COUPEVILLE — Caring for twins means double feeding, double changing and double cuddling, so Kimberly Kuschnereit of Langley has been busy since Tuesday when her twins were born.

But the same day, nurses and doctors at the Whidbey General Hospital pulled double the double duty when two sets of twins were born in one day — a first for the hospital.

Usually one set or less of twins are born at the hospital each year, said hospital spokeswoman Karen McClimon.

But just before Kuschnereit checked in on May 29 to give birth to her twin girls, Baylie and Carlie, doctors had delivered another set of twins in the Whidbey General Hospital’s Family Birthplace. Jenna and Erik were born to Stacey and Erik Montgomery of Oak Harbor earlier that morning.

Twelve hours later, Kuschnereit welcomed Baylie at 7:38 p.m. and two minutes later, Carlie arrived. The girls weighed in at 5 pounds, 9 ounces and 5 pounds, 11 1/2 ounces respectively.

The baby girls were delivered via Caesarean section.

“It all went really fast,” she said.

Her husband Caspian Kuschnereit, whom many know as the frozen foods manager at Pay-Less Foods in Freeland, was in the operating room with her.

“He was there holding the babies, joking with the anesthesiologist,” she said. “My husband gets a little woozy with all the blood. But the anesthesiologist was making jokes, so he didn’t have a chance to get woozy.”

Kuschnereit knew about the other set of twins born that day, but she didn’t know that the double twin births were a first for the hospital.

Kuschnereit hasn’t had much time to talk to Montgomery, the mother of the other twins, but she hopes to connect with her for some mom talks.

“We’ve been pretty busy and tired,” Kuschnereit said.

“But there are things that you can talk about better with the mom of a twin or multiple,” she added.

Kuschnereit, who has a son who’s almost 2, said the experience of caring for twins has been much like caring for her first baby. But times two.

“I am a bit more tired and a little busier,” she said. “As soon as one of them is happy, the other one needs to be happy, too.”

Baylie and Carlie have been very good babies so far, their mother said.

“They are very mellow-tempered. Sometimes a little too mellow,” Kuschnereit said.

Assisting with the babies after their birth was Josie Santos, a registered nurse, who retired this week after 26 years of taking care of babies and new moms at Whidbey General Hospital.

“Twins are double the pressure,” Santos explained.

But spending her last days before retirement with two sets of twins has been fun and rewarding, she said.

“This is the first time since I’ve worked here, since 1981, that two twins were born in just one day,” Santos said.

Being a nurse and taking care of babies is the only thing she has ever done and she doesn’t even have a hobby because of it, Santos said. Meeting Baylie, Carlie, Jenna and Erik is a great final memory at the hospital.

“They are fun. They are challenging, once you get through the rough time, the first few hours until they adjust to their environment, but then they are just wonderful,” she said.

Even though Thursday was her last day at work, she is certain it wasn’t her last day at the hospital.

“I will probably come by for my baby fix,” Santos said.

Michaela Marx Wheatley can be reached at 221-5300 or mmarxwheatley@southwhidbeyrecord.com.