New York City sisters celebrate back-to-back, side-by-side births this Mother's Day
STATEN ISLAND (WABC) -- Three Staten Island sisters welcomed three new bouncing baby boys -- two born on the same day -- just in time for Mother's Day this year.
Ashley Flores, Alyssa Battimelli and Alexis Barbara have been inseparable since they were kids, doing everything together from family trips to now, having babies.
On April 12, Flores and Battimelli delivered their baby boys, Brandon and Giovanni, respectively, just hours apart in the same delivery room - both by Dr. Paul Heltzer, of Staten Island University Hospital.
Just three weeks earlier, Barbara delivered her baby boy, Joseph, from the same doctor on March 18.
"We couldn't have planned this if we tried," Flores said. "(In July), we (Ashley and Alyssa) were driving together to Myrtle Beach when we told each other about our pregnancies. Everyone made jokes about us having the babies on the same day. We said, 'There's no way. That would be too crazy of a story.' Who knew?"
Flores was scheduled for an induction on April 12 as a result of high blood pressure concerns, and Battimelli was right by her side for the delivery.
"We're in the delivery room," Flores said. "I'm ready to have my baby, then Alyssa starts saying that she's feeling contractions. The doctors examined Alyssa and found that she was dilated. They prepped her for delivery."
Brandon Flores came into the world at 12:24 p.m. The hospital staff then cleaned the room, brought Battimelli in, and seven hours later, Giovanni Battimelli was born at 7:33 p.m.
Including Barbara, it's a triple baby-play for Mother's Day -- leaving no empty hands for grandmother Lorraine Razzano.
"It' going to be a three-ring circus," Flores said. "Our mom babysits all of the kids while we're at work."
The moms are planning to spend Mother's Day together to celebrate their new blessings, and are currently planning a return trip to Myrtle Beach where this baby story all began.
"We're all over the moon," Flores said. "It's funny, we all wanted babies close together, but the fact that it actually happened this way is incredible. We're all very close, so to have our boys grow up together like we did is truly a blessing."
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