Third set of twins for St. Louis area mom: 8 kids total

WENTZVILLE, Mo. — For most parents, the news of twins is a once-in-a-lifetime surprise. For Solita Drone, it has become something of a family tradition.

Drone gave birth to her third set of twins on July 29, bringing her total number of children to eight — four boys and four girls.

“I went in at six weeks for my first ultrasound. Nothing in the sack.” she said. 

“When I went back at 13 weeks, two babies popped up on the screen immediately,” Drone said. “I was blown away.”

Twins run heavily in her family. Her brother has three sets, and her father’s siblings also had twins. Drone said she expected her second set after hearing it was more likely following the first, but the third left her stunned. Doctors told her having three sets of twins is extremely rare, occurring in about one in three million pregnancies.

Her household includes two single children, her oldest born in 2007 and another in 2016, plus three sets of twins born in 2013, 2015 and 2025. The latest set, a boy and girl, arrived six weeks early and spent nearly three weeks in the NICU before coming home.

“It’s busy, super busy, but I love it,” Drone said. “My kids keep me young. They’re a blessing.”

Drone said she relies on strict time management to keep her household running, with set routines for meals, bedtimes and school. Her older twins have become “little helpers,” eager to play mom and dad with their younger siblings.

Still, raising eight children hasn’t come without challenges. Drone said pregnancies have grown harder as she’s gotten older, with her most recent complicated by placenta previa and growth restrictions. But she says the rewards outweigh the struggles.

“The most rewarding part is just the blessing of it,” Drone said. “A lot of people deal with infertility. Just being able to give birth to the children that the Most High blessed me with, that’s the biggest reward.”

When she takes all of her children out in public, Drone said she is often stopped by strangers. Many marvel at her story, with some joking that she should play the lottery.

Drone laughs off the attention but says what matters most is raising her children the right way.

“The biggest challenge is making sure I don’t repeat generational curses,” she said. “I want to give them everything I never had and teach them everything I never knew.”

Drone said her third set of twins will be her last, and she is focused on cherishing each moment.

“These are my last little babies I’ll get to hold and rock,” she said. “I’m just eager to watch them grow and see what they become.”