I’m a mum to Irish twins – I fell pregnant with baby number five weeks after giving birth even though I was on the pill
A MUM has revealed how she fell pregnant with her fifth baby just SIX weeks after giving birth.
Holly Freiter, 34, was still doing night feeds with ten-month-old daughter Poppy when son Tom was born.
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, Holly says: “People often say I’m crazy and will make jokes like ‘Don’t you have a TV to watch?’ and ‘You need to find a new hobby’.
“It was the first time we’d done the deed after Poppy was born and I fell pregnant even though I was on the pill.
“Now, we know it was just meant to be.”
Quick succession
Poppy was born in March 2022 after a quick two-hour labour and less than two months’ later, Holly, a mum-of-five, found out she was expecting again.
She said: “After Poppy was born, the midwife was drilling into me about using contraception so I went straight back on the pill and thought I was protected, but it didn’t work.
“I started to feel a bit tearful and emotional about everything and that feeling was quite familiar so I wondered if I might be pregnant again and thought I’d better do a test just in case.
“I still had tests under the sink from when I fell pregnant with Poppy. I did one and when it came up positive, I was gobsmacked.”
But while Holly was surprised, her partner Chris, 37, was even more gobsmacked.
She says: “I sent a photo via WhatsApp whilst he was at work and he replied saying ‘LOL, very funny’. He thought I was joking.
“I had to call him and explain it was really happening. It was a shock but after we got used to the idea, we were very happy. Everything happens for a reason.”
Expanding family
Holly already had three boys now aged 11, nine and eight from a previous relationship.
“I already had four so what was one more to add to the chaos?” she says.
“There is never a dull moment in our lives.
“We waited until the 12-week scan before telling anyone else then made an announcement on social media.
“There were a lot of replies saying ‘Again?’ and people making jokes about our love life, but everyone was happy for us.”
Tom was born in January 2023, just nine months after Poppy making them ‘Irish Twins’, babies born less than a year apart.
Mistaken identity
Holly said: “I get a lot of comments about the babies when I’m out and about as they sit side-by-side in the double buggy. Everyone assumes they are twins.
“It doesn’t help that Poppy is small for her age but Tom is big. I have to explain they are not real twins but Irish twins.”
Holly, a retail worker from Paddington, London, admits it has been hard juggling two babies.
She said: “Fortunately, I had an easy pregnancy with Tom.
“I didn’t have any morning sickness or aches and pains. I think my body had already gotten used to being pregnant so it knew what to do.
“As it got to the later stages, I was more tired and it was hard pushing a buggy around and still doing the school run and night-feeds whilst heavily pregnant.
“But it was a joy when we first brought Poppy home.
“We loved having another baby and her big brothers were really helpful. She has never been a good sleeper though. Even now, she wakes multiple times in the night.
“When Tom was born, she was still waking up and she liked to have a comfort bottle in the evening.
Often they’d both need me at the same time. Life has definitely been busy but we have a lot of fun
Holly Freiter
“Tom was waking at least every three hours’ for a feed. I was running on empty. I didn’t know it was possible to survive on so little sleep.
“Sleep is important to everyone but I really struggled doing two sets of night feeds.
“I was so tired. Poppy would wake for a bottle and by the time I’d got her settled back down, Tom would wake up. Sometimes, I didn’t know which one to go to.
“By the time I was off on the school run I’d only have had one or two hours’ sleep.”
Hands full
Holly and construction worker Chris then set up a system whereby they take responsibility for one baby each during the night so each of them is only ever dealing with one at a time.
But the day times’ were hard too.
Holly said: “When Tom was born, Poppy was already crawling and she was into everything. I was weaning her.
“Tom was quite a windy baby and sometimes I’d have to sit with him for an hour to try and get a burp up.
“Often they’d both need me at the same time. Life has definitely been busy but we have a lot of fun.”
There are some benefits. Holly has spent less money on baby toys and clothes for Tom, who is now 11 months old.
She said: “It is handy being able to hand clothes down. As Poppy, now 21 months, was my first girl I did go mad buying pinks and florals so I’ve still had to buy new stuff for Tom.
“But I didn’t had to buy toys and teethers and all the other bits you need for a baby. We had all that ready to go.
“As they get older, they’ll be able to do a lot together too and they’ll be great buddies. It will get easier as time goes by.”