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19th Jan 2023

Best friends find out they’re pregnant on the same day and give birth an hour apart

Sarah McKenna Barry

The women were both given the same due date, but gave birth four weeks early.

Two best friends who discovered that they were both pregnant on the same day ended up giving birth just an hour apart and on the same ward.

Metro reports that Bev Rimes and Hayley Russell, who are both 34 and both from Gloucester, took pregnancy tests on the same day after feeling ill. Both tests were positive, and the women were delighted by the coincidence.

For Hayley, news of her pregnancy came after she sadly suffered two miscarriages. Bev, on the other hand, was already a mum to two boys – 11-year-old Alfie and 8-year-old Archie.

Hayley shared her positive pregnancy test in a group chat with Bev, who had found out that she was pregnant herself.

Recounting her hesitation to share her news, Bev said: “When Hayley first sent the message, because of her history of trying, I was a bit nervous as I have two children and I didn’t want to rain on her bonfire.

“But I thought, ‘We love each other and we’re all so close.’ I knew she’d be so happy and it’s something we could share together.

“When I saw her announcement, I was over the moon. I cried more seeing her pregnancy test than I did seeing my own. I was just amazed for her.”

Their similarities didn’t end there, however. Both women were given the same due date – 10 February – but their waters ended up breaking four weeks earlier on the same night.

They subsequently found themselves not only in the same hospital, but on the same ward. In fact, they were right next to each other.

“I remember hearing Hayley’s voice in the next cubicle at the hospital, and I just couldn’t believe it,” Bev said.

She then explained that she was able to hear that Hayley was having difficulties as her baby’s heartbeat dropped. Thankfully, all was well in the end.

Hayley welcomed a little boy, Henry, and Bev welcomed a girl, who she named Lily.

The women said that their children are “like twins”.