When Allana Allard, 29, and her husband Tim, 31, learned they were expecting their first child back in October 2019, they were over the moon. The expecting mother from Davistown, New South Wales, Australia, said she and Tim had only been trying to conceive for two weeks when they discovered a positive pregnancy test result at home.
When Allana was six weeks along, the couple was overjoyed to attend their first ultrasound together. However, when they learned that there were three tiny heartbeats coming through, they were rendered speechless. Allana and Tim stated they couldn’t believe their family was set to grow by three in size from their very first pregnancy because neither side of their families had a history of multiple births. While under c.oron.av.irus lockdown, a first-time mother who overcame the odds of 1 in 200 million gave birth to identical triplets.
The couple wouldn’t have it any other way after giving birth to their identical triplet boys, Jaxon, Zac, and Zavier, in May 2020, right in the midst of the pandemic. We decided to start trying for a baby in October of last year, and within just two weeks we were pregnant, according to Allana, who was born in Falkirk, Scotland but relocated to Australia at the age of 13. We were quite happy. As it was our first scan, we didn’t have high expectations because it was so early. At first, when we heard two heartbeats, we were informed that they were twins.But after performing an internal ultrasound, we learned we were expecting triplets. Tim became white as a ghost and said a few harsh words. I felt shocked. “On either side of our families, there is absolutely no history of multiple births, so it was just completely random.” We were just so thrilled as the shock subsided.
Like all new parents, we were naturally a little afraid, but we were also incredibly happy. The likelihood of a woman giving birth to naturally identical triplets could be as low as 1 in 200 million, according to some research, although the actual number is unknown. And if having triplets wasn’t stressful enough, the COVID-19 epidemic struck five months into Allana’s pregnancy, upending everything. The expectant mother was no longer permitted to bring her husband along to any significant appointments because there were tight lockdown procedures in place to prevent the transmission of the disease. Additionally, during the three weeks before to the birth of her sons, the parents were prohibited from allowing any family members to visit the triplets in the hospital before returning home.
Allana continued by saying that because of the COVID-19 travel restrictions, her adored 82-year-old grandmother, who in previous years would frequently travel from Scotland to Australia, had to cancel her trip to see her great-grandsons. It was such a difficult period with COVID, the administrative assistant stated. Tim had to spend hours sitting in the car because he was not permitted to participate in any of the scans. Before we brought the triplets home, none of our relatives could meet them. “It’s sad for my great-grandmother, she comes over twice a year usually to see us, but now we are unsure when she will be able to meet her great-grandchildren,” the great-grandmother said. It significantly altered the course of our first pregnancy.
As Jaxon and Zac grew in one sac while Zavier grew in another, the parents initially believed that only two of their boys were identical and the third was fraternal. The parents were astonished to learn through DNA testing that their three children were genetically similar six weeks after they were born. We never imagined they would be similar because two of them shared a sac and placenta while the other had his own, according to mine worker Tim. But once they were born, it became clear that they shared the same appearance.People advised us to get a DNA test just to be sure. After doing a quick cheek swab test, the results showed that the triplets were indeed identical. “ Having that confirmation was fantastic. At 33 weeks, the boys underwent C-sections and were delivered weighing 1.9kg, 2kg, and 2.3kg.
Since the triplets are now over six months old, the couple has established a routine and is more content than ever with their growing family of five. It still blows my mind to believe that three babies came out of my belly, Allana remarked. I had a healthy pregnancy with no serious issues or morning sickness. We needed a couple months to organize everything. Three of everything was required. The cost of everything triples. Our pram had to be sent from abroad; fortunately, COVID caused a delay and it arrived just in time. “The diapers never cease, and we go through at least three tins of formula a week.”We are always being stopped wherever we go in the town. You can’t miss our pram because it is so huge. Triplets were such a surprise, but they were also such a blessing. Nothing else would do for us.