FRIENDS Kristy Dollery and Rachel Platt know exactly how old each other’s children are. They met in hospital when their first children were born on the same day – and three years later they were back in hospital together again when their second children were also born on the same day.

Now they say that if they both get pregnant again they will put money on their third children sharing a birthday.

32-year-old Kristy’s first child, Jack, and 34- year-old Rachel’s first child, Harriet, were born on November 25, 2005.

They met on the “high risk” ward at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester.

Rachel, from Eastleigh, had given birth by Caesarean section while Kristy, from Chandlers Ford, had lost a lot of blood in childbirth. Their babies at 9 lb 13 and 10 lb 2 were also the two largest new-borns on the ward.

“You have an instant bond in that situation,”

says Rachel.

The pair struck up a friendship.

When they both fell pregnant again they joked that it would be great if their children were born on the same day again but they didn’t think it would happen. Kristy was due to give birth 15 days before Rachel was set to have another Caesarean section. But although Kristy was induced, her second baby, Lola, hung on to be born on the same day as Rachel’s second, Oliver, now both 11 weeks old.

Once again the pair were in hospital beds next to each other.

Kristy says she wanted her baby born as soon as possible but Rachel thinks she subconsciously hung on so they could be born on the same day again.

“I think it’s really weird, not only to meet someone having had babies on the same day but to have the second on the same day as well,” says Kristy.

Rachel adds: “I think it’s really funny – a one in a million chance. It made having our second children extra special, that we were doing it together again.”