Parents Melanie and Martin Thornton were stunned when a 12-week hospital scan revealed three little girls. Melanie defied odds of 2,000,000-1 to naturally conceive three identical girl triplets. Miraculously, Melanie naturally conceived identical triplets. Melanie Thornton, 33 and husband Martin, 27 from Paignton, Devon. The couple started trying for a baby early this year and found out on Valentine’s Day that Melanie was expecting.
Melanie said: “I really disliked being pregnant the first time so I thought that was that. I was complete with daughter Tia, 13 but a couple of years ago my husband said he wanted to have another baby. He managed to talk me into it and I had my implant removed and we were pregnant after about four months.” Mother’s instinct told Melanie she might be carrying more than one baby, but a private scan at five weeks reassured her, after it appeared to show a single embryo. When they went for the 12 week scan at Torbay hospital, medics – who thought the couple must have had it – told the shocked pair they were expecting three.
Melanie said: “I kept having a recurring dream where the sonographer said to me ‘Have you had ? Have you got a history of twins in your family?’ So when we went for the 12 week scan and he said we were having triplets I thought it was a joke. Before the scan I had been saying something felt really different this time round. I said a few times ‘I’m sure there’s more than one’ but I never said anything about triplets. I just burst out laughing and asked ‘where are the cameras?’ I thought it must have been a joke, a set up.” Doctors warned the family of the dangers of multiple births and for the whole pregnancy they said the smallest baby – named Hope – was unlikely to survive.
Melanie recalled:” It was stressful. We’d have to go for scans every two weeks, and they would constantly warn us of the death and mortality rates for triplets. They said Hope wasn’t going to make it to birth. Every day onwards from then I was almost waiting for her to die. I was depressed for about a week and then I realized that while I was doing that she was just kicking harder and harder. I could tell where each one was. I thought, you know what, if she’s not going to give up, then I wasn’t either. The adorable trio were born at 32 weeks and four days on August 25, via C-section at Torbay hospital.”
Boe was first to arrive weighing 3lbs 3oz, Mika was born a minute later scaling 3lbs 1oz and little Hope came last at just 2lbs 13oz. Melanie said: “I’d looked up pictures of premature babies before so I expected them to look a bit weird, but they weren’t – they were perfectly formed tiny little babies. It was amazing. My babies took up the whole room. It was so reassuring to see how perfect they were and they didn’t need any help or anything with breathing – just a little tube for food. They are such content and happy little babies. They love to cuddle. They put their arms around each other and love to hold hands. Their favorite way to be is with Mika in the middle, and she holds both their hands. I didn’t know who to go to first, who to touch or who to talk to first.
Now we’ve got them home, everyone keeps offering to come round to help me because I have three, but they are great – they all slept through the night last night. If I split them up though they do start to cry – the closer together they are the better. My living room does look like Mother care and the washing machine is constantly on. When I’m feeding and burping them it is a lot of balancing, juggling and holding bottles, but of course it is worth it. I can’t really remember life when my family was half the size.” Melanie has even arranged special rubbish collections to deal with more than 250 dirty nappies a week, as well as ordering a special bumper pram for three. But the proud mum insists the mountains of dirty baby grows and endless feeds are all worth it for the adorable trio, who are happiest snuggled up together holding hands.
