Archie and Alfie Houilbecq are among a boom of twin births at the PEH this year. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 0660153)

MIDWIVES at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital have been seeing double.

An unusually high number of twins has been born so far this year – up to the end of September, among the 489 babies born, there were 10 sets of twins.

So far this month, there have already been 42 deliveries including two sets of twins in the same week. Anika Blondel, 21, a stylist at Tina’s Hair Salon, and partner Robert Houilbecq, 24, the manager at Mick’s Fishing Supplies, were surprised to discover they were expecting two babies.

Alfie and Archie were born by Caesarean section in the early hours of Sunday. Archie, 5lb 8oz, was first at 1.26am with Alfie, 4lb 7oz, following a minute later. They were born at 37-and-a-half weeks, with a due date of 8 November.

On average, 50 babies are born a month but last week seven were delivered in just 24 hours. Helen Kelso, head of midwifery at the hospital, said that while the September and October figures were high, there had been a particularly busy month earlier in the year.

‘In May there were 68 babies born, including three sets of twins all at the same time.’