My Triplet Birth Story

It is hard to imagine writing the birth story of my three little girls without starting at the beginning, not the beginning of labor, but where it all began at 8w5d.  Pretty much all of my journey has been documented, so I won’t go into too much detail.  But I think I will highlight a few events and milestones, as they all played a part in my decision for their birth.

Be sure to use the bathroom and grab something to drink and eat before reading.

Milestone 1: 8w4d

I knew I was pregnant around 4w.  Taylor and I have this track record of beginning to discuss the timing of another baby only to discover we were already pregnant. 

This pregnancy was no different.  We were pretty sure that bay #4 was “IT” for us. When we first go married I wanted 4, he wanted 3.  After Josie I wanted 3 and he wanted 4.  Given the fact that we were discussing timing it was obvious that we both wanted 4.  It wasn’t long after finding out the news that I contacted my midwife and told her we would be needing her assistance for a second HBAC in late May.  I was in a group on facebook for HBAC moms and was so eager to share another homebirth story and this time have beautiful photos of another peaceful birth. 

The afternoon of 8w4d I began to bleeding out of the blue.  After changing my panty liner for the second or third time I decided I should probably call my midwife.  She spoke so calmly to me and said it probably wasn’t anything but just in case to get in bed and just rest.  She suggested trying to get in and see my OB the next day (Friday) just to have peace of mind before the weekend.  As stone faced as I could I told Taylor I needed to be in bed and would try to make an appointment in the morning.  Once in bed, by myself, the tears began to flow.  Was I losing the baby?  I prayed.  I prayed a lot.  I even prayed, “Lord, if losing this baby is your will.”  I completely lost it when I uttered those words.  I could not fathom how the loss of a baby could be God’s will.  Once I prayed it I was able to sleep.  All night, however, with every little bodily function I thought this is it, this is my body’s way of passing the baby.

8w4d was the first of many times I tearfully and fearfully prayed for God’s will. 

Milestone 2: 8w5d

With Evelyn and Lucy as my ultrasound buddies the tech announced I was having twins.  A few seconds later she corrected herself when she declared there were three babies alive and growing in me.  My reaction was a mix of awkward laughter and tears.  She asked if I was ok.  My first reaction was “I was supposed to have this baby at home.”  Immediately I became terrified that these babies would have to be born via cesarean.  Clearly, I had not yet grasped the enormity of the road ahead. 

Tearfully, with Evelyn and Lucy by my side, I waited in the US waiting room for the images to take to my OB.  I called Taylor whose first words out of his mouth were, “I’m sorry, babe.”  He thought we had lost the baby.  So you can imagine he too was shocked when I said we were expecting triplets.  He thought I was lying and was laughing, I too had an awkward laugh.  But when my laughter turned to tears he knew what I was saying was the truth. 

In my OB’s waiting room the first thing I did was post in the VBAC facts and Improving Birth group asking if it was possible to birth triplets vaginally.  I think in the time I waited to see my OB I had already read 1 or 2 articles about triplet vaginal births and had been added to a Birthing Multiples Naturally group.  I felt that not all hope was lost on a vaginal birth.

Most of my impromptu appointment with my OB and the med student was a blur.  He mentioned something about TTTS (twin to twin transfusion), that was just mumbo-jumbo to me.  The only thing on my mind was how the babies would be born.  I couldn’t imagine recovering from a cesarean with 6 children under 4.

Milestone 3: Monoamniotic/Monochorionic (MO/MO)

Several days after my initial appointment and ultrasound a fellow multiples mom messaged me on facebook.  She said it looked like two of my triplets were sharing the same sac.  She informed me that with Mo/Mo babies that even the most naturally minded doctors birthed these babies via cesarean because of extremely high risks.  Another triplet mom who had a pair of Mo/Mo twins friended me on facebook and shared a wealth of knowledge with me.  She prepared me for the reduction conversation.  She added me to two Mo/Mo support groups.  I shared what I was learning with Taylor but I am not sure much registered with him at the time.  I think he was still processing three babies.  Nothing was definitive yet.  I cried a lot in secret.  I couldn’t imagine the possibility of reducing the pregnancy.

The short journey of figuring out if babies A and B were Mo/Mo  was stressful and a roller coaster.  For a few weeks we thought for sure they were not Mo/Mo and then another US indicated that maybe they were.  I wanted the genders to be a surprise.  But at a 14w with two US techs I was OK with finding out their genders to know if we could rule out Mo/Mo.  If they were opposite genders we would know for sure they were not Mo/Mo. It was too hard to tell their gender, back to anxiously waiting.  It was not until my first appointment with MFM and a nearly 2 hour US that we ruled out Mo/Mo.

Milestone 4: TTTS

We went to my first Maternal Fetal Medicine appointment at 17w3d.  It was a long US with the tech, maybe an hour or two and then the MFM joined us and he continued the US to check things for himself.  We definitively ruled out that we had a pair of Mo/Mo twins.  We discovered that we had a set of identical triplets and not a set of twins and singletons.  We discovered also that there was already a discrepancy in fluid levels between babies A and B, a primary indicator for TTTS.  Discovering TTTS this early in the pregnancy had a worse prognosis than a discovery in the late 2^nd/early 3^rd trimester.  This US was the Friday before Christmas and just a day or two before my parents were flying into town.

 The doctor wanted to see us back in 10 days to check the fluid levels, at which point Taylor asked how quickly things could develop.  The doctor said things could go south in a day, in a week, or in 3 weeks.  There was no way to really know.  I am not sure if  the doctor sensed our fear, primarily Taylor’s as I was already knowledgeable about TTTS and also in denial that this could be our reality, or if the doctor was also concerned because he grabbed my notebook and wrote down his cell number.  He instructed me to call him Sunday to schedule an off-the books, after hours, Christmas Eve ultrasound.  You cannot imagine how this comforted me. 

He called his parents and sister in Houston and I called my parents and let them know that it was very likely that we would be making an emergency trip to Houston to have a procedure done to address the TTTS.  Upon posting on my triplet page that we had a possible TTTS diagnosis I was almost immediately added to a TTTS support group.  Taylor and I had arguments about providers in Texas, types of procedures, and whether or not family was too involved. 

Sunday in church, sitting with my parents, I was quite teary-eyed.  The pastor had me explain our situation to the congregation so they could pray.  If the US indicated that the fluid levels had worsened we would be heading to Houston immediately.  It was the first time I put words to my greatest fear, we could lose one or all three of the babies during the procedure.

Our Christmas Eve ultrasound indicated fluid levels had stayed the same and both of their bladders were emptying and filling up, both good signs.  We had another ultrasound 4 days later which showed the same thing as the previous ultrasounds.  We could breath again.  We continued to monitor for TTTS throughout the pregnancy, but as things remained stable from week to week we knew the girls did not have TTTS.

Milestone 5:  Viability & 28w

At 24 weeks, viability, I hit a wall.  I didn’t think I had it in me physically and especially mentally to carry all three babies to at least 32 weeks, let alone one more week.  My baby shower happened around the time I hit viability and that gave me  a surge of mental strength to make it to my next major goal of 28w. 

At a prenatal visit around 25w I told my OB that just a week prior I was ready to just have him cut me open and take the babies out.  Carrying triplets is no walk in the park. 

32 weeks is the average gestation at which triplets are born.  So when I reached 28 weeks I had this whole new view of my pregnancy and a surge of energy.  I felt like there was an end in sight and that end, if I only made it to 32w, would still result in healthy, viable, and decently sized babies.  At 28 weeks is when I allowed myself to really start thinking about vaginal birth as a viable option.  I allowed myself to read birth stories and begin drafting my birth plan.  I needed to make it to 32 weeks gestationally for each baby, for both of my providers to feel comfortable with a vaginal birth.

Milestone 6: 32 weeks

  When I checked into my 32w appointment with MFM the receptionist said to me, “Hannah, I think this is going to be your last appointment.  I think those babies are going to come any day.”

Taylor and my good friend/doula/midwife came to the appointment with me.  We had our routine ultrasound and then the MFM told us we would meet across the hall so we could  ask questions and discuss things.  I thought this was odd because all of our discussions always took place in the US room.  I figured this would be our big talk about scheduling an induction, this was the one way I could ensure both providers were at the birth and increase my chances of a vaginal birth.   I had made it to 32 weeks, I could now birth these babies vaginally.  It was at this appointment that we realized baby B’s growth was slowing down, it had dropped about 15% in the last week and she did not score in a range on the BPP that made the MFM comfortable.  It was at this appointment that he reminded us that baby B likely had a smaller portion of the placenta and that they were may be concern with restricted blood flow once A’s cord was cut.  In his opinion a vaginal birth was off the table, although he reminded me that it was still ultimately my decision.  After this appointment I went up to Labor and Delivery to receive my first round of steroid shots and one of many NSTs (non stress tests).  We were possibly looking at having these babies two days later on Sunday.

My NST came back great.  My MFM made the recommendation that I come in twice a week for NSTs.  If I made it to 34 weeks I would see him again for another BPP.  I think he was pretty sure he would not see me again.  I spent the next two weeks researching monochorionic complications, births, etc.  Friends told me to take a break from the research and just be in the moment in the last few days/weeks of my pregnancy.  I couldn’t.  I needed to know that when my babies were born, whether vaginally or cesarean, I made my decision with as much knowledge as I could so that I could look back on the experience with as few “what if’s” as possible.  A realization I had early on in my pregnancy was that I wanted my girls born in as peaceful a setting as possible, whether that was vaginal or cesarean.  I also decided around 33 weeks that I did not want my babies born out of fear.  At my 33 week appointment with my OB  apologized for the way Evelyn's birth went.  He believed I was cut unnecessarily by my previous OB and thought that experience and the doubt that it put in me really was affecting me in this pregnancy.  Until I hit 34 weeks the scenario that brought me the most peace, even though it had the most variables, was a vaginal birth. 

The plan I made with my OB at 33 weeks was that we would schedule an induction on April 21.  If I went into labor before that and baby B was not yet measuring 32w gestationally I was ok with a cesarean.   We also decided that at my 34w appointment with MFM that my OB would also attend so we could have a meeting of the minds and make informed decisions from there.

Milestone 7:  34 weeks

When I showed up to MFM for my 34w appointment everyone was surprised. 

My blood pressure, which had been slowly rising throughout my pregnancy but still never got higher than 130/74, was elevated.  The nurse asked if I was ok, if I had any headaches, was seeing spots, etc.  I figured it was white coat induced high blood pressure.  I was not worried.  I went on to have my US, all the babies had gained weight, including baby B.  The tech asked if I had a headache or was seeing spots.  When she finished the MFM came in shortly after and asked if I was feeling ok, checked my complexion, etc.  He didn’t say much during the appointment but told us that we would go into a consult room and chat.  My BP was high and so he ordered a HELPP panel, I went for another NST and his recommendation initially was have the babies as soon as possible via cesarean.  My OB was supposed to join us at the appointment that morning, but after 24 hours of being on-call with a lot of births he didn’t go to work that day but instead went home to rest.  He agreed to come to the hospital later in the afternoon and meet up with Taylor, myself, and MFM to discuss our next course of action.  In the meantime Taylor went home to relieve the baby sitter, I set up childcare for the next 24 hours, I called my mom, and he called his folks as they were all planning to come within the week anyway. 

We all gathered around 3:30 PM and my results from the HELLP panel had already come back.  My platelets and blood count were low, there was trace protein in my urine, and my BP was still elevated but not dangerously so.  My platelets and blood count were dangerously low but they would not rise within the next week (35w).  With having a distended uterus there was concern that it may not contract back, that there may be a lot of blood loss and trouble with my blood clotting.  They both felt that I wouldn’t necessarily gain all that much in terms of the babies health by staying pregnant one more week.  I already knew from my consult with the head of neonatology that my girls would likely just be feeders and growers at this point anyway.  So with Taylor supporting me with whatever decision, I made the choice to schedule a cesarean the next morning.  Nothing in my pregnancy yet indicated the babies had to come NOW.  And as I mentioned, I wanted my babies born as peacefully as possible.  Making the decision to have them the next day, at 34w3, would allow me to birth them in a non-emergent situation.  We asked to go home and neither of the doctors had an concern with that.  We were to report back by 4AM for my scheduled 7AM cesarean.

The Birth

I got home Monday evening around 5PM.  I wanted to spend time with the girls one last time before the triplets arrived.  I also had a laundry list of things I still wanted to get done: Abby’s afghan needed to get finished, I wanted to send off Sunday school curriculum, finish packing my bags, and start pumping milk.  I spent all pregnancy looking at my breast pump sitting in the corner of my living room.  The one night I needed it it was no where to be found.  I tried hand expressing for about 20 minutes and produced about 2ml of milk.  I decided to just let that go.  I also decided that I would just finish the afghan another time.  I sat on the floor in the girls room as Taylor made them a fort and read them a story.  (Note to self: don’t build forts at night.)  It took forever for them to fall asleep.  Around 9PM or so Taylor told me I should head to bed soon, as it would be an early morning.  I putzed around on the computer and watched TV for another hour or so.

 At 10PM I joined Taylor in bed, still with a cough I had been dealing with for over 3 or 4 weeks.  It always got worse whenever I laid my head down.  It was no different that night.  I had 3 hard coughs and then felt a gush at which point I said, “Ohhhhhh shit.”  Taylor had a feeling what that meant and I confirmed it when I told him I was pretty sure my water just broke.  We turned on the lights, saw that the fluid was clear, and began making our way to the hospital.  Immediately I got butterflies in my stomach.  I knew with such small babies and how quickly each of my previous labors shortened in length that these girls could come quickly.  I was pretty frightened that they would come before we got to the hospital and then I had an unrealistic fear that Baby A’s cord would prolapse, even though she was not in position for this to happen.  Before I even got out of bed I called my OB on his cell phone. He didn’t answer!  I left a text: “My water just broke, we are going to the hospital.”  Next I called my doula and she told me she would meet us there.  Taylor brought me a pair of depends before I got out of bed.  We both prayed the whole way to the hospital.  I called my OB again in the car and there was still no response.  A few minutes later I received a text from him, he was on his way and they were expecting me at the hospital.

Taylor dropped me off at the Assessment center.  With a trembling voice I told the security guard, “I am pregnant with triplets and my water just broke.”  To which he replied, “ok, I’m going to need you to fill out this paper.”  I could not believe it, I filled it out and then said again in a more stern voice, because maybe he didn’t understand, “I have three babies in my belly and my water broke.”  He replied, “have a seat and we will get someone with you in a minute.”  I walked over to the little waiting area outside the triage room for a nurse and saw no one.  At this point Taylor showed up and I explained what just happened, the look on his face when he realized no one had yet attended to my care was priceless.  He let himself back into assessment and hunted down a nurse.  Not long after a nurse brought me into triage and seemed a bit casual as she was taking my information.  She seemed surprised when I said I just spoke with my OB he said you guys were expecting me.  They did not act as though they were expecting me. She was getting ready to put me in an assessment room, a room that was not equipped to monitor triplets.  I thought this was bizarre.  Another nurse came in the room and said that they were expecting me upstairs in Labor and Delivery.  At this point they allowed Taylor to join me and we were wheeled upstairs.

20 minutes had passed since my water broke and contractions had started and were strong.  I took my very last belly picture.  A few minutes later my doula showed up.  It didn’t take long for her to realize I was in active labor.  The nurses were running around rather frantically.  Apparently there were three other babies in addition to mine that would be admitted to the NICU that night and so the births needed to be spaced out so make sure there was enough NICU staff.  And my understanding was I was not first in line for an OR.  About 25 minutes after my water broke my contractions were 90 seconds long and 2 minutes apart.  I was laboring on the side of the bed and wanted both Taylor and my doula present, but I didn’t want to be touched.  I heard the nurse say they would give my doctor a 30 minute heads up before he needed to leave his house for the hospital.  30 minute heads up!?  All I could think was, “oh my God there is not going to be a doctor present when I push this first baby out.  I had already made up my mind that I would get an epidural and have a cesarean.  I was mentally prepared for that type of birth.  I was most definitely not prepared any longer for a vaginal birth of triplets, especially without my OB.  I told my doula I was so scared.  She reassured me that everything was ok and there was no need to birth these babies in fear.  About 28 minutes after ROM I agreed to get into bed to monitor the babies and my contractions.  Surprisingly the contractions were not as bad as I thought sitting reclined in the bed.  Once I got into bed I started feeling pressure.  The nurses asked me if I wanted to be checked, they knew my birth plan said no cervical checks.  I told them I wanted it.  I was 6cm.  I was feeling pressure.  With every contraction I clenched my cervix, the opposite of what you should do when birthing a baby.  It was at this point that my doula called my OB and said I was about to have the first baby, he was already on his way, speeding in the rain.  All the while the nurses were watching the machines, running in and out of the room, but not watching me and my pattern of labor.  The nurse, realizing my doula was on the phone with my OB, asked to speak with him and let him know everything was ready on their end.  A few minutes later I was wheeled into the OR and my OB was anxiously awaiting my arrival.  In the end, both he and I were waiting for the nurses to take me back to the OR.

 All the while I was still terrified of giving birth and then I had an epiphany sitting on the OR table that I had given birth to two babies vaginally and we all survived and it was then that I realized if Baby A decided to born right then she and I would live and I all of a sudden felt a wave of peace come over me and I finally let my cervix relax.   My fear was gone but I was still not in a place mentally where I could birth all three babies vaginally.  A minute or two later I got my epidural.  That shit hurt and it was the one time during the labor that I cried. 

My doctor knew Baby A could come at anytime and the epidural was taking a while to set in so they tilted the table back and my feet were in the air.  My OB said, “Hannah, I’m not sure you ever imagined you would be in this position pregnant with triplets.”  We both laughed.  A few seconds like that and we were all prepped for surgery and I was so relieved.

It took him the longest to get Baby A out and I remember him saying “she is really down there.”  And then a few seconds later I heard her crying (11:53PM).  The room erupted in cheers, the nurse showed her to me for a split second and whisked her away. 

Next came Baby B (11:55PM), crying her little lungs out and again everyone cheered.  They showed her to me and I got close enough to give her a kiss but in an instant she too was whisked away.  Next came Baby C (11:56PM), she was silent and I knew that to mean she was having trouble breathing and so I was not surprised when she was not shown to me.  Taylor immediately went to the adjoining room to be with the babies and my doula stayed by my side.  My OB was thrilled to tell me that my placenta looked fabulous, my uterus was in great shape, and the bleeding was fortunately not an issue.  He said once he removed Baby A both the other girls shot head first for my cervix.  It was in this moment that I internally questioned my decision for the cesarean.  He stitched me up with a double layer suture.  Throughout the procedure the nurses, the other attending OB and my OB commented on how amazing it was that I carried the babies to 34w, how healthy my insides were and how healthy the babies were. 

Once I was all stitched up they took out my epidural, that was terrifying because I was completely numb and they rolled me off the table nearly perpendicular to the floor to remove it, all the while being held up by two nurses.  I was so relieved to be back on the table.  Once the epidural was out I was transferred to a different bed that allowed me to sit upright, at which point I was wheeled into the adjoining room to see the babies.  The room was filled with people.  Each baby had one or two nurses, there was a respitory specialist and a neonatologist. Each baby was in their own warmer and were being fed formula.  It all was a surprise to me, I half expected it with Betsy because I knew her glucose levels might warrant it.   Bonnie was brought to me first, this was the first time I ever cried following a birth.  Next they brought me Abby, I think.  And I was able to hold both of them at the same time.  Next I got to hold Betsy.  Bonnie and Betsy were both on room air and Abby needed a tube.  I wasn’t able to hold them long as they were concerned with their body temperature.  I also noticed that all the vernix had essentially been cleaned off of all of them, even though as I was being cut open I told one of the nurses I did not want the babies washed.  She assured me that would not happen.  In those few minutes I was with all three girls I was not in the state of mind to second guess, question, or advocate for my girls.

In hindsight now I know that for temperature control the best thing to do for a baby, even a 34w baby, born via cesarean,  is to put them skin to skin with mom or dad.  I know that glucose can be checked within the first 2 hours and that if there is indication of glucose issues that one of the best things to do is put baby to breast.  I also learned that Bonnie and Betsy had 1 and 5 minute APGAR scores of 8/9.  These two girls were healthy and stable.  They were not in the room long enough with me for the APGAR to even be administered and to allow me the chance to have them on my chest, even just for a brief moment. 

Next I was taken back to my labor and delivery room to recover for an hour or two.  I had the chills and was exhausted but managed to ask the nurse for a pump.  I was told there would be one waiting for me in Mother/Baby.  Two hours passed and I was taken up to Mother/Baby.  There was not a pump and so I asked for one.  The Mother/Baby nurse told me one would be coming.  Nearly 10 hours passed from the time the babies were born that I was given a pump.  I reacted to either one of the meds or the epidural and I was itching constantly.  It made it close to impossible to get any kind of rest.  I was given Benadryl to relieve the itching, the itching didn’t subside and come to find out Benadryl is not one of those safe to give meds if you plan to breastfeed.  I requested food and was brought a liquid diet as is standard following a section.  Everything, except for the broth, had sugar and my blood sugar dropped making me nauseous.  I was a hot mess.  All the while my nurse never acknowledged that I had babies or that they were in the NICU.  At shift change I asked for something different to help with the itching.  She gave me stadol.  She told me it might make me drowsy.  Whoa, that was strong.  Within minutes of swallowing it I was passing in and out of sleep.  I would be talking to Taylor one minute and out cold the next.  I remember falling asleep with a boiled egg in my hand on my way to my mouth.  By this time, I think it was 10 or 11 AM, Taylor had already gone to see  the babies, my epidural had been worn off for several hours and I was ready to see them.  The stadol and not yet warn off and so as he wheeled me to the NICU I was still drifting in and out of sleep.  I am pretty sure my speech was slurred as I spoke with the NICU nurses.  I had never been separated from any of my girls for longer than a minute or two.  The 10 plus hours that passed until I saw them made it extremely difficult to bond with the babies for the first 24-48 hours.  I even remember telling the NICU nurses, in my slurred speech, that the babies did not feel like they were mine yet I was feeling simultaneously guilty for taking so long to see them.  It took me even longer to feel like I had the right to hold them and even touch them.  Taylor, on the other hand, bonded with them almost immediately.  He napped for a few hours after the birth but then went to the NICU early in the morning and spent an hour or two there.  Having three babies and babies that were bottle fed really allowed him to establish a great bond with them.  Almost immediately I felt like the three of them replaced me, he was in love and wanted to spend every waking moment with them.  This warmed my heart.

Tuesday afternoon my MFM stopped in to see me.  Hhe affirmed that my decision to have the cesarean was the right one as my BP was still elevated.  Later that night the pain became unbearable and started to cry a lot.  Taylor asked what was wrong and I began weeping, “Why the hell would I decide to be cut open.  Who the hell chooses to be cut open.”  Immediately he shut down my train of thought and declared “No!  You sacrificed your body for these girls.  You gave them life for 34 weeks and carried them this long.  They are healthy.  You sacrificed yourself for our family.  I am so thankful for what you did.”  In this moment I realized that what I accomplished was nothing short of miraculous.  I felt like a warrior.  (I still cry every time I relive this moment). Wednesday during the day I was at peace with my decision and again Wednesday night doubt set it again.  Thursday, my legs were more swollen then they had ever been and my BP spiked to 189/100.  It was at this moment that my doubt began to subside.  About a week after the birth the doula who was encapsulating my placenta posted information about the placenta and their cords.  In her examination she discovered that Betsy’s cord had a velamentous insertion.  With this type of cord the chances of IUGR and growth discordance is great.  It is considered risky in just a singleton birth.  If the cord was close to the cervix there was also an increased chance of abruption and still birth.  Her cord was barely hanging on by a few blood vessels.  She believed Betsy to truly be a miracle baby.  When I read this I knew my intuition to have these babies via cesarean was right. All doubt had been removed.  And again it was hard not to marvel at my pregnancy and their birth. 

Ultimately, I wanted to be the one who made the decision for my birth and how my girls entered this world.  I was.  I am at peace with my cesarean.  I would still choose a cesarean if the same situation presented itself.  There are still aspects of the birth and especially postpartum care of the babies that bother me.  I am allowing myself to feel what I want to feel when I want, completely free of any guilt.  I gave them life and I love them fiercely.

At 8w4d I thought I was losing our baby.  The next day I discovered that God blessed and entrusted us with 3 babies.   We had moments along that way that were frightening and prayed for God’s will, even if it meant losing one or all of our babies.  We all expected I would go on bed rest, I did not.  I was at increased risk of developing gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia given that I was carrying multiples.  I had two weeks where my sugars tested moderately high and then they remained in the range of normal for the duration of the pregnancy.  Every time I showed up for a prenatal appointment both with my OB and MFM and babies and I were healthy they were amazed.  My MFM was really surprised when I showed up for an appointment still pregnant at 34w.  As we all discussed my birth plan at 34w2d they both said I was their most successful triplet pregnancy and congratulated me on such a healthy pregnancy.  My triplet pregnancy was essentially complication free.  In the end I birthed 3 healthy girls, two of which were on room air immediately, the other followed 24 hours later.  The NICU nurses and doctors were amazed as well.  God knew all along what lay before me and He was faithful to the very last detail.  My faith and walk with God deepened in a way I cannot put to words.  Every time I doubted He proved Himself over and over and in an ever so gently way.