Southern California natives Angie and Gino were happily married with two young, healthy sons. Although the family was doing well, the parents thought something was missing in their lives. They definitely knew they were blessed to have their small family, but felt a baby girl that would run around with the boys would make everything complete.
Angie and Gino really wanted a daughter and kept praying to have one. Then one day, Angie took a pregnancy test and the family was over the moon when the result came out. But wait...there was more.
Angie and Gino really wanted a daughter and kept praying to have one. Then one day, Angie took a pregnancy test and the family was over the moon when the result came out. But wait...there was more.
A Girl!
The parents were thrilled that they were expecting a baby and eager to hold their bundle of joy in their arms. But they also didn't want to find out whether the child was a boy or a girl. Of course, the couple would be happy with either, but they were still hopeful that their dream of having a girl would become a reality.
Finally, it was time to find out the sex of the baby. The couple’s hearts leaped for joy when the nurse turned to them and said, “It’s a girl!” But that wasn’t all the ultrasound revealed…
Not One But Three!
Angie and Gino were delighted to hear that Angie was pregnant with a baby girl. But as the doctor checked the ultrasound, the expression on his face changed from excitement to surprise and the couple wondered why.
As it turned out, Angie wasn’t carrying just one baby but three. Three girls! The couple was shocked and elated at the same time to hear the wonderful news. Angie was ecstatic that she was expecting triplets. Their prayers had finally been answered. Sadly, the news wasn’t all good.
There Were Complications
Angie and Gino were beyond shocked to hear that they were going to be parents to triplets, but the ultrasound also revealed something strange. There were more surprises as the doctor explained what he had discovered.
During the ultrasound, Angie’s doctor noticed that she had two placentas. What this meant was that two of the girls had split from a single egg and were sharing one placenta, making them identical. The third baby, however, had formed from a separate egg. This was a really rare case.
A Unique Pregnancy
Angie and Gino had no idea that their prayers would be answered threefold. From then on, they learned more unique things about their babies apart from the fact that two of the triplets were identical.
The couple didn’t have IVF, so Angie’s chances of getting pregnant with triplets were very slim. In fact, the odds of having triplets through natural conception is just 1 in 4,000, while the possibility of having triplets where two are identical is way slimmer.
They Got Ready for the Big Arrival
While Angie and Gino were euphoric about their growing family, they knew that they also needed to start preparing for their new additions. Their lives were about to get turned upside down but in a beautiful and fulfilling way.
Angie and Gino started getting ready for their babies’ arrival on time. They hired a nanny, bought a minivan, and got in contact with their family and friends for support. They also both held jobs, so they requested for parental leave from their employers so they wouldn’t miss the first precious moments of their newborns’ lives.
A High-Risk Pregnancy
Because Angie was expecting triplets, her pregnancy was considered high-risk. A few months into her pregnancy, Dr. Daneshmand took his time to explain to the couple that this time would be significantly different from when Angie was pregnant with her sons.
While Angie and Gino understood that there could be complications with the pregnancy down the road, nothing could have prepared them for what they were about to encounter. Things were about to get really serious and they would need all the help they can get.
Angie Had Major Complications
Just 26 weeks into her pregnancy with the triplets, Angie experienced major complications. The doctors discovered there was a fluid discrepancy, and this meant Angie and her unborn babies could be in serious trouble.
In an interview with Sharp Healthcare, Angie said, “We saw that the liquid for ‘Baby B’ was too low and for ‘C’ was a little high.” When a baby is still growing in utero, their fluid levels affect their nutrition and protection, so it was extremely important for Angie’s doctors to do something fast to keep mom and her babies safe.
Moving Into the Hospital
The fluid discrepancy was a serious threat to two of Angie's unborn girls. Too high or too low fluid meant there was a chance that the babies would be born with brain hemorrhaging and underdeveloped lungs.
This meant that Angie had to put her daily routine on a hold and put her and her babies’ health first. To make sure that mom and her triplets receive adequate care, Dr. Daneshmand urged Angie to immediately move into the hospital and stay there for the remainder of her pregnancy.
Major Changes
As anyone would be, Angie was surprised. “I said, ‘Wait, right now?'” she said in an interview with Sharp Healthcare. Both mom and her babies needed to be monitored round the clock, so it was important that Angie took her doctor’s advice.
No doubt Angie was ready to do everything possible to make sure her triplets would be fine, but moving into the hospital full time was a huge undertaking. At just 26 weeks into her pregnancy, it meant she could be in the hospital for weeks. And with two young boys at home, it was understandable that she was worried about how her family would cope.
Making It Work
Staying at the hospital was no easy task for Angie. Aside from being placed on strict bed rest, she really missed the comfort of her home. What’s more, she was apart from her husband and two sons. But the family made it work.
Angie, Gino, and the boys had to make sacrifices, but it was for the good of all of them. On the bright side, Gino and the boys visited mom every day. It wasn’t like when they were all at home but at least they could all be together. And of course, the nurses were of tremendous help too!
A New Home
With Angie now at the hospital, her perception of home had suddenly changed. Her new home, though temporarily, was now the hospital, and she and Gino did all they could to make it feel cozy and as much as home as possible.
The nurses understood that it was a hard time for the family, as they’ve witnessed many other families go through the same, so they were very helpful. “They’re taken away from everything that’s normal,” Toni Hicks, RN, said in an interview with Sharp Healthcare. “So by telling them, ‘You know, I understand that this is really hard for you’ — that’s huge for our patients.”
Date Night
Angie was going through a pretty difficult time. As if carrying a high-risk pregnancy wasn’t enough, she had also been forced to leave her home and move into the hospital for weeks. To make matters worse, she could only see her beloved husband and sons for a few hours each week during visitation.
Although this was Angie and Gino’s new norm, they were determined to do all they could to keep Angie in good spirits. One of the fun activities the couple loved doing together at the hospital was date night. “This is our date night that we never get at home,” Angie said while the couple ate dinner together in her room.
A Tour to the NICU
Pregnancy is a beautiful journey, but it can also have unexpected twists and turns. A birth plan can be very useful in preparing for a baby’s arrival. Angie’s medical team was keeping up with Angie and the babies through the journey, and they knew that triplets would likely be placed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) due to their small size.
So before Andie’s due date, she and Gino went on a tour of the NICU at the hospital so they would be prepared for whatever could crop up down the road.
An Empowering Place
Hearing her precious babies could potentially end up in NICU is a bitter pill to swallow for any expectant mom. But Angie remained optimistic throughout the tour and even afterward. Touring the NICU and having her birth plan made Angie feel like she could weather any storm during her pregnancy.
“You hear a lot of stories, you know, of triplets who don’t make it or especially of identical twins. The body absorbs one of them,” Angie said. “I didn’t see [the NICU] as a sad place, I saw it as a place that was empowering for me.” Meanwhile, a new challenge was brewing...
Baby “B” Wasn’t Growing as Fast as Expected
With Angie fully at the hospital, it was easy for her medical team to observe her and her babies every day. In one of their routine ultrasound checks, they discovered that baby “B” was smaller than baby “A” and baby “C.”
Although this was expected, considering baby “B” and baby “C” were sharing one placenta, the medical team still needed to continue monitoring the situation. By this time, Angie was already more than halfway through her pregnancy but there was a high risk that if she delivered now the babies would be premature.
At Least 34 Weeks
While Angie was at the hospital, she and her doctors were aiming for just one thing--for Angie to carry her babies for at least 34 weeks. They knew with her condition she had a slim chance of carrying them full-term, but if she could make it to 34 weeks without going into labor, it would still be a win.
This meant that the triplets would have enough time to develop in the womb. If they were carried for less than 34 weeks, then they would be underdeveloped, making them more likely to have complications.
Taking It One Day at a Time
Angie was now more than 30 weeks along in her pregnancy, and all she could do was take it one day at a time. Although she, Gino, and the boys couldn’t wait to meet the triplets, she understood that the longer they stayed in her womb, the more time they would have to grow. Still, the couple was prepared for anything at this point.
“Anything could happen between now and my due date,” she said in an interview with Sharp Healthcare. “We could have contractions that can’t control. We may do an emergency C-section. For us, we don’t count the weeks here, we count the days.” But unbeknownst to Angie, she’d be holding her babies sooner than she thought.
It’s Go Time!
Although Angie and her medical team were hoping to make it to 34 weeks, the triplets decided to make their debut earlier than that. When Angie was just 32 weeks and a day pregnant, she went into labor. It was time for action, and everyone got ready for what was next.
Gino said, “Three little stars will be born tonight.” And as Angie was wheeled into the delivery room, she added, “I have some hard work ahead of me now.” She prepared herself physically and psychologically for what was to come.
They’re Here!
In the labor room, Angie was dilated and everyone got ready to receive the girls. Angie had added a C-section to her birth plan. She had talked about giving birth naturally with the doctors but to avoid complications during delivery, they decided a C-section was the safest option.
All hands were on deck. The medical team got Angie ready and soon the surgery began. One after the other, the baby girls were delivered, with each weighing just under four pounds. The girls were named Daniella, Anabella, and Camilla.
A Life Support Team for Each of the Girls
The medical team had predicted that Angie might give birth earlier than their 34-week goal, so they were ready. Considering Daniella, Anabella, and Camilla were born a few weeks premature, an advanced life support team was assigned to each of them. This was to ensure the girls received the best of care after birth.
Following the birth of each child, they were passed through a window to another room beside the operating room. Here the girls were assessed, stabilized, and assisted with their breathing before being moved to the neonatal intensive care unit.
It Took a While for Angie to See Her Babies
After carrying a baby for months and enduring many hours of labor, a mother’s greatest desire is to wrap her arms around her newborn. It saddened Angie that she couldn't see her newborns right after delivery, but she knew the wait was only temporary.
Since the girls were so small and fragile at birth, it was important to get them to the NICU immediately. While Angie was sad that she couldn’t bond with her baby girls right away, she took comfort in knowing they were being cared for.
Struggling to Breathe
At birth, Daniella, Anabella, and Camilla weighed just below four pounds each. Because they were born a few weeks early, their lungs hadn’t fully formed yet, and this made them have problems breathing on their own.
Thankfully, Angie’s medical team was ready to handle this issue. They acted swiftly to open up the babies’ lungs and ensured they were receiving enough oxygen by putting them on C-pap. The triplets were definitely in good hands, but it was all a lot for Angie and Gino to take in as they looked on helplessly.
Getting the Girls Stable
At a certain point, the triplets’ oxygen levels were as low as 55 percent, but Angie’s medical team was ready to get the level up to normal. The babies’ tiny lungs needed to be opened up using pressure, so they were put on C-pap.
In the meantime, Angie finally saw her babies for the first time on a digital camera. It was definitely not the same as holding and feeling them herself but it was the most she could have at that time. Angie and Gino were now more eager than ever to meet their beautiful girls.
Nurses Watched the Triplets Day and Night
With Daniella, Anabella, and Camilla at the NICU, the nurses diligently kept an eye on them around the clock. As you remember, the triplets were still quite small, so they were prone to developing other complications.
Alina Harper, one of the RNs that took care of the girls, said, “You know, I really empathize with the parents that have to have their babies and be separated from them.” It was hard for Angie to be separated from her daughters, but that was going to change sooner than she thought!
The Triplet Were Stabilized
After the initial hubbub with their delivery, the medical team was able to stabilize Daniella, Anabella, and Camilla and they fared better. Although they still had to remain in the NICU for some more time, the girls were stable and able to breathe by themselves.
The girls wouldn’t be ready to go home for a while, as they needed to still be monitored, but they were ready to see their mom and dad for the first time. Angie’s heartwarming reaction when she first met her little darlings will melt your heart.
From Dream to Reality
Right from the time Angie was wheeled into the labor room, it had been a rollercoaster ride. And after a long 32-week journey, the day the couple had been waiting for was finally here. Angie and Gino were about to hold the answers to their prayers in their arms for the very first time.
As the medical team filled Angie and Gino on the progress of Daniella, Anabella, and Camilla, letting them know that the girls were stable, things quickly started getting real. Every second that ticked drew them closer to meeting their daughters.
The NICU Nurses Were Eager for Angie and Gino to Meet Their Babies
NICU nurses are used to dealing with emotional situations. They come across them every day. They meet parents trying to navigate one of the toughest situations of their lives, and it’s easy to form a bond with them and their kids. This holds true for the nurses who cared for the triplets in the NICU. They were thrilled that the babies were doing well and Angie and Gino would soon meet them.
“I love to see the initial contact between mommy and baby,” Alina Harper, an RN, said. “I always look for that, that moment that is just theirs that I get to be a part of.”
Angie and Gino Received Clearance to See Their Kids in the NICU
Despite the fact that Angie’s journey with her triplets was just beginning, she was doing very well while recovering from her C-section. Mom and her girls were in stable condition and the medical team decided they could finally meet.
The nurses wheeled Angie to the NICU, and Gino walked beside them. The couple could hardly contain their joy. Their dream had come true and it was more than they had even asked for.
Meeting Their Bundles of Joy
At last, Angie and Gino arrived at the NICU, and the nurses wheeled Angie to the stations that held each of the girls. When Angie delivered them she didn’t get the opportunity to hold them, so she was super excited to finally meet Danielle, Anabella, and Camilla.
As the nurses handed her one of her babies, Angie became overwhelmed with emotions. As their bodies touched, she was consumed with so much joy that she couldn’t hold back tears. She turned to Gino and said, “It feels so right.”
Together Again
Angie had only been apart from her daughters for a few hours, but to the new mom of triplets, it felt a lot longer. “I was only a few hours apart from them and I already missed them,” Angie said. “So it feels good to be reunited.”
One after the other, the nurses softly picked up the girls and handed them over to Angie. She took in every single moment with her beloved babies. She heard each of them cry and was able to soothe them back to sleep.
Dad’s Turn
Now, it wasn’t just mom that was eager to meet the girls. Dad too was anxious and couldn’t wait to hold them. Gino finally got a chance to meet Daniella, Anabella, and Camilla, and the nurses even tucked each of them into their father’s shirt so they could take advantage of skin-to-skin contact.
Skin-to-skin contact is encouraged because it benefits preterm babies. During skin-to-skin contact, your body acts as a natural incubator, regulating your body’s temperature to suit the baby’s needs.
Anabella’s Special Time With Dad
In most cases, infants don't open their eyes immediately after they're born. But when Anabella was placed on her father's chest, she opened her eyes and attempted to look at him. When he would begin to speak, her eyes would follow his mouth, as though she was trying really hard to hear what he was saying.
“Look at that, she’s opening her eyes, listening to me,” Gino said. “Beautiful, beautiful feeling.” Read on to see what the triplets look like growing up!
Growing So Fast
After a few weeks in the NICU, the triplets were stable enough to be discharged so they could finally go home. It had been quite a journey, from when Angie moved into the hospital up until the arrival of her babies and thereafter. But it was all worth it with mom and her daughters doing really well.
At long last, the family felt truly complete. As the girls grew up, they continued to flourish and developed individual personalities. And in no time, they were already turning six!
Happy Sixth Birthday!
The days flew by so fast, and it seemed like only yesterday that Angie and Gino held their triplets for the first time in the NICU. After their bumpy start to life, the girls grew up quickly and were healthy. Now it was time to celebrate their sixth birthday!
Much has changed since 2011 when Angie birthed her daughters. While back then it seemed like her time at the hospital lingered forever, the kid’s first six years seemed to have flashed by.
Keeping Up With Five Kids
Being a parent is no easy task, not to mention being a parent to five kids, three of them being triplets! But Angie and Gino were committed to making it work. As a result of their determination to always put their family first, the couple does everything they can to ensure their kids live happy and healthy lives with beautiful memories they can always look back on.
They might make it look easy, but we know that raising such a large family is no piece of cake, so hats off to them!
One Big, Busy Family of Seven
Having a family with five kids definitely comes with its challenges. It can get tough sometimes but they’ve got each other’s back. It’s also a busy life, but it’s undeniably a lot of fun too. Just over ten years ago, Angie and Gino were praying for a baby girl to make their family complete.
Their prayers were answered and they even got more than they had asked for. Now they’re a happy and healthy family of seven, and the kids are thriving! It’s a big family, but Angie and Gino love it just the way it is. The couple calls their life “fun chaos.”
Wishes Do Come True
With the triplets now growing along with their older brothers, it’s difficult for Angie and Gino to imagine how their life was before their brood entered the picture. It surely is a full house with three beautiful girls and two cute boys, but the couple loves their special family just the way it is.
“It’s truly a dream come true to have them come into my life,” Angie says.
If you enjoyed reading this touching story, keep reading for one mom’s journey as she overcame incredible odds to birth miracle triplets.
If you enjoyed reading this touching story, keep reading for one mom’s journey as she overcame incredible odds to birth miracle triplets.
The Mom-Of-One Was Anxious to Expand Her Family
23-year-old Becki-Jo Allen and her husband Liam Tierney lived with their daughter Indiana in Liverpool, England. The couple was anxious to grow their family and were overjoyed when Becki-Jo announced that she was pregnant. But just then, Becki-Jo started feeling queasy.
From the onset, Becki-Jo experienced persistent headaches and nausea, more severe than what she had to deal with during her first pregnancy. To find a solution, the couple visited the doctor and Becki-Jo had an ultrasound. They had no clue that they were about to receive the biggest surprise of their lives.
One... Two... Three Bundles of Joy
Becki-Jo was carrying not one but three baby boys! She and her beau felt a mix of surprise and relief hearing the news. “It was the biggest shock of my life!” Becki-Jo recalled in an interview. “We haven’t got any triplets in the family, so it came completely out of the blue.”
According to statistics, the probability of conceiving triplets is 1 in 9,000. The likelihood decreases if the mother is young (Becki-Jo was 23) and does not use fertility treatments (Becki-Jo did not use any). Her triplets were unplanned and conceived naturally, making them totally unexpected. But that was just the beginning. Her journey was about to get more complicated and scary.
Birth Scares Hit
Although Becki-Jo’s pregnancy eased for a short while, the couple received another shock when the pregnancy hit 31 weeks. Becki-Jo began experiencing contractions. Although the babies were healthy, they weren’t developed enough and thus not ready to be born.
Thirty-one weeks is a little over seven months, while the average pregnancy lasts for about 38 weeks. Liam and Becki-Jo raced to the hospital, where the doctors quickly performed a C-section in order to save all three babies. But it wasn’t over yet, as you’ll soon find out.
Critical Care
Thankfully, the triplets survived the Caesarean section. They were named Roman, Rocco, and Rohan. The boys were healthy, but Becki-Jo couldn’t spend time with them after birth because they were immediately whisked off to the NICU.
All the boys’ weights were below what is considered normal (around five pounds). Rocco weighed three pounds and five ounces, and Roman weighed three pounds and six ounces. At three pounds and ten ounces, Rohan was the heaviest. The boys still had a few hurdles ahead to overcome.
Serious Health Risks
The health risks for twins and triplets are higher early after birth. They are prone to complications and congenital disabilities that can cause life-threatening situations. To ensure they’re properly developed, the triplets remained in intensive care for six weeks. During this time their heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, and blood pressure were constantly monitored.
Preemies need extra care as their bodies develop and they complete their terms outside of their mother’s womb. Becki-Jo and Liam visited their sons often. Though there were wires and tubes obscuring their faces, their parents’ hearts were bursting with love for them. Becki-Jo and Liam couldn’t wait to take their babies back home, but little did they know that the journey wouldn’t end there.
Home at Last
Fortunately, the triplets’ time at the NICU went smoothly and they didn’t develop any complications. They finally went home with their mom and dad after six weeks. In preparation for their arrival, Becki-Jo and Liam spent time setting up the boys’ room and stocking up on baby items.
The couple had thought there wouldn’t be any more surprises with their boys, but they were wrong. On their first night back from ICU, Roman briefly stopped breathing, frightening Becki-Jo. Thankfully it happened just once and the triplets stayed healthy afterward. But then strangers on the street started to notice something puzzling about the kids.
Something Unusual About the Boys
As the family went about their daily routines, people began stopping Becki-Jo on the street and telling her how much the boys look alike. To know the truth, Becki-Jo swabbed the inside of the babies’ cheeks and sent them to a lab for DNA tests. Are two of the boys identical? Are all three fraternal? The result was mind-blowing.
It’s normal for triplets to appear similar. Most triplets are fraternal, and this means that they developed from separate eggs. Sometimes, while one egg develops separately, another egg will split in two, making two of the triplets identical. Even if that was the case with Becki-Jo’s boys, it was still difficult for anyone to tell them apart. Why was this so? This mind-boggling question gets answered next.
The Triplets Are Identical
The three boys had all come from a single egg! One egg split three ways, forming three separate individuals. This means the triplets are all identical. At first, the doctors had told Becki-Jo that the triplets were monozygotic, but this turned out to be false.
Even the medical professionals were shocked and had to re-evaluate their work. Several sources state that the odds of conceiving identical triplets are anywhere from 1 in 60,000 to 1 in 200 million. The odds of Becki-Jo experiencing this was extremely rare. This occurrence marveled doctors. Next, a simple mathematical explanation of how special Becki-Jo’s boys are.
A Once-In-A-Lifetime Wonder
Identical triplets are an extremely rare phenomenon. The chances of a mother giving birth to more than one baby, or multiple births, is 1 in 67. Even at that, the majority of multiple births are dizygotic, meaning the babies are conceived from two separate eggs.
For Becki-Jo’s triplets, one egg split into two, and then the second part split again. The odds of one egg dividing into two is 1 in 250, and this occurred twice with Roman, Rocco, and Rohan. This makes their births so rare that most of us will likely never witness such a phenomenon again.
Not Exactly Alike
Identical triplets have the same DNA, meaning that the boys share the same blood type, eye color, and hair color. The interesting thing is that some of the triplets’ traits would differ between each other, meaning they’ll have different fingerprints and teeth marks, for example.
The triplets would also develop individual personalities and talents as they grow older. Environmental factors would cause them to grow differently, but it is most likely that Becki-Jo’s triplets would have similar personalities and IQs throughout their lives. So how can anyone tell them apart? Of course, their parents have a little trick!
How to Differentiate Them
Despite their strikingly identical appearances, with time, Becki-Jo and Liam learned how to tell their triplets apart. Becki-Jo explained: “They’ve all got dark birthmarks between their eyebrows, but Roman’s is slightly darker than the others, and Rohan has got a birthmark on his leg as well.”
“But they all have completely different personalities,” Becki-Jo added. The parents also shared that Rohan shouts often, Rocco is laid back, and Roman doesn’t like sharing his toys! We’re not surprised the parents learned to tell their boys apart so quickly. Raising identical triplets is obviously not an easy task. Here’s how the couple manages.
The Joys and Challenges of Motherhood
On her Instagram page, the mom-of-four shared that raising identical triplets is no walk in the park. Fortunately, save for the first night after intensive care, the boys have had no serious health issues. However, each day raising them remains a challenge.
Becki-Jo explained that running errands around town can be tasking. She would often get stopped by people who are curious about the triplets, learning to their surprise that they’re identical. In spite of that and the many other challenges that come with motherhood, Becki-Jo seems to be a delightful mom with overflowing love for her squad.