A beauty salon has been hit by a baby boom – after seven women working there gave birth within weeks of each other.
The team at Me Time Hair & Beauty in Laurieston, Falkirk, have welcomed six girls and one boy between January 15 and September 1.
Salon owner Marie-Claire McFarlane, 33, saw six of her staff go on maternity leave after giving birth to bouncing baby girls – and she rounded things off by having her own baby, Joel.
Five of the women are first time mums – all except owner Marie-Claire and the salon’s receptinist Sammy Sneddon, 28.
Mum-of-two Marie-Claire, who has run the salon for six years, said: “There’s 15 of us so more than half have been pregnant.
“I think everyone was getting worried about telling me but it’s always nice news.
“We didn’t expect 2020 to go the way it has, in more ways than one, but it’s been a lovely surprise.”
Nail technician Lisa Henderson, 29, was the first to give birth, welcoming her daughter Mila McDowall on January 15.
Hair stylist Maxine Gibson, 31, followed having the first lockdown baby when she gave birth to daughter Sienna Gibson Gray on April 28.
Stylist Loren Taylor, 22, delivered her daughter Evie Sarah Lorentson on June 14.
She was followed closely by receptionist mum-of-two Sammy who welcomed Elsie Susie Sneddon on June 16.
Less than four weeks later stylist Cara Martin, 29, gave birth to her daughter Hallie Ann Martin on July 10.
Marie-Claire gave birth to Joel on August 27 and stylist Megan Hamilton, 30, was the last to give birth, welcoming her daughter Konnie Hamilton on September 1.
The salon owner, from Laurieston, said nobody expected the sharp increase in pregnancies, but it was a ‘nice surprise’ during lockdown.
Marie-Claire, also mum to Madison, aged three, said customers were astonished when one by one the women announced their exciting news.
She said: “When it opened back up we kind of forgot we were so far on but it was good getting time off and not having to worry about being on our feet all day.
“A lot of self employed people only take six weeks maternity but I’m probably going to take three months.
“We’ll manage with the other girls.
“I think in a couple of years there could be another baby boom with people having their second baby, but I’m definitely finished.”
Hair stylist Cara, from Redding, Falkirk, said the whole experience had been surreal for the mums.
She said: “When we first went into lockdown I was 24 weeks pregnant.
“It was quite scary not knowing what was happening.
“It was nice to rest before having the baby but the rubbish part was I had to come back to work early because I’m self employed – I was off so long before.
“Before lockdown we were all pregnant so it was just like ‘how are you feeling today’ and showing each other what we’ve bought for our babies.
“It was quite surreal, with one after the other announcing they were pregnant.
“A bizarre experience but unique – it was nice.”
Sammy, who is off on maternity till February, said: “It just got laughable when we kept on announcing, but it was nice because we had each other – especially during lockdown when you couldn’t get out and see other mums.
“We’re all friends anyway.
“It gave us time being off before lockdown to get prepared.”