Sisters say giving birth hours apart was 'surreal'

Two sisters who gave birth five hours apart said it was "surreal" to have shared the experience together.

Abi, 26, and Jessica, 28, welcomed their boys on 20 May - Freddie at 10:44 BST and Alfie at 16:59. The sisters and their newborns were put in beds next to each other on the same ward by their midwife, which they described as being "like a sleepover".

Abi said she was being induced at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, Devon, and had not been expecting to bump into her sister, who had just gone into labour, in the corridor.

Jessica said: "We were joking all the way through our pregnancy we would give birth on the same day. It's special and quite surreal."

Abi's due date was 23 May, while Jessica was expecting on 26 May - but both of their babies came early.

Having given birth, Abi was able to visit her sister in the delivery suite and encourage her between contractions.

Abi and her husband Jamie already have three-year-old daughter Millie, and Jessica and her husband Lewis have another son Charlie, who is two years old.

Abi said: "It's so much different to your first time round because our lives are pretty much governed by toddlers.

"Sleep's not good, but we were prepared for that this time round."

Jessica, who is a dispensing optician, said she had called her sister, a nurse practitioner, when she found out she was pregnant - and Abi had replied she "might be too".

A pregnancy test a week after Abi's wedding revealed she was also expecting.

"It was a bit of a shock," she said.

The sisters said it had been nice to be able to share their experiences because pregnancy could sometimes be quite isolating and lonely.

"Having someone you can be comfortable with, express your emotions and ask the stupid questions is great - they're endless," Abi said.

Jessica added: "We moaned to each other about how hard it was because the pregnancy was very hard and tiring, but we're very glad they're here now."

Freddie and Alfie turned three weeks old on Wednesday and their mums are planning to hold joint birthday parties for them as they get older.

"They will be like siblings really," Abi said.

Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.