Australian model and fitness trainer welcomes early arrival of twins

Insta-famous Queensland model and gym owner Chontel Duncan and husband Sam have welcomed the birth of their twins – a boy and a girl – born nine weeks early at Brisbane’s Mater Mothers’ Hospital.

Mrs Duncan, the personal trainer behind popular full body Sweat workout program FIERCE and gym chain HIIT Station, almost lost her babies early into her pregnancy.

Mater obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Matt Macbeth deemed the pregnancy “high risk” for “threatened miscarriage” and the Brisbane trainer was put on strict rest for more than 19 weeks.

On January 5, Havana Quinn Duncan was born at 12.12am weighing 1509g. Two minutes later Justice Quinn Duncan was born weighing 1480g.

The day before the twins arrived, Mrs Duncan was rushed to Brisbane’s Mater Mothers’ Hospital with heavy bleeding.

“I have a hematoma. It’s like a bomb waiting to go off. At 12 weeks into my pregnancy, I had a severe haemorrhage and went to emergency where it was confirmed the hematoma was there.”

She was given steroid injections 10 days prior to giving birth to help her twin’s development and focussed heavily on lying down with her legs elevated most days.

Mrs Duncan, 33, is no stranger to hospitals. She has five children under the age of six – Jeremiah, Swayde, Paris and the twins.

However, the Thornlands mother described giving birth to premature babies at 31 weeks’ gestation and via an emergency caesarean section as a “big emotional journey”.

“At the start it was a new world to adjust to,” Mrs Duncan said.

“Having an emergency caesarean section like this one is an out of body experience. When you have so many children you have to get use to the process of how caesareans usually work.” 

Mrs Duncan said the care her babies received in Mater Mothers’ Neonatal Critical Care Unit (NCCU) was exceptional.

“They are spoilt with all the care they are given. They are kicking goals, and everyday new milestones are being hit,” she said.

Each year, more than 2000 seriously ill and premature babies from across south east Queensland and northern New South Wales come to Mater Mothers’ Hospitals’ NCCU at South Brisbane to receive around the clock specialist life-saving care from the team.