‘Supermum’ and midwife ready to meet 14th bundle of joy

A Queensland mum who holds the record for giving birth to the most babies at Mater Mothers’ Hospital in South Brisbane is just weeks away from meeting her 14th bundle of joy. 

 

Caroline, a 43-year-old stay-at-home mum, said she and her husband Alex was ready for her household to get “a whole lot bigger and louder” when her new baby arrives in August. 

 

Right alongside Caroline will be Mater midwife Annette Parry, lending her guidance and support as she has done for each one of the Logan mother’s pregnancies over the past 22 years. 

 

Caroline, from Stockleigh in Logan, lives with Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune condition that can cause high-risk complications during pregnancy. 

 

Annette, a Clinical Midwife and Diabetes Educator who recently clocked up 35 years of service at Mater Mothers’ Hospital, said it was a “real privilege” to care for Caroline and her family. 

 

“I have a lot of ladies that come back on a regular basis, but I haven’t cared for a big family like Caroline’s before,” Annette said.

 

“I feel like I am attached to them, I can remember all the kids’ names.” 

 

Caroline said Annette ensured she remained well throughout her pregnancies, managing the diabetes and ensuring a healthy diet. 

 

“Annette has always been there to guide me about my blood sugar levels and make sure I am eating correctly and that these things are foremost in my mind,” Caroline said. 

 

While the couple and Annette are excited to be welcoming Caroline’s 14 bundle of joy into the world, hopefully on their 23rd wedding anniversary, there have also been heartbreaks over the pasts two decades. 

 

Caroline said Annette had been her ‘pillar of strength’ when she experienced a miscarriage in 2019 and tragically lost her son Sam in 2003 when he was five months old. 

 

“We eventually fell pregnant after having the miscarriage and Annette was there for us emotionally,” she said. 

 

“And we never expected we would go through something like losing Sam, but Annette was there to support us when we fell pregnant again. 

 

“She is close to all my children because she’s known them from the time they were born.” 

 

The siblings range in age from four to 22 years old, and are looking forward to making room for one more brother or sister in August. 

 

“Life with 13 kids is busy, but I enjoy seeing the children bond and take care of each other when things get a little bit hectic,” she said. 

 

Mater Mothers' Hospital Director of Obstetric Medicine Dr Josephine Laurie said Annette was ‘part of the very fabric of Mater Mothers’ Hospital’.  

 

“She has provided holistic care to countless women across the breadth of their childbearing journey and even inter generationally,” Dr Laurie said.