Mom Gave Birth to Twins Believed to Be Heaviest in Her Country: 'It Was Genuinely Quite a Surprise'

When a couple discovered they were pregnant with twins, they were thrilled and couldn't wait to welcome them into their hearts and home. Surprisingly, their joy multiplied when the babies arrived, tipping the scales at a record-breaking combined weight.

Alanna and Paul Merrie were a lovely couple who lived in Newington, Edinburgh, Scotland. They were already parents to a girl when they learned another piece of delightful news — they were expecting again. Even more exciting was that mom Alanna was pregnant with not one but two babies.

Throughout her pregnancy, Alanna visited the doctor regularly; during one such visit, she and Paul found out that their twins were comparatively bigger than the average newborns. But none of the parents could have anticipated that their babies would end up astonishing everyone.

Welcoming Their Twins

On November 4, 2015, Alanna, a doctor, gave birth to healthy twin boys, Troy and Kaius. The 33-year-old mother stayed for a week in the hospital, recovering from her C-section delivery, before taking her bundles of joy home with her husband, Paul, 39.

Troy and Kaius continue to meet all their milestones and are now thriving in the presence of their affectionate parents and lovely big sister.

Alanna recalled that at the time of her boys' birth, everyone, including the doctors and nurses, was stunned and rendered speechless, telling her they had never seen such heavy twins. "Some of them remembered babies in 2010 who weighed more than 15lbs, but they hadn't seen any as big as ours," she added.

Little Blessings

During her pregnancy, Alanna said she knew her twins were larger than normal but could have never guessed just how big they would be. "It was genuinely quite a surprise," she admitted. Alanna recounted that her baby bump was so huge that complete strangers approached her and asked if she was on the verge of giving birth.

The Merries said they felt blessed to welcome their bundles of joy, especially after their first child, a girl named Aubyn, passed away a few days after birth. Alanna revealed that when she first laid eyes on her baby boy Kaius, she was astonished to see the uncanny resemblance he shared with Aubyn.

She recalled a brief conversation with one of the midwives, who said that welcoming Troy and Kaius after losing Aubyn was a blessing in disguise and that "in having twins, we were somehow getting her back to us, and the boys were bringing our family together."

Believed to Be Record Breakers

Babies Troy and Kaius arrived in a loving home with devoted parents and an older sister, Ayla, who was one year old at their birth. Alanna expressed that her boys felt great to be home with their family and enjoyed being cuddled. Parents Paul and Alanna said they had a history of twins in their family.

Alanna recollected that she didn't buy any newborn clothes for her twins because she needed to figure out their exact size. Paul, a personal trainer and a father to a lovely daughter, shared that he was ecstatic to welcome two sons and complete his beautiful family.

While twin brothers Troy and Kaius filled their parents' lives with endless love and joy, they were also believed to be the heaviest babies in their home country at the time. Their combined weight was reported to be 16lb 13oz, making them heavier than their older sister, Ayla, who weighed a little over 8lb at birth.

The Online Reaction

When netizens got wind of Alanna and Paul's adorable tots, they couldn't help doting on the twins and shared messages of love and support online. Many even took a moment to document their own experiences. Here are a few of the comments that people wrote:

"Whoa!! It's amazing what the human body capable of!! My twins came in at 9.5 lbs a whole month early and are now healthy 4 year olds (sic)."

— (@amber.alex.12) November 24, 2015

"Wow! This mother has my respect, mine were a combined weight of 7 pounds and they were 6 weeks early. Sending good thoughts!"

— (@A.LilBlueKittyKat) November 24, 2015

"Wow!!!!! I take my hat off to you Alanna merrie, my twins were only 5.7 combined and my first daughter only 5.5!!! So their 3 combined weights are still about 7lb lighter? You are a super human lol, congratulations and love the red hair (sic)."

— (@adele.brownless) November 24, 2015

Troy and Kaius continue to meet all their milestones and are now thriving in the presence of their affectionate parents and lovely big sister. We wish this family all the love and joy their hearts can take, and we hope they celebrate many more worthwhile moments.

Click here to read another story about a mother who learned she was pregnant with twins only two minutes after her first baby was born.