Delivering double time at Fairfield hospital

One set of twins is exciting. Two sets at once are memorable. But four sets in just over a month?

That’s enough to make even an experienced NICU team do a double take.

That’s exactly what happened at Northbay Medical Center in Fairfield, where eight babies arrived in four sets of twins between Aug. 27 and Oct. 3, turning an already busy stretch for the Labor and Delivery and NICU teams into something of a twin phenomenon.

The babies arrived ranging from 30 to 37 weeks of pregnancy. And for a community hospital 2ith just 16 beds in the NICU, having four sets of twins come through in such a short time is anything but ordinary.

“I’ve been at large tertiary NICUs, and the most I ever saw was three sets,” said neonatologist Elena Minakova, M.D. “So it’s very unusual for them to all come around the same time.”

Twins are a familiar sight in a NICU, where babies born prematurely often need extra support. But four sets at once is another story, Minakova said.

“It’s not unusual to have one or two sets at a time, but four sets for a community NICU this size is very unusual,” she said.

For the families, the whirlwind has brought plenty of surprises, emotional moments, and, in some cases, a whole new appreciation for the people caring for their newborns.

And while each family has its own story, the parents share something else: praise for the doctors, nurses, and other staff members who have helped them navigate the early days of life with twins.

Four families, eight surprises

For Mallory Brady, the arrival of daughter Juniper and son Apollo on Aug. 27 was a surprise in more ways than one.

After two failed pregnancies, learning she was expecting twins felt almost like the universe was making up for lost time.

“To get twins is like the universe saying, ‘Oh, we messed up, you’re supposed to have two!’” Brady said in a videotaped interview with staff.

Juniper and Apollo arrived at just 30 weeks, the earliest of the four sets, and are continuing to receive care in Northbay’s NICU.

Their arrival kicked off the unusual run of twins that would continue for more than a month.

On Sept. 20, Keyauna Harrison and her partner, Terrance Missouri-Tallie, welcomed daughters Khari and Kali, weighing just over 4 pounds each.

The timing was especially memorable for Harrison.

“I had just had my baby shower the day before,” she said. “I was actually shopping on Amazon for my hospital bag when my water broke.”

The girls were Harrison’s first children, and although their early arrival caught her a little by surprise, she said the experience went smoothly.

“Everyone here has treated us so great,” Harrison said.

Missouri-Tallie said the hospital staff was especially helpful in answering questions and easing the couple’s concerns.

“Any concerns we’ve had or things we don’t understand, they make sure they fill in the gaps for us and make sure we are comfortable, heard and understood,” he said.

Ten days later, on Sept. 30, Shayna and Mike Lagares welcomed sons Kaleo and Keanu at 37 weeks.

The biggest surprise came at the couple’s first ultrasound appointment, when Mike spotted something on the screen.

“The ultrasound tech was trying to adjust the angle, and there was a quick glimpse, and I saw two sacs,” he recalled. “And I think she heard my gasp because she said, ‘Did you see that?’ and I asked her, ‘Is that what I think it is?’ and she said, ‘Yes,’ and I just cried like a big baby.”

Shayna said she was initially stunned, too.

“I think it was just shocking to hear we were having twins, and I’m still in shock,” she said with a laugh. “I’m kind of tiny, and I wondered if my body could handle it, but luckily everything went really well, and so we are just really happy.”

The couple said they had little idea what to expect from a NICU before their sons arrived, but the experience has been reassuring.

“You know, when you think about NICU, you think of TV shows and stuff, and you think the worst, but it’s been the opposite for us,” Mike said.

He said the staff has made the family feel comfortable and connected, even during an unfamiliar and sometimes stressful time.

“It’s so reassuring to know they are taking great care of the boys, and really, the babies are like a part of their family,” he said.

The latest pair arrived Oct. 3, when Tracy Leonardo and her partner, Vasega Masina, welcomed sons Neimani and Naikoa at 36 weeks.

For Leonardo, who already has three boys at home — ages 12, 6 and 4 — the news that she would be adding two more sons to the family was a lot to take in.

“It’s all been a surprise,” she said.

Even the babies’ names follow a family tradition. All of Leonardo’s sons have names that begin with N, so she wanted to keep the pattern going.

“We are all excited,” she said, adding that the family recently moved from San Mateo to Vallejo and hopes to bring the twins home soon to meet their big brothers. Plenty of grandparents are already waiting to help.

Leonardo said the families of all of the twins have met and bonded while their babies receive care in the NICU, creating a connection among parents who are experiencing many of the same emotions and challenges.

Small NICU, big job

For Northbay’s Women and Children’s Services team, the unusual run of twins has been a reminder of the importance of having specialized newborn care close to home.

Some of the families chose Northbay because its NICU offered the care their babies needed without requiring them to travel farther from home.

“Welcoming four sets of twins in just over a month is an extraordinary occurrence, and it’s been especially memorable for our NICU and the entire Women and Children’s Services,” said Corrina Panganiban, clinical nurse supervisor at Northbay Health.

“Each family’s experience is unique, and we’re proud to support them with the specialized care and compassion they need during such an important time in their lives,” she said.

Minakova said caring for twins is rewarding not only because of the medical work involved, but also because of the opportunity to support parents through an emotional and sometimes unexpected experience.

“You can see their different personalities a bit, and then there are the emotions of the parents,” she said. “It’s rewarding to take care of the twins and support the parents through the process.”

Brian Montenegro, M.D., another Northbay neonatal physician, said he takes pride in the level of care the hospital provides as a community hospital, even without the resources of a large academic medical center.

“Despite the fact that we are not a big academic hospital, we are a community hospital, we still provide a level of care that I’d be proud to have my own family receive,” he said.

He says the hospital’s emphasis on family is something staff members strive to make real for the people they care for.

“There is a saying that we’re family, but we are trying to make it not a cliché but to make it true,” Montenegro said.

For the four families, that care has helped make an unexpected beginning a little less overwhelming.

Eight newborns in five weeks may be an unusually rare occurrence, but for the parents, the numbers are secondary to the tiny personalities, the names they chose, the milestones they are watching, and the excitement of bringing their babies home.

And for the hospital team, it’s a remarkable reminder that sometimes, good things really do come in pairs.