Great Grandmother Marion Bridgeman, Mum Lucy Carpenter, Thea Hix, Great Great Grandmother Lily Cooley and Grandmother Johanna Carpenter

by Hayley Robinson

When Thea Hixall came into the world she joined a formidable female line as the fifth generation of her family.

It means new mum Lucy now has three extra pairs of hands - with a combined 201 years of experience - to help care for the tot.

The 22-year-old, of Primrose Avenue, Sittingbourne, gave birth at Medway Maritime Hospital, Gillingham, at 12.34pm on February 27.

Johanna Carpenter, 44, was in the room supporting her daughter and her partner Oli Hixall when her granddaughter arrived.

Moments later the new born was greeted by her great grandmother Marian Bridgeman, 66, who had been waiting patiently outside the birthing suite.

Heading up the generations is Lily Cooley.

The 91-year-old widow, of Barkers Court, Sittingbourne, got to meet her first great, great grandchild the following day.

Mrs Carpenter, of London Road, Sittingbourne, said: “I’m sure we will all be giving Lucy (pictured right with Thea) tips and advice along the way. My first bit of advice to her was that she can never have too many shoes.

“Lucy knew she was having a girl but we didn’t think anything about there being five generations of women in the family until we asked people and they said usually there is a man in there somewhere.

“We went 26 years on my side of the family without any boys until three years ago when my cousin in France had a boy and my sister had her little boy but now it seems we’ve gone back to girls again.”

Mrs Bridgeman, of Gregory Close, Sittingbourne, says looking after babies is different from her day.

She said: “Everything has changed since I had my three children. It’s a completely new world. I don’t understand any of it.”

Lucy, who is on maternity leave from her job as a travel advisor at Thomson in Sittingbourne High Street, said: “It’s nice to think Thea has a great, great grandmother, not many people can say that, and it’s nice that my great grandmother has been able to meet her.

“Thea’s doing really well and we’ve got more baby sitters than we know what to do with at the moment.”