A Perth family has experienced a festive miracle not once, but twice, welcoming two daughters born spontaneously on Christmas Day, three years apart, in an event that defies staggering odds of one in 130,000.
A Double Dose of Christmas Joy
For Jessica and Dan Braithwaite from Southern River, Perth, Christmas Day now holds a double celebration. Their middle child, Madeleine, arrived on December 25th three years ago. This past Christmas, they welcomed their newest addition, baby Mia, who also decided to make her entrance on the same special date.
Both girls were due in early January but arrived spontaneously at around 38 weeks, a pattern consistent with all three of Jessica's pregnancies. The couple's eldest son, Matthew (8), was born on February 15, narrowly missing Valentine's Day.
"(Mia) was born at 1:06pm on Christmas Day," Jessica Braithwaite shared. "Madeleine was born at quarter past eight in the morning (on Christmas Day)." She described the moment her husband realised history was repeating itself: "When we realised the baby was going to be born on Christmas Day again, he was like, 'I can't believe we're having another child born on Christmas.'"
Understanding the Rarity
Hospital staff at St John of God Murdoch Hospital were quick to point out the extraordinary nature of the births. Midwifery services manager Siobhan Eccles, an experienced midwife, called the situation "very unique," noting she has never encountered it in her career.
"I've seen brothers and sisters born on the same day in different years, but a lot of the time it's induction or a planned caesarean section," Ms Eccles explained. "For it to happen spontaneously is very rare. For it to spontaneously happen on the same day, on a day that was not their due date, on Christmas Day, it was kind of unreal."
The statistics underscore the rarity. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Christmas Day is the second least common birthday of the year, trailing only February 29 in leap years. Ms Eccles added that only about 5 per cent of babies are born on their actual due date, making the spontaneous shared birthday even more remarkable.
Family Celebrations and Future Plans
For now, three-year-old Madeleine is thrilled to share her birthday with her new baby sister, even if she doesn't fully grasp the coincidence. "I asked her about it and she said to me, 'yeah, it's really good!'," Jessica said. "She seems excited about it."
The family plans to navigate the dual celebrations thoughtfully. "While they're little, we'll still celebrate with them and have their cake with family on Christmas," Jessica Braithwaite noted. "But as they get older, I'll probably move their birthday celebrations a little bit earlier in December."
The hospital staff shared in the family's joy, with Ms Eccles describing the maternity ward atmosphere on Christmas Day as especially festive and joyful. "When we heard that her previous baby was also a Christmas Day baby, it felt like a Christmas present for the sibling," she said. The story was so special that staff shared it on the hospital's Facebook page.
This Perth family's Christmas Day miracle is a story that will be cherished by both the Braithwaites and the medical team who helped bring their two festive daughters into the world.
