Traditionally best friends do everything together - but Hannah King and Paola Campari-Moss do even more than most.
The firm friends have just given birth to their daughters on the same day - for the second time.
The pair first met in England's Salisbury Hospital nearly four years ago while they were in labor with their first babies.
After giving birth at the same time they bonded on the ward as they got to know their new arrivals.
When they left hospital they remained the best of friends and were thrilled last year when they both fell pregnant at the same time.
But they never expected to repeat the double delivery because the new babies were due 17 days apart.
Amazingly, however, both their second daughters made their arrival into the world on exactly the same day in January.
Paola, 37, a project director at Portsmouth University, said: "I was absolutely stunned when we both ended up giving birth on the same day for a second time. It was such an amazing coincidence".
The pair had first met on the labour ward in September 2006 when Paola gave birth to her daughter Ariana and Hannah, 35, an office manager, gave birth to daughter Iona.
Paola, who lives with husband Justin, 35, a fund manager, in Salisbury, said: "We had just given birth to our babies and the midwife introduced us.
"We hit it off straight away and after we left the hospital we remained firm friends.
"We only live ten minutes apart so we were always round at each others houses and attending baby groups together".
Both Paola and Hannah, who lives with her husband Russell, 35, a project manager for an insurance company, then decided to try for a second baby.
The pair discovered they were pregnant at the same time, but never imagined they would have a repeat double delivery
.
Paola was two days past her due date when she finally went into labour at Salisbury District Hospital in January, giving birth to daughter Chiara, weighing a healthy 7lb 1oz.
Unbeknown to her, Hannah had also gone into labor, two weeks early, at the same time.
She gave birth on the bathroom floor to daughter Oralie, who weighed 6lb 12oz.
Hannah, an office manager, said: "It was very unexpected and I hadn't planned a home birth at all.
"I had no idea that Paola was in hospital either until I got to hospital by ambulance and I discovered they were in the next delivery room".
Paola added: "Hannah sent a text message to tell everyone about baby Oralie and I couldn't believe it.
"I sent a message back saying 'I'm in hospital too - have we done it again? And it turned out we had. Neither of us could quite believe it, and neither could our husbands".
Both the newborns were brought home from hospital to the delight of their three-year-old siblings, who are also firm friends.
Paola said: "Our elder daughters are firm friends and they have a really special bond. They were born only hours apart and they do everything together.
"They do ballet class and music, and they also have joint birthday parties. We are just hoping that these next two will be as firm friends as their older sisters are.
"When they are older we will tell them how they too were born just hours apart from each other.
"All our families and friends just think it is a miracle - no one can quite believe it when we tell them that we gave birth on the same day twice.
"Hannah and I are best friends and we do most things together - but this was remarkable.
"It just goes to show that the most incredible coincidences can happen".
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