A Suffolk couple kept a special lockdown secret – that they were expecting not one baby but two.
Jaimie Harris, 41, and partner Craig, who live near Sudbury, only broke the news to family and friends after Betty and Bertie arrived, via a heart-warming video.
Sudbury couple surprise family with secret birth of twins (1)
“We have had so many really nice comments and people saying it was just so lovely to see the video,” Jaimie said.
The surprise twins were born at Colchester Hospital in January, just a year after brother Reggie – meaning there are now seven children in the family altogether.
Betty was born first, weighing 5lb 15oz, followed by Bertie, weighing 51b 10oz. Jaimie said: “The hospital was absolutely brilliant. I cannot praise the hospital and staff enough.”
The mum said: “I only had Reggie in January last year, and then I thought something was not quite right.
“I then found out I was 20 to 22 weeks pregnant, and it was a double surprise when I was told I was having twins.”
Jaimie is mum of Mia, 18, and Harry, 15, from her previous marriage, and she and Craig have Henry, aged eight, and Teddy, aged seven, together, as well as the three babies.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, Jaimie had to go along for her first scan alone, and that was when she was told: “There are two babies in there.”
The couple decided not to tell friends and family the news until after the twins were born.
“I’d had all my children with C-sections, and I was a bit concerned about my health and babies’ health, so it was something we wanted to keep quiet until we knew everything was all right,” Jaimie said.
She said her dad, Michael, had suffered health problems of his own so she didn’t want to cause him stress worrying about her. “Then we thought if we can’t tell my dad, we can’t tell anybody!”
Once the babies were born, Jaimie at first just told her dad she had had another boy – and showed him Bertie first via video link, with Betty then appearing.
When he realised there were two babies, he started crying with joy – an incredibly moving moment for the family.
Jaimie said all her children love the new arrivals, and Reggie has learned to say “baby” and blow kisses to the twins.
The family has had a heartfelt reaction to the video, which has been shared on Colchester Hospital’s maternity Facebook page, with people saying it brought tears to their eyes, and that it was lovely to have some good news during the pandemic.
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