The couple Lauren and Jack Mountain, from Worcestershire ᴅᴇғɪᴇᴅ the ᴏᴅᴅs of “200 million to one” to welcome among the most premature sets of ɪᴅᴇɴᴛɪᴄᴀʟ triplets ever to be born in Britain. Now, they said it is a “dream come true” to finally have all their triplets at home after one of them had to stay in ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ for ᴏxʏɢᴇɴ.
She said: “When we found out we were having triplets it was a complete sʜᴏᴄᴋ, we couldn’t believe it. It was ᴘʀᴇᴛᴛʏ ʜᴀʀᴅ to process and get our heads around it as there are no twins or multiples in the family. We FaceTimed family and friends to break the news and see the reaction on their faces. A lot of people couldn’t believe it and thought we were having them on. We had to show them the scan pictures to prove there really were three of them. They were sharing ᴀ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇɴᴛᴀ so we were told it would be ᴀ ʜɪɢʜ-ʀɪsᴋ ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ. We were a bit sᴄᴀʀᴇᴅ and a bit ɴᴇʀᴠᴏᴜs. We were ᴡᴏʀʀɪᴇᴅ about how we would manage having three at the same time because Jack is an only child and we had always envisaged having a small family ourselves. It took a few weeks to process then we became really excited.”
During the ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ the first time parents were referred to a sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟɪsᴛ following their 12 weeks scan ᴅᴜᴇ to ᴀ ʜɪɢʜ ʀɪsᴋ of twin-to-twin ᴛʀᴀɴsғᴜsɪᴏɴ sʏɴᴅʀᴏᴍᴇ(ⓉⓉⓉⓈ) because of the shared ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇɴᴛᴀ. However the trio developed well and the birth went well and the couple settled on unusualnames to match their unusual birth story. Lauren said: ” At 12 weeks scan, we was sʜᴏᴄᴋed. When the ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs announced not one, but three children. I think it’s ʜᴀʀᴅ to tell because ours were naturally ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇɪᴠᴇᴅ. I think that sort of throws the number off us a little bit because ⒾⓋⒻ babies are a little bit more likely to be multiples. But we know of a few other ɪᴅᴇɴᴛɪᴄᴀʟ triplet boys in the ⓊⓀ, so it’s quite interesting to see how they’ve grown up as well and chat to their mums. And we went for unusual names because they are so unusual themselves. Some people did suggest giving them the same initial but we thought that would make it ʜᴀʀᴅer for them at school when they are already ɪᴅᴇɴᴛɪᴄᴀʟ .”
But ᴅᴇsᴘɪᴛᴇ the ʜɪɢʜ-ʀɪsᴋ ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ, they were overjoyed when their incredibly ʀᴀʀᴇ triplets arrived sᴀғᴇʟʏ into the world after being delivered by ᴇᴍᴇʀɢᴇɴᴄʏ C-sᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ at Worcestershire Royal ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ on January 16. River and Beau weighed 3lbs 1oz while Leo weighed in slightly lighter at 3lbs after being born at 6.59am, 7.04am and 7.06am respectively. While Leo and Beau were fine to go home in April, River was ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ to stay behind ᴅᴜᴇ to ‘ᴀ ғᴇᴡ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴡᴏʙʙʟᴇs’ related to ᴀ ᴄʜʀᴏɴɪᴄ ʟᴜɴɢ ᴅɪsᴇᴀsᴇ he was born with.The baby still relies on ᴏxʏɢᴇɴ, but ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs have decided it is now sᴀғᴇ enough for him to return home to his brothers. Lauren said : “It is bittersweet being able to take the two home and leaving River in the ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ when he is otherwise so strong and healthy. It’s been a very tiring few weeks, months actually – but we are doing good now. It’s ᴍᴀᴅɴᴇss with Beau and Leo at home and we are going back and forth to ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ to see River every day. Thankfully we have got a lot of sᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛ because it is ᴄʜᴀᴏs already. Their grandparents look after the boys to give us some relief when we want a shower and go to see River in ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ. We are just waiting for him to grow a little bit more and build up his ʟᴜɴɢ sᴛʀᴇɴɢᴛʜ so he can come home.”
She has now said it feels like a ‘dream come true’ that she can finally have all her babies in one place. Lauren described the bittersweet goodbye to staff who spent the last four months looking after her child saying: “They were all really sad, but happy, to see River go. I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for us and our boys.” The couple said they are learning to tell their ɪᴅᴇɴᴛɪᴄᴀʟ boys apart – by their ʜᴇᴀᴅ sʜᴀᴘᴇ. She added:” It is probably only Jack and I and a few family members who can tell them apart. I think even the ɴᴜʀsᴇs in the ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟᴇᴅ. There are ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴄᴇs in their ʜᴇᴀᴅ sʜᴀᴘᴇ we use to ᴅɪsᴛɪɴɢᴜɪsʜ them but they might grow out of those.”
