My mother and I were pregnant at the same time – her 5 year old twins are the uncle of my 4 year old
A mother and daughter raise their babies simultaneously, after both giving birth in the same year.
Lexi Hodges, 26, was in complete shock when she found out she was pregnant, shortly after her mother, Brigitte Zittrouer, 47, gave birth to twins.
Now Brigitte’s five-year-old sons are uncles of Lexi’s four-year-old son.
Lexi and her mother have become best friends since becoming pregnant together.
The two even went to appointments next to each other so they could compare their symptoms.
“My mom had a c-section and I ended up having one too. It was nice to have someone who could help me recover and who knew what I was going through,” Lexi said.
Brigitte, from Rocky Ford, Georgia, already has three adult children.
But after finding love for herself again following her divorce, she decided it was time to expand the family.
Her new partner had no children of his own, so she wanted to give him the chance to experience what it is like to be a father.
In February 2019, she gave birth to her twin sons, Banks and Briar.
She says she knew it was coming because this pregnancy felt different than the others.
Her daughter Lexi gave birth to her son Cash a few months later in November, with her mother by her side supporting her through the process she herself had been through.
Lexi explained that the boys grew up as siblings and spend most days together, while Cash begs his mother to visit his uncles.
Mother and daughter learn together how to raise their children, with Brigitte mentoring Lexi as she is just a parent.
The family often gathers at Brigitte’s house, where things can sometimes get “messy”, but she doesn’t mind. She calls the boys “her triplets”.
“It’s been a huge blessing and the best day of my life so far to see them grow up together,” said Brigitte.
“They stay together whenever they can.
“It was definitely crazy, but I have a close bond with my daughter now that she’s an adult — we’re more like best friends — so it was so much fun to experience these things with her.
“I knew from the start it was going to be twins because it was a very different pregnancy experience than the other times I’ve been pregnant.
“I was excited, but also worried about getting older and having to take care of two babies.
“Once you have twins, adding more doesn’t make it harder. I like to call them my triplets!
“But having more children is a big no for me! I’m done with it!”
Lexi said it was fun to go to the doctor together, discuss similar symptoms, and sort through birth lists together.
“An average day is very chaotic, with all the kids running around, toys flying everywhere and the role of referee between the boys,” Lexi said.
“They love playing outside together and getting dirty.
“They are as close as siblings. My son wakes up every day asking if we can go to Banks and Briar’s house!
“When my mother first had twins, she found it difficult to spend time with her grandchildren and bond with them because she had to take care of the twins. But now that they are older, it is not so bad.
“He always has someone to play with and he never has to feel alone!”