Photo credit: Identical twins Nicole Patrikakos and Gillianne Gogas with their boys, Alexander and William, born on the same day at the same weight at Epworth Freemasons Maternity on August 22, 2023, with obstetrician Dr Joseph Sgroi.
Picture: Mark Stewart, Herald Sun.
Last week, identical twin sisters each welcomed a newborn on the same day at Epworth Freemasons Maternity in East Melbourne.
Nicole Patrikakos and Gillianne Gogas gave birth to their boys, Alexander and William, within hours of each other, on 22 August 2023, with each baby weighing in at the same birth weight of 3.4kg! For Nicole, it was her first child and for Gillianne, her third boy.
This truly rare birthing occurrence was a first for the experienced obstetrician, Dr Joseph Sgroi.
It’s often said that identical twins share a special bond (beyond their identical DNA) from their time together in the womb and throughout their lives.
“The first thing people would ask was ‘was it planned?’. It was certainly planned individually, but not together. You can’t time something like this,” Ms Patrikakos said.
“It was meant to be and that’s something to celebrate,” Ms Gogas said.
“We have no doubt that the babies will be close. We’ve been referring to them as ‘the twins’ the whole time. We’ve even bought matching double prams so they can ride together,” she said.
Epworth Freemasons Maternity cares for newborns and families across three locations – Victoria Parade, Albert Street and dedicated rooms located within Park Hyatt Melbourne.
