Bedside buddies with identical names share same birth date

Two baby girls born on the same day at Mater Mothers’ Private Townsville have become bedside buddies, both named Isabella and delivered by the same doctor within one hour of each other.

Angie Stevens’ daughter was delivered via a caesarean section by Mater Townsville gynaecologist and obstetrician Dr Steve Mokrzecki at 8.25am on 5 January weighing 3.17kg.

Ms Stevens said it was “pretty cool” knowing the baby in the hospital room next door had the same name, same doctor and same birth date.

“What a fluke,” Ms Stevens, 38, laughed.

“Isabella is my first baby and my partner Brad Hankin’s third girl. We had our hearts set on her name and didn’t know we were having a girl until she was born.”

Ms Stevens, of North Ward, said the experience of giving birth to her first child was “amazing”, despite being diagnosed with hypertension and gestational diabetes during her pregnancy.

For Burdell parents, Catarina Barbosa and Liam McCambridge, their daughter Isabella was born via a caesarean section at 9.28am weighing 3.08kg.

Ms Barbosa, 33, was recovering in the room next door to Ms Stevens and described the experience as “memorable”.

“I was waiting to go into theatre and we heard Angie had named her daughter Isabella, we thought it was funny because we really liked that name too,” she said.

Mater Mothers’ Private Townsville Midwife Business Manager Jessica Bailey said the babies were only days old and already had so much in common.

“Little do these two little girls know how many similarities they have – it will be a nice story to tell their friends when they get older,” Ms Bailey said.