Baby boom with seven new arrivals at Laurieston hair salon

They are all colleagues at a Laurieston hair and beauty salon and all gave birth during the first eight months of this year.

Salon owner Marie-Claire McFarlane 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, son Joel.

Customers at Me Time Hair and Beauty in Mary Street, Laurieston, were astonished as stylists, beauty technicians and the receptionist all announced their exciting news.

Marie-Claire (33) said: “It’s been an unbelievable year and not just because of the pandemic.

“No-one could believe it as one after another the girls announced they were expecting. Two of them even gave birth within two days of each other.”

The baby boom started with the arrival of little Mila McDowall on January 15. She is a first baby for nail technician Lisa Henderson (29) from Laurieston.

With the country on lockdown, hair stylist Maxine Gibson (31) from Falkirk gave birth to her first child, Sienna Gibson Gray, on April 28.

Everyone was then wondering if hair stylist Loren Taylor from Stenhousemuir or receptionist Sammy Sneddon of Wallacestone would deliver the salon’s next beautiful baby.

However, it was Loren (22) who was first into the labour ward where she delivered daughter Evie Sarah Lorentson on June 14 followed two days later by Sammy (28), when she had her little girl, Elsie Susie Sneddon.

And less than four weeks later there was another bundle of joy joining the salon ‘family’ when stylist Cara Martin (29) from Redding gave birth to daughter Hallie Ann Martin on July 10.

Boss Marie-Claire (33), who is a beautician in the salon, then ended the run of girls by giving birth to Joel on August 27 but she was delighted as she already has daughter Madison (3).

The final delivery by the stork was on September 1 when stylist Megan Hamilton (30) gave birth to daughter Konnie Hamilton.

Marie-Claire added: “Lisa and I are very friendly outside work and I knew from May last year that she was expecting but I never thought that so many others would also become pregnant including myself.

“But it’s lovely and, apart from Sammy and I, it’s all first babies.

“We’re looking forward to taking them all to baby groups when they start up again and I’ve even suggested we could have something in the salon.

“The one good thing to come out of lockdown is that most of the girls managed to have some extra time with their babies as the salon was closed.

“When you are self employed you usually don’t like to take too much time off.”

For now Marie-Claire is hoping that no more of her 15-strong team in the salon end up in the labour ward.