Erin Cheplak and Jill Justiniani, identical twin sisters, had an ongoing joke throughout their pregnancies that they would give birth on the same day. It seemed like a lighthearted idea, and they never truly expected it to happen. But then, surprisingly, it did.
The moment of realization came when Cheplak spoke to her sister over the phone, just before 9 a.m. on May 5, which was the date scheduled for Justiniani's C-section. "This isn't a joke anymore," Cheplak exclaimed. "My water broke."
In a remarkable turn of events, the twin sisters each welcomed their firstborn sons just a few hours apart down the hall from each other at the Kaiser Permanente hospital in Anaheim, Calif.
Not only were the babies born on the same day in the same hospital, but they even shared similar measurements. Both boys, Oliʋer and Silas, weighed 7 pounds and 3 ounces at birth, and they were each 20 inches long.
While the timing of their sons' births was a stunning coincidence for the sisters, they acknowledged that their lives had always been aligned in many ways. Growing up in Brea, Calif., their interests and hobbies matched, and even as adults, they pursued the same profession, studying kinesiology and completing the same master's program in occupational therapy at California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Currently, they work as pediatric occupational therapists at the same outpatient clinic, side by side, often sharing lunches.
Their journey into motherhood was unexpectedly synchronous too, as they got pregnant within just eight days of each other, despite not planning it that way. The sisters found comfort in going through the ups and downs of pregnancy together, especially because they shared a strong bond rooted in their shared childhood experiences.
Their younger sister, Allison, was born with a rare, life-threatening genetic disorder called Sialidosis, and she passed away when the twins were 18 years old. This difficult experience brought Erin and Jill even closer, shaping their career choices in occupational therapy and strengthening their connection.
Their lives continued to mirror each other, and when they discovered they were both having boys during a gender reveal celebration, they felt overjoyed.
The twins never imagined that they would give birth on the same day, even though they playfully entertained the idea. However, when Justiniani found out her son was in a breech position and needed a C-section, she and her husband chose May 5, Cinco de Mayo, for the procedure.
Unexpectedly, on the morning of May 5, Cheplak's water broke, more than a week before her due date on May 15. Rushing to the hospital, she arrived shortly after Justiniani, and both sisters found themselves in the delivery rooms, supporting each other through the emotional and intense experience.
The news of the twins giving birth on the same day spread rapidly throughout the hospital, delighting staff and patients alike. The twins' obstetrician-gynecologist, Alice Lau, was astonished by the unique occurrence, remarking that she had never seen twins deliver on the same day before and likely never would again.
For Erin and Jill, the simultaneous births felt like a miraculous and meaningful event, solidifying their belief that they were destined to have each other as sisters.
Now, with their boys already forming a strong bond, the twin sisters are excited about their sons experiencing life's journey together, carrying on the unique connection that has defined their lives since the very beginning. The twinning continues.
