TWIN sisters who held hands in the first seconds of their lives can’t stand being away from each other, two years after their odd-defying birth.

    Jenna and Jillian Thistlethwaite were born May 9, 2014 in Akron, Ohio, the U.S., after sharing the same amniotic sack — a condition that affects about one in 10,000 pregnancies and increases the chances of complications.

    Their mother Sarah had spent 57 days on bed rest to minimize the risks and was relieved to give birth to two healthy girls.

    The twins were born 45 seconds apart and as soon as the doctors held them close to each other, they clasped hands, stunning everyone in the delivery room.

    Two years later, the bond between the sisters has grown stronger than ever, their mother told People magazine.

    “Sometimes if my husband goes to the store, he’ll take one twin and I’ll keep the other,” Thistlethwaite said.

    “When that happens, they both get really upset and ask for each other. They’re definitely really close. They’re like two peas in a pod.”

    Jenna and Jillian were born two days before Mother’s Day in 2014 to Thistlethwaite and their father Bill.

    Jenna and Jillian were born May 9, weighing almost five pounds (2.27 kg) each after what was already a rare birth.

    By the time they turned 1, Jenna and Jillian kept grabbing each other at every opportunity while sitting together or during meals.

    Two years on, they have developed distinct personalities. Jenna is the cautious one while Jillian is more of a daredevil.

    If one of them starts crying, the other will try to comfort her by rubbing her back, hugging her or finding a pacifier.

    But even though their bond remains strong, Jenna and Jillian have started to dabble in a bit of sibling rivalry.

    “If Jenna does something bad, I’ll ask her about it and she’ll say, ‘No, Jillian did it!’” Thistlethwaite said. “But they look so much alike that sometimes I really can’t tell which one of them is in trouble.” (SD-Agencies)