Adanma Ohakim’s Irish twins, and what you need to know

Daughter of former Imo State Governor, Adanma Ohakim-Okoroafor has joined the league of celebrity mothers such as Britney Spears, Heidi Klum, Jessica Simpson, and Tori Spelling, who all gave birth to Irish twins.

No, these babies were not born in Ireland; rather, they were born less than 12 months apart. Irish twins is a name for siblings that are born 12 or less months apart, especially if born within the same calendar year or school year.

The lawyer and fitness enthusiast who welcomed a daughter with her husband Dr. Amaha Okoroafor on 1st January 2016, also welcomed a son on 21st December, 2016. “What many people hope for and only dream about, he has so freely given to me,” she gushed about her babies. Congratulations are in order for the new parents!

The news created a lot of buzz on the Nigerian web, with questions raised about the possibility of having two babies in a year, the use of birth control, breastfeeding as an effective form of birthcontrol, and if having babies back to back was a good idea or not.

How possible is it to have two babies in one year?

Very possible. Doctors believe that a woman can fall pregnant again as early as three weeks after giving birth. Even though the earliest time periods can return after childbirth is six weeks (especially for moms who are breast feeding less often), it’s still not safe to have unprotected sex before this time, because ovulation occurs two weeks before a period.

As a matter of fact, most unplanned pregnancies occur in the first few months after giving birth, which is why it’s recommended to get on birth control as early as possible. Actually, the term ‘Irish twins’ originated in the 1800s as a derogatory way of making fun of Irish immigrants who didn’t have access to birth control.

I am breastfeeding, can I have Irish twins?

Mothers who are breastfeeding may rely on Lactational Amenorrhea (LAM) as a form of natural birth control, only if the following conditions are satisfied; otherwise it won’t be effective:

• Your baby is less than six months old.
• You have no periods at all.
• You are exclusively breastfeeding your baby on demand, at least every four hours during the day and every six hours at night, without giving any other liquid or solid food, or formula.

A different form of birth control is required when the baby is six months old, the woman sees her period, or starts giving her baby other liquids, formula, or solid food.

It’s also important to note that expressing breast milk may make Lactational Amenorrhea less effective, though the direct effect is not known. It’s been seen that working moms who rely on LAM have a higher pregnancy rate of about 5 percent compared to about 2 percent for non working moms who rely on LAM. Therefore, working moms need a different form of birth control.

The bottomline in using LAM is – within the first 6 months after giving birth, the more a baby suckles at the mother’s breast, the more her ovulation is suppressed.

Are there health concerns regarding Irish twins?

Though not always the case, some research suggest that having babies back to back could lead to adverse outcomes such as increased risk of autism in children, preterm birth, low birth weight and small size for gestational age.

Waiting too long between pregnancies is not the best either, as a long interpregnancy interval has been associated with the risks of preeclampsia, preterm birth, low birth weight and small size for gestational age.

The recommended pregnancy spacing for women is to wait at least 18 months after childbirth, and no longer than 60 months before falling pregnant again.

Sometimes, timing may not be everything; but the important thing is to try your best. However, if life happens, and takes pregnancy spacing out of your control, dust yourself off and enjoy your blessings. All babies are miracles, and motherhood rocks!

Photo credit: Instablog9ja