Last week, Abby and Brittany Hensel, the remarkable conjoined twins from Minnesota, were seen carrying a newborn baby, sparking speculation that the sisters may have welcomed a child of their own.
At 35, the twins—famed for their rare condition—have long expressed their desire to become mothers, making this sighting especially poignant for fans who have followed their journey for decades.
Who Are Abby and Brittany?
Abby and Brittany are dicephalic parapagus twins, meaning they have two heads, two sets of lungs, and two hearts, but share a single body from the waist down—including their reproductive organs.
Born in 1990 to Patty, a registered nurse, and Mike, a carpenter and landscaper, doctors initially warned that the newborns might not survive their first night.
Defying the odds, the sisters grew up to become media figures, appearing on Oprah at age six and later starring in their own TLC series.
The Twins’ Public and Private Lives
Despite their fame, Abby and Brittany have kept their romantic lives and family plans relatively private.
Abby married U.S. Army veteran Joshua Bowling in 2021, a fact that only became widely known last year.
She is also a stepmother to Bowling’s daughter from a previous relationship.
Over the years, the sisters have been open about their dreams of motherhood but cautious about revealing personal details.
Abby once said, “Yeah, we are going to be moms one day, but we don’t want to talk about how it’s going to work yet,” while Brittany added, “We’re going to be great moms. The whole world doesn’t need to know who we are seeing, what we are doing, and when we are going to do it.”
Seeing the Newborn
The recent sighting of Abby and Brittany handling a baby in a car seat at a parking lot in Arden Hills, Minnesota, has reignited curiosity about how conjoined twins might become parents.
While it remains unclear whether the baby is biologically theirs, a surrogate or adoption could be possible.
Their unique physiology—two brains, two hearts, two spinal cords, but shared reproductive organs—means they could theoretically conceive a child, making them potentially the first female dicephalic twins in history to do so.
Life as Conjoined Twins
Living with two brains in one body requires extraordinary coordination.
Brittany, the left twin, cannot feel anything on the right side, and Abby, the right twin, cannot feel anything on the left. Yet, their limbs instinctively move as if controlled by a single person.
They even passed separate driving tests, with Abby managing the pedals and Brittany steering, highlighting their teamwork and adaptability.
Historical Cases of Conjoined Twins and Parenthood
There have been extremely few documented cases of conjoined twins having children.
In 1909, Rosa Blazek, conjoined with her sister Josepha, gave birth to a son.
More recently, Charity Lincoln Gutierrez-Vazquez, who was separated from her twin sister at birth, delivered a baby girl in 2021 at the same hospital where they were born.
Notably, conjoined brothers Chang and Eng Bunker, born in 1811, fathered a total of 21 children between them, demonstrating that parenthood is possible for twins, though exceedingly rare.
Anatomy and Daily Life
Abby and Brittany’s shared body contains two spines (joining at the pelvis), two hearts, two stomachs, four lungs (two joined), a liver, and a partially shared nervous system.
From the waist down, all organs, including reproductive ones, are shared. Despite these complexities, they are in good health and live fully active lives.
They both work as fifth-grade math teachers in New Brighton, Minnesota, sharing one salary while dividing classroom responsibilities.
The Twins’ Private Journey
Throughout their lives, Abby and Brittany have been deliberate about privacy regarding romance and family.
Brittany emphasized in past interviews, “The whole world doesn’t need to know who we are seeing, what we are doing, and when we are going to do it. But believe me, we are totally different people.”
Their dedication to living ordinary lives while navigating extraordinary circumstances continues to inspire.
A Rare Condition
Conjoined twins are extremely rare, occurring in roughly one in 40,000 births, and only 1% survive past infancy.
Abby and Brittany’s dicephalic condition is the rarest form, with only one other known living set of twins sharing the same anatomy.
Their story underscores both the fragility and resilience of human life, offering a remarkable glimpse into what it means to thrive against all odds.
