A couple said their baby girl being born on their shared birthday was the 'best present ever'.
Simone Milner turned 29 on November 18, while her partner Matthew Leigh turned 40 on the same day. But the celebrations didn't end there as the couple's first baby Alma Leigh held on a couple of weeks past her due date to share their special day.
Alma was due on November 3 but arrived a full 15 days later than expected. The couple, from Stockport, said she was the 'most special birthday gift'.
READ MORE: Heartfelt tribute to Bury's first lollipop lady who died after being hit by van
Simone said: "It would have been a really special day whenever she arrived, but this was amazing. She's the best birthday gift ever.
"You can’t do better than that, and it really is a special day now. have to say giving birth didn’t make it feel like a birthday at all.
"I only remember being really high on gas and air and shortly after midnight Mat said 'Happy Birthday'. I was like ‘oh is it our birthday?'
"It was such a far cry her being 15 days overdue. It's almost like she made a choice to come on our birthday."
Mat said: "It's magical. It's very special to share the date as a family. For someone with a terrible memory it makes it easy to remember two very important days of the year."
Simone, who works in property finance, met Mat when she signed up at the gym he owns in November 2016. Days after he contacted her on Messenger pointing out that they share their birthday, and after a few messages back and forth, were off on their first date.
The couple clicked instantly and were an official item within a couple of months. They've celebrated their joint special day with a trip away or a blow-out restaurant meal each year until this one, which they spent in hospital.
The couple didn't imagine their first baby would arrive on their birthday when they got the lovely surprise news that Simone was pregnant in spring, because Alma was due on November 3. They went into hospital for a routine monitoring check up at 4pm on the 17th, and accepted the midwife's offer to break the waters.
After a 12-hour overnight labour Alma was in an awkward position, so doctors advised a C-section on the 18th. Alma was born weighing seven pounds four ounces as her dad turned 40 and her mum 29, and the couple were still opening cards a week later.
"Our house was flooded with good wishes", Simone said, "There wasn't a window sill or table top free of cards.
"It's odd all sharing a birthday because you're celebrating yourself, but also everyone else. But at least we'll never forget each others' birthdays.
"I wonder how we would manage if we had another one, and it came on a different day."
Mat's dad Frank had been rooting for the birth on the 18th and texted Simone to cross her legs when she went into hospital on 17th. Her team of 14 colleagues ran a sweep-stake on the birth date and Keiran won £15 from his £1 bid.
Simone said she is especially looking forward to sharing her 50th with Alma's 21st.
READ NEXT:
-
LIVE Manchester weather and traffic updates as 'amber - danger to life' ice warning comes into force
-
'I got the racist who attacked me with an umbrella convicted - but the sentence left me heartbroken'
-
'We bought a 1950s time warp on a whim - people doubted it but now it's our forever home'
-
Car flips on its roof in horror motorway crash as police shut major road
