A mum who became pregnant at the same time as her pet pooch has revealed their journey to motherhood together.
When Zoe Milsom got engaged to her fiancé, Paul, in May 2020, she was excited to spend their future together and add to their happy family – but her dreams of having another baby were soon crushed.
After suffering an ectopic pregnancy, she was told that she had polycystic ovaries, a syndrome which affects fertility, with little-to-no chance of conceiving naturally.
With emotions high, Paul, aged 40, surprised the carer with a French bulldog, Beau, now aged two, who quickly became their “fur baby.”
However, in March 2022, Zoe, aged 29, received a shock positive pregnancy test and seven months later, so did her pooch, who conceived nine puppies.
“I couldn’t believe we were going to be mummies together,” Zoe, from Blackpool, told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
“Initially, I wasn’t very happy as Beau’s pregnancy wasn’t planned and definitely wasn’t the right time, but I knew we’d take it in our stride.
“I was very excited, as the feeling of being a mum is amazing, it’s a new life being brought into the world – or in her case, nine – and we planned on keeping at least one puppy for her to have a motherly bond with.”
Zoe, who had accepted she would never be a second-time mum, gave birth to her bundle of joy, Alfie, in November 2022 and was eager to see how Beau would take to her new sibling.
Throughout her pregnancy, she recalls the pup hugging her belly, falling asleep on her and never leaving her side – and the bond was just as close when he arrived.
Two weeks later, Beau went into labour and gave birth to nine puppies, but sadly, due to an infection, none of them survived.
Zoe recalls her puppy going into a state of grief and she began walking about their home aimlessly, which is a feeling the mum knows all too well herself after her aforementioned loss.
She said: “I understood her pain having lost a baby of my own.
“I couldn’t stop crying and I tried all I could to save them, but nothing worked.
“I felt like I had let my little girl down, as she had gone through all of that for nothing – it was heartbreaking.”
Now, Beau has been spayed to prevent any further pregnancies or trauma, but the mum-of-two, who also has Leon, 13, says their pooch’s bond with Alfie is like no other.
Zoe added: “It’s amazing seeing them together, as she protects him with her mothering instincts and sees him as one of her own.
“Whenever he cries, she licks his face and tries to soothe him and always falls asleep with him at night.
“I’m so grateful for both of them, they’re miracles.
“She was the second child I never had and quickly became one of the family, going on holidays and any trips with us.
“She filled the void in my heart when I longed for another baby and I can see that Alfie is doing that for her now.
“I look at them both everyday and my eyes fill with tears because of how in love and proud I am of my two little babies.”
