Twins with different fathers, known as heteropaternal superfecundation, are an extremely rare occurrence in humans. According to a study shared by The Guardian, only about one in 400 fraternal twin sets result from this phenomenon.
Simon and Graeme Berney-Edwards, a married gay couple from London, wanted both to be the biological father of their first child. They struggled to decide who would contribute the sperm for their baby.
“We couldn’t choose who would be the father,” Simon explained to The Daily Mail. “Graeme thought it should be me, but I told him he had just as much right as I did.”
Their solution was to have twins via in vitro fertilization (IVF). However, they would need to find a doctor willing to implant embryos from two different fathers into the same surrogate.
Knowing this wouldn’t be possible in England, the couple looked internationally for a doctor and surrogate.
“I saw Simon and Graeme's profile on a surrogacy website, and their smiles really stood out,” said Meg Stone, the Canadian woman who eventually agreed to be their surrogate. “I had just gone through a breakup and wasn’t ready for another child, but I wanted to help someone else become parents.”
Meg, already a mother to two children, Jeffrey and Max, met the couple in Canada. The three instantly clicked. Simon and Graeme traveled to Los Angeles, where they both fertilized eggs from an anonymous donor before meeting with Meg to make sure she was the right fit.
“Initially, we were nervous — wondering if we’d bond with her,” Simon shared. “But that wasn’t an issue. We got along perfectly.”
Months later, both Simon and Graeme’s embryos were implanted into Meg. The couple anxiously awaited the results.
“When Meg FaceTimed us from the scan room, we first saw one heartbeat, and we were nervous,” Simon recalled. “Then we saw the second heartbeat. Graeme and I hugged each other, so thrilled. We were both going to be dads.”
In the following weeks, the couple remained in constant communication with Meg. They traveled to Canada for her 19-week ultrasound, where they were thrilled to feel the babies kick inside her belly.
At 31 weeks, Meg thought she was going into labor. The couple quickly rushed to Canada, only to find it was a false alarm.
“We were so relieved to find out she and the babies were fine,” Simon said.
Five weeks later, Meg gave birth to Calder and Alexandra Berney-Edwards.
“It was the most incredible experience of our lives,” Simon said. “Alexandra was born first, followed by Calder minutes later. Holding them for the first time, we couldn't believe we were both fathers.”
Simon went on to say, “Calder looked just like Graeme, and Alexandra was the spitting image of me.”
After spending seven weeks in Canada, the couple returned to England with their newborns, but they had to say goodbye to Meg.
“It was hard to leave Meg behind,” Simon shared. “But bringing them home was an unforgettable moment. Since then, they’ve been thriving and hitting all their milestones.”
The twins recently celebrated their first birthday, and the fathers flew Meg out to celebrate with them.
“Simon and Graeme are like family to me now,” Meg said. “They call me the twins ‘Tummy Mummy,' and I love that.”