A young mom from Australia has revealed the surprising moment she found out that she was pregnant with a second set of twins and how she manages her overflowing schedule caring for her four children who are all under the age of 5.
Gabby Radlof, 28, lives with her family—Ben, 29, a self-employed builder, and her four children, Hugo and Spencer, 4-year-old twin boys, and Billy and Aria, 1-year-old twins—in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia.
Before the “four little wildlings”—as Gabby calls them—were born, she was a massage therapist.
Gabby, who is currently a stay-at-home mom, met Ben when they were both just 14 years old, and they’ve since been inseparable. They married nine years later, in 2016, when both of them were 23.
A year after their marriage, the Radlofs learned they were having their first set of twins, which was revealed during their 8-week scan.
“We were absolutely delighted to be pregnant with twins for our first pregnancy, ” Gabby said. “Without a doubt, there was a little shock, but more excitement than shock.”
The then-first-time parents welcomed their identical twin boys, Hugo and Spencer, on Nov. 19, 2017.
However, the second time around, in 2020, the news of twins caused a bit of a surprise, if not a good stir.
The couple had been trying for just a few months to fall pregnant when they found out that they were expecting.
“I took a test whilst he was at work, and when Ben got home from work and sat down, Hugo and Spencer handed him the test,” Gabby said. “It was very special.”
Gabby recalls that, during their 8-week scan, Ben told her: “Imagine if it was twins again.”
“As soon as he said it, I felt it in the pit of my stomach and I felt incredibly nervous going in,” she said. “As the sonographer began, Ben and I both immediately saw two babies right there on the screen.”
During that time, Gabby was “nervous,” “scared,” and “overwhelmed.” Although her husband had a great laugh with the sonographer and Gabby didn’t say anything at that time, when she got into the car, she began to cry, worrying about what was going to come.
Gabby hesitated at the thought of having premature babies again and having to part with her boys, especially during a time when Covid-19 was still raging. Yet, her angst was soothed after reassurances from family, leaving room for her excitement to grow. As she thought back to the sweet memories of her first twin boys, her happiness emerged and her confidence took over.
“Our families couldn’t believe it! But they were all amazing and incredibly supportive,“ she said. ”I have a wonderful, helpful village.”
After coming to terms with being pregnant with twins again, Gabby felt incredibly blessed. She describes taking her second pregnancy really slowly and as easily as she could compared to the first time she was pregnant.
After much anticipation, Gabby’s second set of twins, Billy and Aria, arrived on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2021. Following induction and then a natural and uncomplicated birth, the family was ready to go home after four days in the local hospital—having suddenly grown by a notable 50 percent.
Being a mother of two sets of twins for the last year, Gabby shares how she manages to care for them.
“I have learned not to be afraid to ask for help when I need it,“ Gabby said. ”That this challenging time in my life is only for a short time.”
She is watching time race by as her children grow, and she knows that, before too long, she will be recalling these busy years with longing. The bustling mother said she is also learning a few lessons along the way.
“It’s taught me to be a lot more easygoing,” she said.
Once tethered to routine, Gabby has learned to flow more naturally with her brimming days and has released her grip on her daytime routine. Stating an example, she explained that her youngest set of twins nap in the car or in the pram, or on the move to wherever the family is going next, whether kindergarten or swimming lessons.
However, nighttime routine is still carefully followed, with the kids all in bed by 7:00 p.m., giving Gabby and Ben a breather and time to prepare before their next race into life. She spends her evenings tidying up the house, talking to Ben, and just relaxing on the couch.
“As a mom to four little ones, getting that time at the end of the day is so important,” she said.
Apart from caring for the four little ones, Gabby said the biggest challenge the family has had since giving birth to the second set of twins is finding a car that can fit all of them.
“We love to go camping, so we were on the hunt for a 4WD that could fit 4 car seats but unfortunately there wasn’t much of an option out there,” she said. “We kept our 2010 Kluger and got two anchor points installed and certified correctly for the meantime; it’s squishy, but it does what it needs to.”
“The best part of being a mother to twins is watching them form their beautiful twin bond,“ Gabby said. ”It’s such a special thing to witness.”
