When college-sweethearts Nancy and Justin Rohde decided to get married, they anticipated a life full of love and children. Three years later they realized their dream of starting a family together was going to be difficult, even hopeless.
They tried multiple rounds of IVF, but each one failed. They hired a surrogate who sadly miscarried. They tried IVF again, but to no avail.
Then, in August 2015 the couple found a new surrogate—Ashley Brown, a 30-year-old stay-at-home mom from Salt Lake City, Utah. As Ashley prepared for surrogacy, the Rohdes also decided to try one more round of IVF to double their odds—assuming deep down that they would have the same failed results.
Two weeks later, Nancy got a positive pregnancy test. But because doctors feared her body might not be able to carry a baby to term, they went ahead with the surrogacy. Five weeks later, Ashley got her own positive pregnancy test.
Despite their fears, Nancy’s pregnancy was indeed viable. Over the next nine months the two women shared weekly updates as they each prepared to welcome the Rohdes’ “twinbling” daughters.
Nancy gave birth to Lillian Quinn, on May 2 in Chicago, Illinois. Her delivery was not without complications; Nancy suffered from a torn placenta, anemia and preeclampsia. Thankfully, a month later she was healthy enough to travel with Justin and Lily to Utah for the delivery of baby number two.
After a difficult labor for Ashley, the Rohdes welcomed Audrey Eleanor on June 7. And, it was love at first sight for the newly minted family of four.
Now, at home in Chicago, the Rohdes can’t wait to tell the sisters their story someday.
“We’re going to be extremely open with [the twinblings] about their unique entry into the world. I mean, it’s going to be obvious something weird happened. They’re five weeks apart,” Nancy told Cosmopolitan.