MANSFIELD — Things just got twice as interesting in the Crouse house.

Theresa Crouse, 39, and her daughter, 21-year-old Carrie Gresh, each will bring a baby home this week. Fortunately, help in caring for the new additions won’t be far away, since they occupy the same duplex.

The women gave birth to healthy boys within seven minutes of each other Monday.
Doctors at MedCentral/Mansfield Hospital delivered Crouse’s baby, Caleb Izus Crouse, at 11:20 a.m.

Gresh’s baby, Landin Gresh, arrived at 11:27 a.m.

“I had been wanting to have a second child for more than 20 years,” Crouse said. “I was told I wouldn’t be able to have any more children so this is a miracle.”

Gresh recalled she and her mother suffered morning sickness at about the same time. Both women initially dismissed it as the flu — until doctors informed them they were pregnant.

Crouse, who had labor induced because of gestational diabetes, said her daughter went into induced labor at the same time. Still, neither thought they would give birth within minutes of each other.

“We thought we’d be delivering hours apart,” Gresh said.

Dr. Allison Pruitt delivered both babies. Crouse described watching Dr. Pruitt move quickly from one family delivery the next.

MedCentral spokesperson Maura Teynor said the nursing staff wasn’t aware of another case where a mother and daughter gave birth on the same day in the hospital.

Both mothers agreed this will create an interesting family dynamic: Caleb is Gresh’s younger brother, and uncle to Landin.

“It’s going to be interesting seeing both of them grow up and go to school together,” said Gresh, who was an only child before her brother bounced into the delivery room.