Triplet pregnancies can be absolutely terrifying. You feel so out of control. There are three little lives growing in your belly and you are told by all your doctors and OBs all the risks and all the dangers, you begin to feel like you are made of glass. Please no TTTS, please no preterm labour, please let my babies survive and be healthy. Each day was frightening, and each day was a milestone.
It was at the very beginning I was told that I only had a 30% chance of any ONE baby surviving and I’d be lucky to make it to 24 wks, and if I did, they’d monitor me till my body packed it in and then they’d (their words)” cut them out of me.” No idea what that old midwife wished to accomplish by saying that, but it simply terrified me!
I went home and started researching. All I found was c-section YouTube videos. I searched for weeks, and cried each day. I was horrified at how early they’d come and the medical procedures and intervention they faced in their first moments on earth. So I just kept looking. I knew I needed to let my babies cook as long as they could, and birth my babies as naturally as I could, so they had the best possible start to life. I wanted to give them the same beginning as I’d given my three boys. So I Googled, and joined forums, and asked questions to everyone I could find with a hand full of answers.
I joined a group for triplets, one that was Australia based, it was there that I found a few vaginally birthing triplet mums and I found another pregnant mum who was as committed as me. We found that any posting about our desires to birth vaginally was faced with terrible negativity. So we started a Facebook group Birthing Multiples Naturally. In that group we found like-minded people and shared information freely. I was on my path to meet my girls.
At every OB appointment I was bullied and told what I WILL be doing with my body. I WILL have a c-section, I WILL have it when they say. But I had armed myself with knowledge – for every bit of information they gave me to support their wanting to take my babies out early by c-section, I researched and found evidence contradicting them. I gathered all the information to make an informed and educated decision and stuck with it.
At every appointment I maintained that I would go to 36 wks or as long as the babies needed, I would have three heads down and I WOULD have a vaginal birth. and at each appointment I was scoffed. Even my sonographer would smirk and say “I’d be impressed if you made 30 wks”.
At 30 wks my three girls decided they’d all prefer breech, putting a smile on my OB’s faces as they smugly said…” well, you’ll be having a c-section now?” In answer, “no, I’ll go and have acupuncture and use positions to turn my babies”. You can imagine their responses. LOL.
Well I did. Chinese acupuncture and using “spinning babies” techniques and I found myself in hospital with two heads trying to both get into my pelvis. It was then they decided to keep me in hospital for the remainder of the pregnancy.
The bullying began. Strong, nasty, consistent bullying. Tag-teaming OB’s, doctors, nurses. They even had OB’s from their sister hospital come over to talk down to me. But I knew what was right for my babies. Id birthed three big babies before; I knew I could birth three tiny little triplets.
I kept researching, taking vitamins and minerals, magnesium for prevention if preterm labour, and doing my positions on the hospital bed. I missed my boys like crazy, but I was determined to keep this pregnancy going. Week after week I designed my birth plan, and week after week I terrified my OB’s. I built a strong relationship with wonderful midwives. I was looked after and treated with dignity by these amazing women who never doubted me. They helped me day to day with my teary days and my discomfort, they made a belly cast of my enormous belly, and helped me with my birth plan.
At 34 1/2 weeks I felt three sets of feet in my ribs! They did an ultrasound to check, and yes!!! Three heads down!!!!!! I wrote my birth plan out on a big piece of cardboard and pinned it to my wall. My OB’s walked in, saw it, turned white and walked out. Soon they came back with paperwork for me to sign. I was going to have a good birth. I believed in my body. I believed in my babies, and I believed in my midwives, who is decided would be delivering my babies and with no epidural using active labour.
At 35 wks I felt strange. I truly felt like my body had hit a wall. I asked for a growth scan as I believed that my babies had stopped growing. I felt something was not right. A few days later they did the scan and sure enough the babies had stopped growing and things needed to progress.
I decided to try bringing my labour on myself. I used everything. Every old wives’ tale, right up to stretch and sweep. Nothing!!!! Can you believe it, all that time fearing preterm labour and now I want it to start and it won’t!!! I tried and tried, but nothing but a few strong BH contractions.
So I decided that I had no choice but to induce.
I was terrified of induction. I was worried that one intervention would lead to another. I had a few friends, my sister and my husband with me after they gave me a strong stretch and sweep and broke my waters, and then they hooked me up to the synto drip. I walked around, bounced on the ball and rotated my hips, I laughed and joked and talked. I was scared, but this was my day! I was going to meet my girls.
Once contractions were established my friends and my sister left so that I could focus. I concentrated on feeling my little sweetheart lowering to my cervix. Aneyah was the leading baby. We had a head monitor on her, (which I wasn’t struck on, but it was needed) I stayed standing until I physically couldn’t any more. They had me famining just in case, and I was completely exhausted. I’d brought berocca with me but was not allowed to have it in case they needed to intubate me in an emergency. So I got up on my hands and knees on the bed. The contractions were so strong now. People were starting to fill my room, but I used gas and concentrated on blocking them all out and just feeling my daughters lowering.
As I began to push, Aneyah’s heart rate started dropping. I could feel her head at my cervix and could not seem to push her through. One of my midwives checked and said that my cervix just wasn’t letting her through, so she helped. While I pushed, she gently helped my cervix over her head, it worked. I turned around to sit up with my knees up at the end of the bed. It was time. Before I knew it my little princess’s head was crowning. Two more pushes and Aneyah was out and placed on my chest. My beautiful, amazing little girl, screamed for just a moment then just looked at me. I was in love. She was so beautiful. My husband cut the cord, and before I knew it I was feeling the need to bear down again. They passed Aneyah from me to my husband and I started to push. Another head started to lower through my cervix and crown, the OB decided to help by breaking my waters, as he went to do so, I beared down, and with a beautiful twist, my waters exploded all over him. A moment that gave me a good laugh! Just 15 minutes after her sister Kalanee arrived into the world and straight to my chest. Such intense love. Another perfect beautiful wonderful little girl who screamed for just a moment then snuggled into my arms. Complete love. But I could only hold her just a moment, because I had one more special person to concentrate on. Lealah. I passed Kalanee over to one of my midwives and put my hands above my third little princess. It was much harder to push with her. I could not feel my stomach muscles because they’d stretched so much, and all that space and one tiny little baby, but I held my hand above her and beared down. My waters broke as she was crowning and she literally came out in one slurp with what seemed like a bucket of blood. Lealah was placed immediately on my chest and I was given the scissors to cut her cord. What a moment. She gurgled a little and I passed her over to be checked. Immediately afterward, I felt the need to push again. My placenta had come away early and was chasing Lealah out.
The placenta was so big; it was two that had shared and one that was fused. It felt like another baby, and it was at this point that someone in the room decided to joke about a possible fourth that had gone unseen. I was quite unimpressed.
I did lose quite a decent amount of blood, but the body is amazing. My haemoglobin was actually higher after than the day before. It seems all that bloating was my body preparing.
They were: Aneyah – 4lb 7oz, Kalanee – 4lb 9oz; and Lealah – 4lb 11 oz. The first two were 15 minutes apart and the second and third were 12 minutes apart. They were 35.6 wks, and all head down. My entire labour was calculated at 4.5 hours.
My three girls were very quick to pick up breast feeding. They had no formula from the moment they were born. We had a little jaundice from being four weeks early, but they were healthy and strong. After just five days we all left the hospital fully breast fed and mummy’s little princesses. Today they are nearly six months, still exclusively breast fed and doing amazingly. I have three beautiful boys and three beautiful girls. I feel like the most blessed woman in the world.
Recommended Reading
One Woman’s Successful Frank Breech Vaginal Hospital Birth
The Birth of Sicily Rose {Postpartum Hemorrhage, Vanishing Twin Syndrome}
Birth Of Elsie {Homebirth Story With Siblings}
A Mother Will Overcome {I Am Strong}
My Fearless Birth {Home birth turned hospital}- A Beautiful Family Home Birth/Baby Caught by Grandmother {Graphic Emergence Photos}
The Birth of a Bus {Really}- Birth Story of Ace {Homebirth Transfer to Cesarean}
Finally, Relief! {A Painful Pregnancy, Spinal Injury}
Logan’s Birth Story {Med-Free Hospital Birth}
311 Comments
Ashley
You are my inspiration!! I’m not even preggo, but I feel the need to save this story so that the day I do have babies, I will remember this story and persevere! Your bravery, courage, strength, and determination are so inspiring. Thank you for sharing your story and congratulations on your big, beautiful family!!
Crystal Hanson
I am so jealous! I too had triplets but I only lasted 29 weeks. My daughter Emma has stopped growing around 27 weeks. When my blood pressure went to 215/185 they said the babies had to come! I was so said I never felt a contraction or anything. The C-section was fine but I didn’t get to hold or see my babies after they were born. Emma was a little micro-premmie at 1 lb 9oz. and the boys were both 2 lbs 13 oz. My blood pressure was so high I was not even allowed in the NICU to see my babies until almost 48 hours later. My husband had to bring me polaroid pictures. It was heart wrenching! I really wish my experience would have been more like yours. Your family is beautiful!
Melaine
You are so brave and such an inspiration! You’ve renewed my faith after my recent medicalized birth with trauma also from being bullied. I just love your story so much! My favorite picture is the one of you nursing and holding the other two babies on your legs! Just amazing! May God continue blessing your precious family!
Elizabeth Noble
In my book, Having Twins—and More, which is the 3rd edition of the first book written for expectant parents of multiples, I have a photo of a water birth of twins, and home birth of triplets. Natural birth and breastfeeding advocated throughout…and NO circumcision!
Elizabeth
Amazing story. I am pregnant with my 4th (but just one!) and after my first birth that left me with no control and what to me felt unnatural, I went with a midwife for my 2nd and had an amazing all natural birth. When we moved while pregnant with my 3rd I had to fight (though to a much lesser degree) all the interventions they deem “medically necessary” and that upon research I found that most of them were just the medical norm. But I was fortunate enough to have a natural birth friendly doctor attend my short (45 minutes in the hospital) birth. The nurses would say “but we have to” and lucky the doctor said “get out of the way, we don’t have time.”
Cindy
I admire you!!! I swore If I ever had multiples I’d move to Rennessee temporarily and have them with inas team at The Farm. Thankfully I had 3 several tyraes apart and Abe to have water births at home without the amazing terror and uphill battle you had to endure. Thank you for sharing your story!!! So happy that the birth was so all that you wanted and needed for your baby girls and for you!! I live your Breastfeeding photos. Exclusive nursing! I’m so sad for all the moms with one healty baby who willingly surrender their baby’s right to a gently natural birth and Breastfeeding. What a shame!!! Here you battled to the end for you and your babies. Bless you all and lucky children to have a min with your trust, fortitude and compassion to be never give in or give up on a natural birth!!!
Carla
Congratulations! What a beautiful story. Thank you so much for sharing your experience.
jenn
You are amazing!!!
Esther Croft
What an amazing story, it took so much courage to stand up for what you believed in. Those are some lucky kids to have such a strong mother. Hope you don’t mind I’ve linked to this story from my HypnoBirthing website. http://envisagehypnobirthing.co.nz/2013/05/12/an-inspirational-story-for-mothers-day/
Cassandra Woollett
What a fantastic story. You are truly an amazing woman. This will inspire many.
laura
This is an incredible story! I am about to have my first and reading your story is so empowering. Way to go on fighting for the type of birth you wanted. God Bless your beautiful family!
Clara
Thank you for sharing! Very amazing to read, I cried! Loved to see you carrying all three and to hear you are breast feeding exclusive, very impressive!
J. Bell
I’m in tears. What an amazing thing you did for your girls! A wonderful example of what you can do when you put your mind to it.
Janelle
Wow! I don’t know you personally, but I’m really proud of you! You are amazing!
sarah lyons
Congratulations! Your family is beautiful! I am so happy and proud of you, you trusted your self and your body. I’m so thankful I did the same with my daughter’s birth. You are an inspiration to mothers.
Sarah Lyons
Nicole
Wow, i just shed a few tears… you are an amazing and strong woman and mother. What a beautiful story xxx
DoulaGro
Thank you, for telling this strong and beautiful story!! Love from DoulaGro❤
Mana
Thank u for sharing that amazing story!!! Thank you for trusting your body!!! You are an inspiration sweet mama and what a beautiful family you have!!!!
Kelly Midwife
That story is such a gift!!! Thank you so much! You are a very blessed woman to have such a healthy family of 6! Just Wow , I have to keep this story on file to bring myself back down to earth when I get caught up in the drama of “high risk” management. Many blessings to you all and if you ever come to Australia I would love to meet you all! xk
Lise
What an amazing and inspiring story! You are an incredible woman and very blessed with so much love. All the best for you & your lovely family!
Natalie
All I can say is WOW, WOW, WOW!!!!! I can’t get the admiration and joy off my face. Well done!!!!! Not just with the journey but also breastfeeding three babies. Again WOW!!!!!
Amanda
What an incredible story! Just out of my own weird curiosity, rather than any similar need, I’ve often wondered if triplets could be birthed vaginally but was always told “absolutely not”. It seemed odd to me that it could not be possible. This story is so inspiring.
Milla
You. Are. AMAZING!! I totally love you 🙂
I have always been terrified of multiple pregnancies but your story inspires trust and great courage. I would be happy to be half the mother you are one day. God bless you and your gorgeous kids! xxx
Cherish
Wow!! Thank you so much for sharing this inspiring and eye opening story with us! Your story–your experience will touch and inspire and educate so many people–moms, dads, future parents, nurses, doctors, and everyone in between– and will be a blessing in every ear that hears it. It’s just beautiful. Please keep telling your story. Write a book. Share with the world the resource you have become like the ones you couldn’t find when you needed them. Thank you. Wow.
Christina
Your story brings tears to my eyes and good memories! I’ve had two little girls naturally, and luckily without hospital intervention (both born at birthing centers). I’m so fortunate that I did not have to fight for my right to have my children without medical intervention as my midwives were amazing. I always feel so much respect for stories like yours where you have to fight all the way and still keep it together! I am amazed at your courage to trust in your body, take care of yourself during the pregnancy, and push for what you felt was best! The human body is amazing – we just need to trust it.
Rachel Swann
WOW! I can’t believe this story. I love it and I love your pictures. It seems like you are just a complete natural at parenting multiples. It is inspiring.
Laura
You are truly inpirational. Your courage and determination. It really is a reminder to question the medical model. Your research and strength are so admirable. Well done! and well done on breastfeeding triplets. Wow.
Fiona (Midwife @ Nepean)
Well it is nice to see the babies and read the story, I missed seeing you at the hospital after the birth (I was on leave). I am glad that our advocating for you to have the birth you wanted when we were looking after you came to fruition. You and I proved a certain doctor wrong when I got him to do an ultrasound, three babies all head done and from then on the rest is as they say is history. So congratulations and lovely to see how beautiful they are and you looking so fantastic. Have an awesome life with your beautiful, perfect family xox
Katja
I don’t think I cried this much with any birth story ever before. Good for you! What an inspiration and what blessed children you have. You are an amazing woman, an amazing mom and a beautiful role model. Thank you for sharing.
Ellen
This is an amazing story and beautiful photos. Congratulations to the family!
Elizabeth N
“What you think about and thank about , you bring about”.You are a woman of unwavering faith.Your positive energy, determination, faith and assertiveness afforded you the opportunity to successfully birth these three little princesses.You are super-blessed. Count your blessings each waking moment,Kindly keep us posted on their developments. I sure wished you had named one Elizabeth.God bless you..a powerful woman
Marilyn
A truly amazing story! I am an almost 81 yr young great grandma and remember having my four single births. Can’t even imagine what you went through! I am so very proud of you! Your family is beautiful!
Amie Olson
What a truly amazing and inspirational story! There are too many C-sections in the United States, even for singleton births, so this is really great to hear vaginal birth can be achieved with multiples in some cases.
Anastasia @ eco-babyz
Wow! Absolutely amazing! You are such an inspiration! Truly ‘Birth Without Fear’ fits so well with your incredible story, you are one strong mama!
I had my first at a hospital without interventions and felt we fought tooth and nail for it, they just wanted to medicalize everything. Second was born in the water at a birth center and it was amazing and beautiful. I just wish everyone would get off our case and support us instead of pressure into everything we don’t want! (us = women who want a natural birth)
Kat Barron
Absolutely beautiful! Congratulations on your lovely family, and what an amazing story you have preparing and of the birth!!
Rebecca coddington
Wow, what an amazing experience you had, I was pregnant with triplets and the negativity surrounding it is unreal, unfortunately for me i only made it to 17+5 when i delivered by precious babies 5 weeks ago. I was always told that I would have to have a c section and did always wonder if there’s no problems why couldn’t i have them naturally. It does show that miracles can happen.
Krystal
Thank you for sharing. What an inspiration. Your story will give mom’s that are told to doubt themselves at every turn that there are alternatives and ways to accomplish the “impossible” with education and determination. All the best to your family.
Trooppetrie
thank you so much for sharing, thank you for being strong. With my last blessing she presented hand first, as in hand sticking out. They insisted that I was having a C-section. I insisted I was not (my water broke at 26 weeks and I was now 31 weeks and in the hospital). My doctor came in and met me in the room (I had been in for 5 weeks) and I informed him she was here. The nurses kept insisting I was going down for a C-section and luckily I had a amazing doctor who listened to me. I am 30 weeks now with number 7 and am praising for every day this blessing is on the inside
ChristineG
I am in awe and in tears, dear Mama. You are truly an inspiration and your birth was absolutely beautiful. My youngest (of 8, no mulitples) was born on November 11, so our babies are probably very close in age. What a blessed mama you are.
Brenda
I am so happy for you. I gave birth 35 years ago to a set of triplets who were conceived naturally and delivered naturally I carried them 35 weeks and they were 4-9, 5-6, and 5-2. I had 2 girls and 1 boy who was in the middle.
They were all head down also. I was blessed to have a Doctor who never talked negative.
Congrats to you.
Julie
What amazing determination. So glad you had a great husband and sister to support your team. As a mother of twins who delivered vaginally, I love to hear about other birth of multiples that are normal. I also breastfed all of my six chidren. What a great midwife and OB. Bravo! Julie
Simone
Thank you for sharing. So beautiful. Standing for what you believe is the right thing for you and your family can sometimes be so hard but your determination and will is really inspiring. “Children are a blessing, a gift from the Lord”. Continue to enjoy your precious gifts. With love, Simone
Lauren
<3 Amazing story! I laughed at the exploding waters all over the doctor= satisfaction!
Katieuk
Wow such an inspiration I had twin girls at 38 weeks but had an emergency c.section due to pre-eclampsia scare.
Your right the doctors and OB’s do scare you and bully you into thinking their way is best!
Judee
I birthed (csection) triplets boys in October 1987 after 4 weeks in hospital in trendelenberg position on MgSO4 and ritodrine. They were 33 3/7 weeks. I have no idea where their heads were. And am sorry to say I did not breast feed! There was no support at that time. After they were born, I was home in four days? I was at “their” ( my MD’S) mercy; which wasn’t a bad thing, really. But, my “A”baby was doing wheelies on my cervix for quite a while, hence being positioned basically head down? I called him Atlas, being able to hold the other two up for the long haul. I can go on and on…but happy to say they were and are my joy in life. Along with their older sister.
Meghan
I hope you didn’t have as much as a traumatic delivery as I did. I had quadruplets and I had to deliver 3 of them dead.
Meghan
So what are there names
Mine is America’s
Little sweettie
Phillipa
This is one of the most amazing stories I have ever read, and believe me, I have been reading a lot of them lately. Truly inspiring!
Michelle
Your family is so beautiful! Way to stick to your guns and take care of your family, such a strong woman! I’m not even pregnant and I got teary eyed reading your story 🙂 Love it!
Jen
You. Are. Amazing!
Cerine
This was an amazing and beautiful story! I will be looking your group up on facebook!
Thank you for sharing!