Between 12 January and 2 February, the unit was home to five sets of twins.

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“There has been a buzz amongst the team members helping these families through the first days and weeks,” said Lauren Jusic, Midwife Educator for the Special Care Nursery.

North Haven’s Rebecca Ellis and Lachlan Mumford welcomed Knox and Nate into their lives at 22:55pm and 23:08pm on 23 January.

“They were, unbelievably, the fourth set of twins helped into the world by the wonderful team of midwives, doctors and nurses,” said the boys’ grandmother Gayl, who’s also from North Haven.

Gayl said Rebecca and Lachlan were told that it was such a “phenomenal turn out” for the hospital and the area “in a very long time.”

Meg Johnson and Zain Ali kicked off the twin rush when they welcomed Tallulah and Elijah on 12 January.

Meg said there was no family history of twins, so the discovery of two heartbeats during pregnancy was a surprise.

Noor Harbi and Hemamm Al-Kaillany were next, welcoming Melissa and Sofia on 14 January.

The twins were born at John Hunter Hospital and transferred to Port Macquarie.

Noor said her husband is a twin, but the news they would welcome two was unexpected.

“Doctors have told us that the chance of a twin fathering twins is one in a million,” she said.

Melissa and Sofia were discharged from the hospital to be doted over by big sister Emelia-Celine.

Third-up were Bryson and Kayson Abbotts who were born on 15 January at John Hunter Hospital to parents Ameka Morris and Bailyn Abbots of Kempsey.

The boys spent time at Port Macquarie Base Hospital before going home to the extended family, which includes twin uncles and cousins.

Rebecca and Lachlan were next to add to the nursery.

“We were happy the special care team could care for Knox and Nate when they already had three sets of twins in the ward,” Rebecca said.

After the four twins were discharged from the hospital, the Special Care team quickly welcomed a fifth duo – Sybil and Eve – although the sisters don’t share a birthday.

Sybil was born at 11:30pm on 1 February and Eve was born just after midnight, on 2 February.

Parents Amber and Lochie Clarke said the girls are the first twins in the family for several generations.

Siblings aged four and two were waiting at home in Kempsey for their sisters to arrive.

“The prospect of going from two children to four was a bit to get used to,” Lochie said.

By Sue STEPHENSON