Identical twins welcomed their babies on the same day in delivery suites just metres apart.
Alex Melia gave birth to her son Tommy first.
Meanwhile, her twin Faye Shore delivered her son Sebastian nine hours later.
The sisters, both 30, had their waters broken at the same time and delivered their babies in neighbouring delivery suites.
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Alex delivered her tot on 3 November with his sibling giving birth the following day.
“Going through this together feels like the greatest gift,” Faye, from Liverpool, told What’s the Jam.
“Growing up side by side was special but becoming mothers side by side is something else entirely.
“Our waters were actually broken by the midwives at almost the exact same time.
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“We were in delivery rooms side by side and the whole moment felt surreal.
“The midwives were laughing in disbelief, they’d never seen anything like it.
“It was incredible knowing we were both going through the same thing.
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“Even when contractions became intense or scary moments cropped up, there was a constant blanket of comfort knowing the other twin was right next door, fighting the same battle.
“Our mum, along with our husbands, was our birthing partner and had to go between rooms.”
Both babies were born via emergency caesarean.
Alex and Tommy were able to leave hospital after two days but Faye and Sebastian developed an infection and went into septic shock.
Thankfully, they recovered and went home 11 days later.
Faye said: “Both of our journeys were different but equally powerful.
“In the end, two perfect boys arrived safely and that’s what matters most.”
The pair, who both work as primary school teachers, discovered they were expecting their first babies within just 24 hours of each other.
Alex and husband Tom, 29, were the first to find out she was pregnant and surprised her sister with a scan photo.
A few days later, Faye returned the favour with husband, Matty, 30.
Faye said: ““It still feels surreal to think that our journeys began at almost the exact same time.
“When Alex found out, she surprised me with a beautiful box that had her pregnancy test and some photos inside.
“The next day, I decided to take a test myself and couldn’t believe it when I saw the result.
“A couple of days later, I told Alex my news.
“I gave her a box too, but this one was filled with little baby gifts, including a babygro that said ‘No.1 Cousin’.
“It was such a special and emotional moment for both of us.
“We were absolutely overjoyed.”
The timing was even more remarkable because both sisters had faced potential fertility challenges.
Earlier in the year, Alex was told she might need IVF after a scan showed a low follicle count, while Faye has PCOS which can make conception more difficult.
Faye said: “It felt like such a miracle, especially because earlier in the year Alex had been told she might need IVF after a scan showed her ovarian follicles were small, and I have PCOS, which can also make conception more difficult.
“So when we found out we were both pregnant naturally and at the same time we were in shock but completely over the moon.”
Initially, their due dates were just six days apart – Alex on November 7 and Faye on November 13.
But after both were diagnosed with gestational diabetes, their doctors recommended early inductions.
Faye said: “When we shared our news, everyone was so surprised and delighted.
“They couldn’t believe we were both expecting at the same time, especially since these are our first pregnancies.
“We told our families separately so that we could each have our own special moment with our husbands, and everyone was overjoyed for us.
“It’s been lovely to have so much support and excitement around us.”
Faye and Alex have been supporting each other since becoming mothers.
Faye said: “From late night messages to sitting together during feeds, we’ve been each other’s safety nets, along with our husbands.
“Having someone who understands exactly what you’re feeling, because they’re going through it at the same time, is something we’ll cherish forever.”
The sisters say they can’t wait to see their children hit milestones together.
They are documenting their pregnancy journey on their TikTok page @wearethepregnanttwins.
Faye added: “It feels incredibly special that they’ll have a childhood similar to mine and Alex’s.
“Sebastian and Tommy will grow up almost like brothers.
“From taking their first steps to starting school and celebrating birthdays, just like we did, it means the world to us.
“Sharing this experience together makes it even more magical.
“Becoming mums to our beautiful baby boys is the best feeling in the world.”
