every member of the family has at least one set of twins. Some, like me, have two sets.”

In her narrative, Faidat who confirmed that looking after twins is more tasking than imagined, however described twins as a special gift from God. . “My older twins, Zainab and Wareez, are about four years old, while the younger twins – Rokiba and Rokeem — are seven months old. Their care is quite demanding. I used to be a trader under the bridge at Ijora, but all my shops were demolished and I have been jobless since they were born.

First set of twins

“My first set of twins was born normally, but the second time around, I went through surgery, because one of the twins had breech presentation.   The gestation was up to 10 months.

“When I went to the hospital at six months, a scan confirmed the anomaly, and surgery was recommended. I was on admission for 20 days after the surgery.”

Taking over the narration, Faidat’s mother, Salimat, said the family’s twins-producing ability is legendary.

“It is a family tradition. All my children gave birth to twins. Faidat’s brother also has two sets of twins. Her other siblings all have twins. Their father also bore twins, twice. Their aunts and uncles, in fact, all our family members have twins.”

Confirming that their homes are full of twins, Salimat said the number of twins are now too many to count.

“We are so many we have stopped counting. In our family compound, at Popo Igbona in Ilorin, twins are everywhere. We cannot even count them. Producing twins is our speciality.”

In parting, Faidat remarked that having twins is significant. “People should take care of their twins. However, I do not plan to have any more children because of the great demand of their upkeep. I am jobless and I give them only pap and milk.”

Indeed multiple births can be multiple blessings as well as multiple problems. They could be a bundle of joy one minute, and a bundle of grief the next. For instance, the high cost of raising multiples alone, can bring many families to the brink of financial ruin.

World record

Findings show that the world record for twins, belongs to the South Western zone of the country. The highest number of twin births worldwide is in Igboora in Oyo State, a fact documented far back as the 1960s.

Reasons proffered for the trend range from diet to heredity. Medical experts say a woman with a family history of twinning has a high possibility of giving birth to twins. Same argument goes for the man. However, trends in assisted conception are another major factor.