The pitter patter of two pairs of tiny feet is cause for a special celebration, but with that joy comes extra anxiety – a fact which has led twin parents in Argyll to set up their own support group.

Multiple pregnancies carry an increased likelihood of prematurity and illness for the babies, and a greater risk of post-natal depression for mothers. In a rural location, those challenges can be compounded by isolation and a lack of facilities.

“Babies are very demanding in the early stages, and tackling two unhappy, crying babies on your own can be stressful, especially in the public eye,” explains Laura O’Donnell, who is mum to ten-month-olds Evan and Grace. “The twin group is great for me and my children – it means I can get out and socialise confidently with people who also have ‘double trouble’ to contend with.”

Visit the group, which meets monthly in the Early Learning Centre facility at Oban’s Park Primary School, and you quickly gain a sense of the juggling act that can be twin parenting.

Crayons, blocks and sensory fabrics are scattered as matching toddlers wobble and climb in opposite directions, and one baby demands feeding as its sibling requires a nappy change.

There’s a sense of camaraderie though, and a pair of hands can always be found to give a bottle, a cuddle, or make the tea.

Mums started the group earlier this year with the aim of providing some peer support, particularly in the intense early days. While there are twin clubs in towns across Scotland, there was nothing nearby to connect multiple parents.

There is plenty of chat about toddler quirks and the best twin-friendly gadgets, but swapping experiences is central, particularly as many twin families share traumatic early days – almost half of twins born in the UK need some special hospital care.

“My babies were eight weeks early and spent three weeks in special care,” says Leanne Stewart, mum to one year olds Callum and Alyssa. “I had one baby home before the other which I was not prepared for at all. The guilt of leaving Callum still eats at me today.”

Laura’s twins were also premature, arriving six weeks before their due date. They needed to be in the hospital’s special care unit initially, but an improvement in Grace’s condition meant they were separated.

“Grace started coming on leaps and bounds, so she came up on the ward with me,” she says, “but Evan was still struggling with feeding. The hospital told me to leave with Grace the next day and I just about cried that whole day and night.

“Amazingly Evan made such a huge improvement with his feeding that day and during the night that the doctors allowed him to leave with us, thank goodness.”

“Getting told we could take them home on day 15 was amazing,” says Fiona Elder, from Lochgilphead, whose eight-month-old twins Seamus and Jock were born seven weeks early and spent the first week of their lives in incubators. “It meant the next chapter of the journey could begin.”

Alongside the challenges, twin mums and dads also share the excitement of their children’s interactions, whether it’s holding hands and giggling together for the first time, or swapping pieces of their dinners. “All the nice things, like smiles and cuddles, are doubled,” says Leanne.

Seona Laird, mum to Andrew and Alexander, agrees. “I feel so lucky to have two,” she says. “There are enough cuddles for everyone. It’s double the joy when you watch one smile, and then after a while you see the other one smile too.”

The fact that many of the twins at the group had fragile starts to their their lives, makes the celebration of each first step all the happier. “The best thing about being a twin mum is knowing I’ve raised two healthy babies,” says Laura. “We had these teeny newborns in incubators with tubes and wires, and now I have two strong, happy little people – its such an amazing feeling.”

Help and information about twins and multiples is available from www.tamba.org

For more information about the twin group in Argyll, contact argylltwins@hotmail.com