Baby boom at Debenhams Taunton... and there's more to come (From Somerset County Gazette)

Baby boom at Debenhams Taunton... and there's more to come

6:00pm Monday 26th November 2012 in Taunton

A DEPARTMENT store is celebrating a mini baby boom after eight staff gave birth with months of each other – and another is on the way.

Eight new mothers are currently on maternity leave from Debenhams in North Street,

Among the new mums are store manager Theresa Furnish, mother to baby Amber, who is 12 weeks old.

Theresa said: “It did seem quite strange when a number of us announced our pregnancies more or less in succession one after the other.

“There was talk of a lucky till in store or a lucky chair in the staff room but I think it is just a happy coincidence.”

The new mums were all welcomed back at the store this week for a colleague ‘Mums and Babies’ event in the restaurant.

They enjoyed afternoon tea and festive mince pies while getting the chance to catch up with one another and meet each other's babies.

Duty manager Wendy Robert said: “We’re like a family here at Debenhams Taunton and we all keep in contact – but it was nice to have all of our colleagues currently on maternity leave, as well as their new additions, back in store together at the same time.”

Alongside store manager Theresa, the new mums include beauty hall colleagues Jodie Moncrieff, mum to Bella-Rose, and Shelley Fenton, mum to Archie; Teri Fenton, mum to Rowan-Joshua, Alexandra Charlton, mum to son Felix, and Sarah Kana-ah, mum to Ethan-Joshua, who work together in the womenswear department; menswear sales manager Kelly Voller-Hooper, mum to baby Lex, and mum-to-be Charlotte Dungworth.

Theresa added: “It was a lovely afternoon catching up with everyone and meeting the new faces. As a new mum I know how important it is to have a support network of others who are in the same position, so it may well be that the ‘Mums and Babies’ afternoon becomes a regular event held in store for our customers”