
How Corey and Katie simultaneously gave birth to two little girls on the same day.

Indie Mae and Ryatt Rae are as similar as two babies can be without being identical twins and without having the same parents. Ryatt's mother, Corey Struve Talbott, and Indie's mother, Katie Struve Morgan, discovered they were pregnant approximately two weeks apart, and nine months later, they gave birth to their children in adjacent hospital rooms almost simultaneously. Corey stated that the two girls, who are only one year old, are already showing signs of a lifelong bond that is typically reserved for twins.
Because Indie and Ryatt's mothers, sisters Corey and Katie, are also close, it makes sense that they will be friends. Corey stated that they jokingly refer to themselves as "sticky sisters" because they have always remained close. Now, this tradition of closeness continues with their adorable daughters, whom they refer to as "twin cousins" with affection. To commemorate the shared experience of being pregnant and giving birth in 2016, Corey and Katie posed for a double maternity shoot in turquoise dresses. Because it would have been a missed opportunity not to, they recently recreated the photo shoot at the suggestion of their photographer, Brenden Boggs of So Cute Photo, and the results are beautiful and flawless.
Corey described what it's like to go through the whirlwind of pregnancy with a sibling and close friend, and how her daughter Ryatt and niece Indie have already formed a lifelong bond.
This was my sister's third child and my second, and neither of us really planned it. A few days before Christmas 2015, I said, "Oh, I might be pregnant," and she replied, "Well, take a pregnancy test." It was favorable. A few minutes later, my sister said, "You're not going to believe this, but I'm also pregnant, and I planned to surprise the family." We surprised our entire family on Christmas by announcing that we were both pregnant. It was pretty incredible.
Originally, our separation was weeks. I was scheduled for a repeat C-section. Her due date was around August 10, and my scheduled C-section was always two weeks later. I went into labor the morning that my sister was scheduled to deliver Indie. The doctor told me, "Why don't you come in, you're going to come see your sister anyway, we'll check you out, and if you're in labor, I'll perform your C-section today."
When the nurses ran into the room and grabbed the doctor, and then the doctor ran out to catch my niece, Indie, we were forced to begin my C-section. My sister ended up delivering 15 minutes right before me. We shared the same hospital, the same physician, and even rooms adjacent to one another. We were in rooms 2209 and 2210, where the hospital cribs for our infants were adjacent.

It was one of the best things that my sister and I were pregnant at the same time. We still cannot believe how fortunate we were to have the opportunity to do that together. The moral support, weight gain, aches, and pains were all made that much more bearable by sharing them with others. It probably improved our relationships with our husbands as well, since we were able to vent to each other instead of constantly bothering them. She and I are already extremely close, so this only enhanced our relationship. I cannot conceive of becoming pregnant without her!
After the babies were born, one of the best parts was the recovery. It was so nice to be able to share and understand her situation, including the sleepless nights and everything else. The fact that Ryatt had difficulty breastfeeding and my sister produced far too much milk was a blessing for me. She assisted me with my milk supply, assisted me in attempting to increase my supply, and supported me with extra milk she made for Indie. It meant a great deal to me that she did that for Ryatt.
Their names were coordinated: Ryatt Rae and Indie Mae. They've been together since the beginning, and they have a really adorable relationship — they act and react almost identically. You can tell they know each other very well, almost as well as sisters, because they interact so naturally. They often do things on the same day, such as standing on the same day the day before; it's as if they copy each other. They share, they hang out in their little playpen together, they pass their snacks back and forth, and they communicate with adorable baby babbletalk.
Our photographer took the original maternity photos, and she suggested, "Why don't you wear your dresses, and we'll take new ones?" We retrieved the dresses and had the flower crowns and everything else remade. It turned out to be cuter than I had originally anticipated. The girls performed exceptionally well.
We just celebrated their first birthday together, and we joked that they'll have to take these photos every year until they're eighteen. They will begin school together and do everything together for the rest of their lives. They are comparable to twin sisters.