MOSSEL BAY NEWS - For their 32nd birthday on Tuesday 9 December, identical twin sisters Karla van der Linde and Theandi Esterhuizen received extra special gifts: both delivered a baby girl at the Life Bay View Private Hospital in Mossel Bay on the same day.
"I was so excited, I forgot it was my own birthday!" Karla told Mossel Bay Advertiser.
Theandi and Conrad Esterhuizen welcomed their daughter, Leah, on Tuesday morning, weighing in at 2.4kg. Not long after, Karla and her fiancé, Rob Balmer, welcomed baby Ruby-Mae, weighing 2.84kg.
God's plan
Delivering their babies on the same day was definitely not something they had planned in advance.
Theandi called it one of God's plans. She had learnt her baby was breech three weeks before, and did not tell the doctors that the scheduled due date was the same day she and her twin sister were born 32 years ago.
Karla discovered last week her baby was also breech, leading to the same date being scheduled. She was the one who let the doctors know the significance of the date, much to their surprise.
Karla van der Linde, her baby Ruby-Mae, Dr Ben Chris Alberts, Theandi Esterhuizen and her baby, Leah. Photo: Chelsea Pieterse
Definitely unplanned
The family told the Advertiser none of this was actually planned.
When the sisters discovered they were pregnant, they shared the news with their families that same weekend, and they have shared every moment since.
"It was a dream of ours to be pregnant at the same time," said Theandi.
Karla and Rob met a year ago, an occurrence she says changed everything. "I waited a long time for him," she said.
Although they were going through the same thing, the experience was not entirely identical. Theandi would go through a particular change earlier than Karla, or Karla would experience something Theandi had not.
Best friends
The sisters have a close relationship, describing themselves as best friends. While Theandi is the more introverted one, Karla is the outgoing extrovert.
Going through a pregnancy alongside a sister and best friend was a great experience, one for which they are both grateful. "I was surprised every time I saw her, like, 'Wow, you're pregnant!'" said Karla.
Theandi said she is excited to see her daughter growing up alongside her cousin, and hopefully they also have a close bond like the one she shares with Karla.
Looking forward
Karla and Rob are looking forward to having little Ruby-Mae at their wedding by the time it comes around, and they would also like her to have a brother or sister in the future.
Conrad and Theandi have been together for 13 years after meeting at university in Potchefstroom. They are excited to see what this new chapter brings for them. "We are hoping to have a full life with Leah, full of small adventures," they said.
Karla and Theandi both attended Point High in Mossel Bay. Karla now lives in George with Rob, while Theandi and Conrad enjoy living on a farm just outside Albertinia. Both mums and babies are doing well and will be discharged today, 12 December.
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
