‘Infertile couple’ welcome two sets of twins just a year apart: ‘Doctors told me to remove my womb’
A young couple, who were told they would never be able to have children, gave birth to their second baby exactly one year after their first twins.
Alisha Young, 25, and Connor Craster, 26, from Hartlepool, who now have four children under the age of two, certainly have their hands full.
The couple, who survived by sleeping no more than five hours a night, said they were actually having quadruplets and spent £18 a day on nappies, changing around 50 nappies in 24 hours.
‘We are so happy and so lucky,’ Ms Young said.
‘I always wanted a big family and I always wanted to be a mother.’
But their journey to this point was far from easy.
The couple met while working at the hospital in May 2022 and got engaged in November of the following year.
Months later, Ms Young was told she could not have children of her own because she had endometriosis, in which cells similar to those in the lining of the womb grow in other parts of the body.
Connor Craster and Alisha Young definitely have their hands full with four kids under the age of two
The couple, who survive on no more than five hours of sleep a night, spend £18 a day on nappies and change around 50 nappies in 24 hours
After struggling with painful, heavy menstrual periods and pelvic pain from a young age, she was recommended a hysterectomy, or surgical removal of the uterus, because she was told she was at risk of losing her right ovary.
‘It’s so difficult with endo, there’s always so much information to think about, options to explore and decisions to make,’ Ms Young said.
In February 2024, after deciding to go ahead with the hysterectomy, she took a pregnancy test and it turned out she was pregnant.
‘Finding out we were pregnant was such a shock but such a blessing. “I was absolutely stunned,” he said.
Then, following an eight-week scan, the couple found out they were expecting twins, months after they were told they couldn’t get pregnant.
Mr Craster said: ‘I saw two circles on the screen. ‘They were joined by a little line and it looked like a smiley face.’
The couple discovered that they were expecting a girl at 16 weeks and that the babies would be born on December 27, 2024.
Lottie, 4lb 2oz, was born at 5.07am and Hattie, weighing 3lb 14oz, was born at 5.40am on 2 November 2024 and they remained in neonatal care for 29 days.
And then came their second miracle. Another pregnancy test came back positive in April 2025, just five months after giving birth.
A scan four weeks later revealed that they were expecting twins again.
The chance of having a multiple birth (twins, triplets or more) in the UK is about 1 in 65 pregnancies, or about 2.4 per cent of live births.
Connor and Alisha photographed with their four children: Hattie, Lottie, Florence and William
The life of the young couple with four diapers revolves around constant changes, feeding and 24-hour care
If the first set was fraternal (non-identical), there is a higher chance of having twins again as the genetic tendency to ‘hyper-ovulate’ (release more than one egg) remains.
“We couldn’t believe it,” Mr. Craster said. ‘The first time was so unexpected it didn’t seem possible.
‘We looked at each other with pursed lips; We were told we couldn’t have children, and now we were about to have four.
‘When Lottie had just come out of hospital it was a huge shock to find out we were pregnant again. It was crazy; ‘I didn’t know what to do.’
The babies were due on December 17, but Ms Young went into labor on October 29.
When labor failed to progress, her waters broke on November 2 and Florence, 5lb 5oz, and William, 5lb 3oz, were born on their older sister’s first birthday, six weeks early, at 2.15pm and 3.35pm.
Florence and William spent 14 days in neonatal care, in the exact same bed as their sister the year before.
The life of a young couple with four babies revolves around constant change, nutrition and 24-hour care.
‘I can’t tell when the day begins because the last one doesn’t end,’ said Mr Craster.
The couple say they ‘couldn’t ask for more’ despite having to replace their compact Mitsubishi Mirage with a seven-seat Kia Carens.
‘Our lives and our family felt complete when they came here,’ Mr Craster said.
Ms Young added: ‘With four kids, routine is absolutely crucial.
‘Making sure you stick to timings is the only way to make time for yourself.
‘When people say it takes a village to raise children, it really does. We’re so lucky to have a great support circle.’
