A couple who were about to start ⒾⓋⒻ ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ after sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟɪɴɢ to ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇɪᴠᴇ for two years were stunned when they fell ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴀʟʟʏ – with triplets. And say their daughters are their “ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴍɪʀᴀᴄʟᴇs”
Stephanie Latcham, 27, and partner Michael Gough, 30, from Ferryhill, Durham were saddened to learn that becoming ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ was becoming more and more difficult. Tᴡᴏ ᴍɪsᴄᴀʀʀɪᴀɢᴇs in two years were ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙʀᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ and Latcham sᴜғғᴇʀs ғʀᴏᴍ Pᴏʟʏᴄʏsᴛɪᴄ Oᴠᴀʀʏ Sʏɴᴅʀᴏᴍᴇ. So, Steph were about to start ⒾⓋⒻ treatment, and the couple decided to treat themselves to a much-needed holiday before starting the ɢʀᴜᴇʟʟɪɴɢ ʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ. But they were stunned when they came back from their trip to Mallorca, Spain, to discover Steph had ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇɪᴠᴇᴅ three babies naturally. Steph was gobsmacked when a sᴏɴᴏɢʀᴀᴘʜᴇʀ told them they had not one but three sacks after the first has split twice naturally, creating ɪᴅᴇɴᴛɪᴄᴀʟ triplets which ᴏᴄᴄᴜʀs only once in every 200 ᴍɪʟʟɪᴏɴ ʙɪʀᴛʜs.
She said :” We never imagined our baby dream would come true naturally and while we were on holiday. I’d sᴜғғᴇʀᴇᴅ Tᴡᴏ ᴍɪsᴄᴀʀʀɪᴀɢᴇs in the past and after being ᴅɪᴀɢɴᴏsᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ⓅⒸⓄⓈ, I thought the only way for us to have our own baby was through IVF. But while on holiday we ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇɪᴠᴇᴅ on September 9 – just one day after Michael proposed. Three weeks after we came home I found out I was ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ on September 30. We were in such sʜᴏᴄᴋ, it was incredible! We were about to start our first round of ⒾⓋⒻ , so to know that we didn’t have to do that after trying for so long gave us a feeling I can hardly describe. The first scan in October showed us baby one, two weeks later baby two and a week after that there was baby three. It was the best feeling in the world knowing I was carrying three miracles after everything we had been through – it finally happened to us.”
Life very quickly changed once the babies were born, Michael picked up the keys to their new house the same day Steph went into labour, and they got themselves a seven-seater people carrier to get everyone around. Steph admitted life is ‘hectic’ now, but said she and Michael would not have it any other way. Not only this, they also had to get themselves three of everything to ensure they were well equipped for their triplet’s arrival.
She said :” We have a good routine in place, they go for feeds every four hours and in those four hours we have to feed, burp, change, play with them and get them to sleep. When all of that is done, we start again! We’re lucky to get an hour out each time for ourselves! My older son Zach loves the triplets, he will often help by bouncing the girls when they get stressed – we also get great support from mine and Michael’s parents, I couldn’t thank them enough. Neither of us have a clue what we’re doing here, but It’s certainly been quite a journey getting our perfect not-so-little family together.”
