The one in three million triplets ᴏᴠᴇʀᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴀ ʀᴀʀᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴ ᴍᴏɴᴏᴄʜᴏʀɪᴏɴɪᴄ ᴍᴏɴᴏᴀᴍɴɪᴏᴛɪᴄ, or ‘ᴍᴏɴᴏ-ᴍᴏɴᴏ’, which ᴀꜰꜰᴇᴄᴛs just ᴏɴᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴄᴇɴᴛ of all twins although it is more common in twins and triplets ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇɪᴠᴇᴅ through ⒾⓋⒻ. It means the twins share ᴏɴᴇ ᴀᴍɴɪᴏᴛɪᴄ sᴀᴄ and ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇɴᴛᴀ.
Now the triplets are back at home with their parents Claire Cerikci, 39, and Gurcan Cerikci, 39 from Chelmsford, Essex. Claire said: “I know when ᴍᴏɴᴏ-ᴍᴏɴᴏ ᴀꜰꜰᴇᴄᴛs twins it is ʀᴀʀᴇ in itself so I asked our sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟɪsᴛ what the chances are of it ᴏᴄᴄᴜʀʀɪɴɢ in a triplet ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ. I had some problems with ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄɪᴇs in the past, so they were monitoring me anyway. At seven weeks they told me it was twins, and at 12 weeks they said it was actually triplets. Although it was a sʜᴏᴄᴋ, the ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ was normal until 24 weeks when ᴀ sᴄᴀɴ found the twins had ᴀ ᴘʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍ with their ꜰʟᴜɪᴅ. I was put on ᴀ ᴅʀᴜɢ to ʀᴇᴅᴜᴄᴇ the ꜰʟᴜɪᴅ, but it left our sɪɴɢʟᴇ ʙᴀʙʏ at ᴀ ʀɪsᴋ of not getting enough ꜰʟᴜɪᴅ too. It was a very sᴄᴀʀʏ time for us and although they were bigger than expected when they were born, they were still very ᴛɪɴʏ. It’s a huge relief to have them at home and they are doing well.”
The triplets were born by ᴄᴇsᴀʀᴇᴀɴ on January 5 this year within minutes of each other. Kuzey was born at 11.29 and Koray and Ayaz at 11:30. Kuzey and Koray weighed 3lbs 13oz and Ayaz was 4lbs 2oz. They were ɪᴍᴍᴇᴅɪᴀᴛᴇʟʏ whisked to the ʜɪɢʜ ᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅᴇɴᴄʏ ᴜɴɪᴛ. Claire said: “They were all born crying which was a huge relief. Because they were born so close together they were each passed to their individual team who ᴄᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴄᴏʀᴅ and started ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ. Gurcan went up to see them in the ⒾⓉⓊ. He took a photo to show me, but when I first saw them I cried. They each had ᴀ ᴄᴀɴᴜʟᴀʀ ɪɴ ꜰᴏʀ ꜰʟᴜɪᴅ and they just looked so ᴛɪɴʏ.” Kuzey, Koray and Ayaz were all ʜᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴛᴏ ᴀʟᴀʀᴍs that went off if they sᴛᴏᴘᴘᴇᴅ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜɪɴɢ. Mum Claire had to practice sleeping with the babies in ᴀ sᴇᴘᴀʀᴀᴛᴇ ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ ʀᴏᴏᴍ before she was allowed to take them home. After four weeks the babies were allowed home.
She added: “Although it was a relief to get them home, I was ᴡᴏʀʀɪᴇᴅbecause we wouldn’t have the ᴍᴇᴅɪᴄᴀʟ sᴛᴀꜰꜰ to come running if anything went ᴡʀᴏɴɢ. The first night I stayed in ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ with all three babies it was fine, but in the morning I went to make a coffee and the alarm went off. Even though I’d only gone next door, I was still in ᴀ ᴍᴀᴊᴏʀ ᴘᴀɴɪᴄ. Usually their ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜɪɴɢ started again after a little shake.” Claire is also mother to three other children, 10-year-old Yaren, Kutay, eight, and Kaya, three. Although Kaya was at first ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜs of the new arrivals, the children quickly adapted to their three brothers.
Claire said: “As with any ᴘʀᴇᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ baby we were advised to give them as much skin on skin contact as possible, but it’s hard when there’s three to make sure everyone gets enough time. When the older two came to visit them in ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ they asked if they could help give the triplets their ᴋᴀɴɢᴀʀᴏᴏ ᴄᴜᴅᴅʟᴇs. The ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ said it was the first time they had ever seen children do it. When I first brought them home Kaya was a bit ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜs and would try to sit on my knee while I was feeding the boys. It’s okay now though and only lasted a few days. They all help with feeding and changing nappies, but we try not to ask too much of them because we want them to have a childhood that doesn’t revolve around child care.” With the right care and incredible commitment from Claire, the babies did fantastically well.
