WEBVTT - The Mum Whose Spontaneous Triplets Arrived All at Once 0:00:21.732 --> 0:00:24.493 You're listening to a MoMA Mia podcast. 0:00:25.212 --> 0:00:28.413 Mamma Mia acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters 0:00:28.453 --> 0:00:31.452 that this podcast is recorded on. We pay our respects 0:00:31.533 --> 0:00:35.092 to elders past, present and emerging, and feel privileged to 0:00:35.132 --> 0:00:38.253 continue the sharing of birth stories and knowledge that has 0:00:38.293 --> 0:00:40.892 been a fundamental part of Indigenous culture. 0:00:44.893 --> 0:00:45.053 Hi. 0:00:45.212 --> 0:00:48.613 I'm Cassenya Lukij and this is diary of a birth. 0:00:49.412 --> 0:00:53.092 Growing a baby is truly a remarkable thing, from the 0:00:53.253 --> 0:00:57.093 tiny poppy seed to a fully grown baby in just 0:00:57.373 --> 0:01:00.333 nine months. If you've had a pregnancy, you know that 0:01:00.373 --> 0:01:03.813 the reality is that it's often not an easy task. 0:01:04.372 --> 0:01:08.173 But the thought of housing multiples has always been absolutely 0:01:08.253 --> 0:01:12.652 astounding to me. Wanting to grow her family, today's mum 0:01:12.733 --> 0:01:16.093 went for her dating scan with baby number two, expecting 0:01:16.212 --> 0:01:19.413 nothing out of the ordinary. But then the old sound 0:01:19.493 --> 0:01:24.292 tech started count one, two, three. 0:01:24.773 --> 0:01:30.732 She was having triplets, and then she took second to 0:01:30.773 --> 0:01:32.973 be like, and there's a third one over here. And 0:01:33.013 --> 0:01:35.413 at that point I was like, my eyes were just 0:01:35.453 --> 0:01:38.613 so shocked, and I was like, please stop counting. 0:01:39.053 --> 0:01:42.332 With a toddler in tow a demanding career and a 0:01:42.453 --> 0:01:47.773 two bedroom apartment, things were about to change. Traumatically, leading 0:01:47.813 --> 0:01:51.373 her to not only deliver three healthy babies, but also 0:01:51.493 --> 0:01:55.933 becoming an advocate for parents of multiples. So let's meet 0:01:55.972 --> 0:01:56.693 today's mum. 0:01:57.213 --> 0:01:59.933 Hi, this is Celia and this is the diary of 0:01:59.972 --> 0:02:01.813 my birth with triplets. 0:02:07.213 --> 0:02:11.053 So, Celia, you have a pretty incredible story. You know 0:02:11.133 --> 0:02:12.973 the work that you do now, which we'll talk about 0:02:12.972 --> 0:02:16.493 a little bit later. But you and your husband Jordan, 0:02:16.972 --> 0:02:20.813 had an eighteen month old bub Mad's and decided that 0:02:20.853 --> 0:02:23.893 you wanted to grow your family. So what did that 0:02:24.013 --> 0:02:26.173 kind of look like? What year are we talking? 0:02:26.573 --> 0:02:29.853 Oh, this is post COVID or still in the COVID times, 0:02:30.013 --> 0:02:34.373 about twenty twenty one, and we were looking to have 0:02:34.453 --> 0:02:39.093 another child. We really loved matt'son, really enjoyed the experience, 0:02:39.132 --> 0:02:42.172 and we just tried too hard. I think we were 0:02:42.453 --> 0:02:45.093 really looking forward to growing our family. 0:02:45.333 --> 0:02:47.252 And did you forull pregnant fairly easily? 0:02:47.813 --> 0:02:52.412 I did for pregnant surprisingly quickly. I think I had 0:02:52.532 --> 0:02:57.213 just taken out the IUD birth control and we're going 0:02:57.252 --> 0:03:00.773 to start straight away. And I pretty much got pregnant 0:03:01.053 --> 0:03:05.253 literally the next cycle. So it was really quick and 0:03:05.333 --> 0:03:07.613 sudden and exciting. 0:03:08.132 --> 0:03:11.213 Yeah, but also such a shock even when you want 0:03:11.252 --> 0:03:13.733 to if you're like, Okay, I've got some time. Maybe 0:03:13.733 --> 0:03:16.213 we've got like six months, maybe it's three months, and 0:03:16.252 --> 0:03:19.333 then it happens straight away. There is that element of. 0:03:19.653 --> 0:03:23.732 Shock finitely, especially because with Mad's my first child. We 0:03:23.733 --> 0:03:27.093 weren't really trying. It just happened, So I had no idea, 0:03:27.093 --> 0:03:29.053 you had no metric of how long I'd have to 0:03:29.093 --> 0:03:32.452 wait to have a second child or how long it 0:03:32.493 --> 0:03:35.813 might take. So we were were really not thinking about 0:03:35.853 --> 0:03:38.613 it too much and then it just happened so quickly. Yeah, 0:03:38.613 --> 0:03:39.653 and it was really exciting. 0:03:39.733 --> 0:03:41.413 If you don't mind me asking, how old were you 0:03:41.653 --> 0:03:44.172 when you fell pregnant with the triplets. 0:03:44.333 --> 0:03:46.853 With the triplets, it's twenty six. 0:03:47.013 --> 0:03:50.133 Twenty six, okay, so fairly young. You go to your 0:03:50.213 --> 0:03:53.573 dating scan, and can you tell me about the experience 0:03:53.653 --> 0:03:55.893 of walking in the dating scan with Jordan. 0:03:56.413 --> 0:03:59.613 It was still COVID time, so there was a chance 0:03:59.733 --> 0:04:01.853 Jordan wouldn't even be able to come to that scan 0:04:02.013 --> 0:04:05.013 for some reason, and we found a place where he 0:04:05.053 --> 0:04:09.213 could come and he did, And I was feeling so 0:04:09.293 --> 0:04:11.733 confident walking into that dating scan because I was like, 0:04:12.133 --> 0:04:14.213 you know, when you have a second kid and you're like, okay, 0:04:14.533 --> 0:04:18.293 more confident parent. This time around, I felt like really 0:04:18.613 --> 0:04:21.453 excited to do some things that I hadn't done with 0:04:21.493 --> 0:04:24.053 my first child that I felt like, I'm going to 0:04:24.133 --> 0:04:28.213 do it differently this time. And that just fully went 0:04:28.253 --> 0:04:30.453 out the window when I was in this dating scan, 0:04:30.533 --> 0:04:34.493 so lying down adult sound, and the woman who was 0:04:34.533 --> 0:04:37.773 doing the scan just looked at us and you know 0:04:37.813 --> 0:04:39.773 when it's really quiet and you're like, oh my gosh, 0:04:39.813 --> 0:04:43.693 what's wrong. Yeah, taking a long time, and she was 0:04:43.773 --> 0:04:46.693 just like, how did you get pregnant? How did you conceive? 0:04:47.413 --> 0:04:50.853 And I was like, what do you mean? I thought 0:04:50.893 --> 0:04:52.973 it was a really odd question. Was those small talk 0:04:53.733 --> 0:04:57.093 the usual way or you know? She was like, okay, 0:04:57.093 --> 0:04:58.693 because I'll just tell you what I can see here 0:04:58.813 --> 0:05:00.853 and I was like, okay, yeah, what can you see? 0:05:01.573 --> 0:05:03.093 And she was like, I've got one here, I've got 0:05:03.093 --> 0:05:06.173 a heartbeat, and I was like great. She's like, and 0:05:06.213 --> 0:05:08.493 I can see a second one over here, and at 0:05:08.493 --> 0:05:10.813 that point we were like, oh my gosh, twins, Like 0:05:11.173 --> 0:05:15.173 that's exciting. And then she took a second to be 0:05:15.253 --> 0:05:17.493 like and there's a third one over here, and at 0:05:17.493 --> 0:05:20.333 that point I was like my eyes were just so 0:05:20.413 --> 0:05:24.133 shock and I was like, please stop counting, like is 0:05:24.133 --> 0:05:28.173 that like? Because the way she said it was like 0:05:28.893 --> 0:05:31.573 so much drama. And she was like, I'll just check 0:05:31.613 --> 0:05:33.413 there's no more and I was like, yeah. 0:05:33.333 --> 0:05:36.653 You will check, Please, will Chase do what else. 0:05:36.533 --> 0:05:40.373 Is in there? Jordan was laughing, He was just smiling 0:05:40.413 --> 0:05:43.573 at me. He just thought this is incredible. It's a miracle. 0:05:43.653 --> 0:05:46.813 And I was just like I couldn't process. I was 0:05:46.853 --> 0:05:50.013 just like going to shock. Basically, you're just thinking like 0:05:50.093 --> 0:05:53.653 what is going on. We actually got her to print 0:05:53.693 --> 0:05:56.133 out the ultrasound pictures because I was like I need them. 0:05:56.213 --> 0:05:58.733 I need to be able to see that this is real. 0:05:59.653 --> 0:06:03.213 And we walked out of that and the thoughts that 0:06:03.293 --> 0:06:05.573 go through your head after you find out that information. 0:06:05.733 --> 0:06:08.853 I was just like going through so many logistical thoughts 0:06:09.293 --> 0:06:11.653 like do we need a big car? Do we need 0:06:11.693 --> 0:06:13.493 to move house because we live in a two bedroom 0:06:13.493 --> 0:06:17.452 house in Sydney renting, and like what kind of pram 0:06:17.493 --> 0:06:20.613 do you have with triplets? And just immediately down this 0:06:20.813 --> 0:06:24.293 like rabbit hole of thoughts and me and Jordan get 0:06:24.293 --> 0:06:26.813 back to our house. I just remember I was like, 0:06:26.893 --> 0:06:28.453 can you just get a piece of paper? We need 0:06:28.453 --> 0:06:30.853 to like work out all the things that we need 0:06:30.893 --> 0:06:31.853 like very practical. 0:06:32.013 --> 0:06:33.493 Geahn, are you quite type A? 0:06:33.813 --> 0:06:37.133 I guess organized about this? I was like, if I 0:06:37.173 --> 0:06:40.693 can work out how this could work, like okay, make 0:06:40.773 --> 0:06:42.773 some decisions like we're going to move house or do 0:06:42.813 --> 0:06:44.773 we need a car, and just work those things out, 0:06:44.813 --> 0:06:46.533 like what kind of prem would I want? Would we 0:06:46.613 --> 0:06:48.973 need to get? Then I felt like, okay, we can 0:06:49.013 --> 0:06:49.293 do it. 0:06:49.613 --> 0:06:49.773 Yeah. 0:06:49.893 --> 0:06:54.733 After we had that conversation and I went down like 0:06:54.853 --> 0:06:58.213 rabbit holes of like other mums on Instagram who had 0:06:58.213 --> 0:07:00.973 triplets and how to look at what prems they used 0:07:01.053 --> 0:07:03.533 or what their experience was. And that was like my 0:07:04.173 --> 0:07:07.293 day one level of knowledge of like how I'm going 0:07:07.373 --> 0:07:08.212 to do this? Yeah. 0:07:08.293 --> 0:07:12.413 So, I mean, spontaneous triplets is not very common. As 0:07:12.453 --> 0:07:15.453 we know. It's an egg that comes down, and if 0:07:15.493 --> 0:07:18.733 you're dropping multiple eggs, you get twins. If the egg splits, 0:07:18.773 --> 0:07:23.413 you get an identical twin. But to have three eggs drop, yeah, 0:07:23.413 --> 0:07:29.733 three eggs fertilized spontaneously is not particularly common. No, So 0:07:30.093 --> 0:07:31.973 what was your family's response. 0:07:32.213 --> 0:07:36.453 Neither side of our family has any multiples, so it 0:07:36.613 --> 0:07:40.253 wasn't on our radar at all. Really did not cross 0:07:40.293 --> 0:07:42.493 my mind that this could be a possibility for me. 0:07:42.933 --> 0:07:47.493 This could happen to me, and my family were just 0:07:47.613 --> 0:07:51.133 equally as shocked and just like show me the photos 0:07:51.173 --> 0:07:53.773 because I don't believe you, and then yeah, they were 0:07:53.813 --> 0:07:58.093 just trying to match our energy. We were really excited. Obviously, 0:07:58.213 --> 0:08:01.213 you can have mixed feelings, so normal to have mixed 0:08:01.213 --> 0:08:04.773 feelings about finding out that you're having multiples. I'd made 0:08:04.773 --> 0:08:07.013 the decision quite early on. I don't even think it 0:08:07.053 --> 0:08:09.973 was really a decision that I would be going ahead 0:08:10.013 --> 0:08:11.573 with this, and I'm a triplet mum. 0:08:11.973 --> 0:08:14.933 Yeah, I don't think it would be abnormal though for 0:08:15.093 --> 0:08:18.133 someone to think is this something that I can handle? 0:08:18.973 --> 0:08:20.493 And I think that that would be a really no 0:08:20.853 --> 0:08:26.533 more thought to have. But yeah, look, obviously a complete shock, overwhelmed, 0:08:26.773 --> 0:08:29.253 but you took it anyway. You know what, these are 0:08:29.253 --> 0:08:31.213 the cards that we have been dealt, and we're going 0:08:31.293 --> 0:08:32.173 to manage theirs. 0:08:32.413 --> 0:08:32.493 Ye. 0:08:33.053 --> 0:08:37.253 So obviously being a multiple pregnancy, a triple pregnancy, you 0:08:37.293 --> 0:08:41.013 were considered high risk. What was your prenatal care? 0:08:41.253 --> 0:08:44.372 Like I had a really good GPS that i'd been 0:08:44.413 --> 0:08:48.253 seeing since like i'd had MADS, so I was really 0:08:48.293 --> 0:08:50.893 fortunate and I went to see her immediately and I 0:08:50.973 --> 0:08:54.333 was like, have you seen this scan, and she was 0:08:54.413 --> 0:08:58.093 like in a really thoughtful way, she was like, not 0:08:58.173 --> 0:09:01.293 everyone can handle this sort of what you're saying, and 0:09:01.333 --> 0:09:04.493 there are options if you can't. And I just felt 0:09:04.493 --> 0:09:06.732 like that was a really beautiful way of putting it. 0:09:07.253 --> 0:09:09.573 But at that point, I was nine weeks, you know, 0:09:09.653 --> 0:09:12.173 from the beginning of finding out it already accepted like 0:09:12.573 --> 0:09:16.653 diet am going through with this and obviously selective I 0:09:16.653 --> 0:09:22.013 don't know what it's called, but you could reduce your pregnancy. Yeah, 0:09:22.053 --> 0:09:27.013 and it's really touchy subject with parents of multiples. Yeah, 0:09:27.053 --> 0:09:29.813 And obviously different doctors can bring it up in a 0:09:29.893 --> 0:09:32.853 really different way, and I really appreciate the way my 0:09:32.933 --> 0:09:36.533 GP brought it up at that point. She was like, great, 0:09:36.773 --> 0:09:39.253 you're gonna go ahead with it, and like, this is 0:09:39.373 --> 0:09:41.373 what we're going to do. You're going to get linked 0:09:41.413 --> 0:09:44.453 up with the hospital as a high risk pregnancy. So 0:09:44.493 --> 0:09:49.653 I was referred to the RPA and started seeing different doctors. 0:09:49.773 --> 0:09:52.573 Basically every time I went to the clinic, I'd get 0:09:52.613 --> 0:09:57.732 a new doctor and just have really long scans that 0:09:57.773 --> 0:10:01.693 would take forever because they have to assess each baby, 0:10:01.973 --> 0:10:04.852 and the part that took the longest was working out 0:10:04.853 --> 0:10:08.453 which one was which yeah, making sure that they're scanning 0:10:08.493 --> 0:10:09.613 the right one every time. 0:10:09.893 --> 0:10:11.613 So was it three fraternal? 0:10:11.933 --> 0:10:17.173 Yes, so it's called TCTA. So try choreonic, try amniotic. 0:10:17.493 --> 0:10:20.333 They're each in their own sack, they each had their 0:10:20.333 --> 0:10:25.493 own center. They couldn't guarantee that they were for eternal 0:10:25.573 --> 0:10:28.613 from the start, but once they were born, it was 0:10:28.693 --> 0:10:30.813 obvious to me that they were fraternal, at least the 0:10:30.893 --> 0:10:31.413 two boys. 0:10:31.813 --> 0:10:34.772 You must have been starving, Oh, I was so hungry. 0:10:35.853 --> 0:10:37.893 I know that sounds like a crazy question, but I mean, 0:10:38.013 --> 0:10:42.773 growing three babies, that's a huge undertaking. How did you 0:10:42.813 --> 0:10:46.453 feel within your body as you were growing these babies? 0:10:46.573 --> 0:10:49.333 Were you scared for if your body could handle it? 0:10:49.733 --> 0:10:53.173 Absolutely? I think I kept kind of reverting back to 0:10:53.213 --> 0:10:57.653 this match, like my body created these humans and it 0:10:57.733 --> 0:11:01.293 can handle them. But I was really scared. I had 0:11:01.333 --> 0:11:04.493 no idea. I think I just wasn't prepared. No one's 0:11:04.573 --> 0:11:08.373 really prepared to have multiples. And there's so many risks 0:11:08.373 --> 0:11:10.773 that the doctor wants to tell you straight up, like 0:11:10.973 --> 0:11:16.493 you could experience like much higher risk of premature labor 0:11:16.573 --> 0:11:22.013 or birth, and different multiple specific risk to babies like 0:11:22.133 --> 0:11:25.852 restricted growth, and if they share a placenter, there's other 0:11:25.933 --> 0:11:28.573 risks though. They were like, well, because they've each got 0:11:28.613 --> 0:11:31.893 their own, you're having three pregnancies at once, like was 0:11:31.933 --> 0:11:34.413 the way they described it. Because other twins could have 0:11:34.613 --> 0:11:37.013 a shared placenta or a shared sack, and they have 0:11:37.333 --> 0:11:40.893 more risks. So he was like, in a good way, 0:11:40.893 --> 0:11:44.013 You've got like the least risky version of a triplet pregnancy, 0:11:44.213 --> 0:11:47.013 was what the doctor told me. I was like, okay, 0:11:47.093 --> 0:11:48.413 we'll take the winds or I can get it. 0:11:48.653 --> 0:11:49.133 Yeah. 0:11:49.293 --> 0:11:51.373 Yeah, I was feeling a lot of things. I had 0:11:51.413 --> 0:11:54.333 a toddler. I was thinking about him. I was thinking 0:11:54.373 --> 0:11:56.373 what that would mean for him. I'm going to be, 0:11:57.333 --> 0:12:00.013 you know, really care about my career a lawyer, you know, 0:12:00.133 --> 0:12:03.773 young lawyer at the time, and I thought, okay, does 0:12:03.853 --> 0:12:06.373 that mean that's over or how much more time am 0:12:06.413 --> 0:12:09.693 I gonna have to take off? Just the pressure of 0:12:09.773 --> 0:12:13.333 like the COVID times as well, and then just thinking 0:12:13.373 --> 0:12:17.093 about the cost, just trying to find other people who've 0:12:17.133 --> 0:12:21.533 experienced a triplet pregnancy and have triplets. I didn't know 0:12:21.573 --> 0:12:24.573 anyone at the time, any one person that I reached 0:12:24.613 --> 0:12:27.893 out to. Just trying to work out so many things 0:12:27.933 --> 0:12:28.333 at once. 0:12:28.733 --> 0:12:31.253 Yeah, and I mean Mad's was only eighteen months old, 0:12:31.413 --> 0:12:35.293 so you know, even with a single pregnancy, running after 0:12:35.333 --> 0:12:39.093 a toddler while you're pregnant is exhausting, and being a 0:12:39.133 --> 0:12:43.013 lawyer is a very high demand job. Did you speak 0:12:43.053 --> 0:12:46.053 to your firm about what that would mean? Did you 0:12:46.093 --> 0:12:47.893 talk to them about finishing early? 0:12:48.213 --> 0:12:48.333 Like? 0:12:48.573 --> 0:12:50.612 How supportive were they with you? 0:12:51.173 --> 0:12:51.493 Oh? 0:12:51.533 --> 0:12:55.293 Really supportive. I was really grateful. One of my managers 0:12:55.893 --> 0:12:59.413 she had twins. They were like grown up, and so 0:12:59.493 --> 0:13:05.453 she was like, welcome to the club, this exclusive club multiples. Yeah. 0:13:05.653 --> 0:13:09.213 So it was such a warm reception to the news. 0:13:09.773 --> 0:13:12.053 And I remember doing it on a team meeting because 0:13:12.093 --> 0:13:13.933 we were all working from home at the time, I think, 0:13:14.613 --> 0:13:17.853 and just been like I've got an announcement like pregnant, 0:13:18.173 --> 0:13:22.093 and team was like, yeah, yeah, that's exciting and not 0:13:22.373 --> 0:13:24.733 like a huge surprise because I had an eighteen month old, 0:13:24.893 --> 0:13:27.933 you know. But then I put a photo of the ultrasound, 0:13:28.133 --> 0:13:30.973 like shared screen with the ultrasound image and everyone was like, 0:13:31.213 --> 0:13:31.853 what do you mean. 0:13:32.373 --> 0:13:36.053 It's definitely not something that you hear every day coming up. 0:13:36.653 --> 0:13:38.893 So I just have this moment that was like so 0:13:39.133 --> 0:13:41.733 special where they put all three babies on my chest 0:13:42.293 --> 0:13:45.573 and Jordan's taking this video of me, and I just 0:13:45.613 --> 0:13:48.413 couldn't believe it. I was like, did this really happen? 0:13:54.653 --> 0:13:57.333 So let's talk about towards the end of the pregnancy. 0:13:58.053 --> 0:14:04.573 How are you feeling tired, exhausted and still trying to 0:14:04.613 --> 0:14:08.933 look after Mads and do things. And I was just 0:14:08.933 --> 0:14:10.453 saying the other day, like, I don't know if this 0:14:10.573 --> 0:14:12.973 is part of that thing where after you give birth 0:14:13.053 --> 0:14:16.093 there's a hormone that just tries to wipe your memory 0:14:16.213 --> 0:14:20.333 of being pregnant, because I can't actually put myself back 0:14:20.373 --> 0:14:22.733 in that body, but I do remember how I was 0:14:22.813 --> 0:14:25.573 so tired, I was falling asleep during the day, how 0:14:25.613 --> 0:14:29.413 heavy I was, Like I was basically full term by 0:14:29.853 --> 0:14:32.413 twenty weeks pregnant, and people would be like, oh, I 0:14:32.533 --> 0:14:35.413 must be ready to go any date. I've got weeks 0:14:35.493 --> 0:14:39.373 to go, got weeks to go, and I'm getting so big, 0:14:39.533 --> 0:14:45.653 so heavy, and dealing with appointments and trying to look 0:14:45.693 --> 0:14:50.333 after a toddler and work and also buy a car 0:14:50.413 --> 0:14:53.453 and like get all these different things. And I joined 0:14:53.493 --> 0:14:58.133 my local multiple berth club, which was amazing because got 0:14:58.173 --> 0:15:01.453 so much support from them, emotional and support connection and 0:15:01.533 --> 0:15:05.293 also just a place where I could ask the random 0:15:05.373 --> 0:15:09.093 niche questions that only a parent of you know, triplets 0:15:09.093 --> 0:15:13.573 would ask and get so many different answers and people's suggestions. 0:15:13.893 --> 0:15:16.533 I feel like we're very fortunate in this day and 0:15:16.613 --> 0:15:19.693 age where there are so many of these support group 0:15:19.813 --> 0:15:22.733 there are no matter what you're going through, there is 0:15:22.813 --> 0:15:25.413 probably someone out there that is going through the same thing. 0:15:25.533 --> 0:15:28.493 So to have that kind of support makes you feel 0:15:28.493 --> 0:15:32.773 a lot less alone. I am absolutely without making assumptions, 0:15:32.773 --> 0:15:35.413 I'm assuming you had a cesarean. 0:15:35.853 --> 0:15:37.573 Yes, yeah, I mean I don't know. 0:15:37.693 --> 0:15:39.853 You know, sometimes back in the day, they wouldn't it happened. 0:15:39.893 --> 0:15:40.613 It does happen. 0:15:40.693 --> 0:15:43.653 It happened, but obviously for your safety they would have 0:15:43.733 --> 0:15:45.613 recommended a cesarean for you. 0:15:46.213 --> 0:15:49.733 When were they hoping to have that in place? It 0:15:49.773 --> 0:15:53.973 was a week by week assessment. Actually it was really 0:15:54.213 --> 0:15:56.493 like I think it's a product of me almost seeing 0:15:56.493 --> 0:15:59.013 a different doctor every time I went to the hospital. 0:15:59.693 --> 0:16:02.533 But essentially it would be like, go to the hospital, 0:16:02.613 --> 0:16:06.693 get measured, do your ultrasound, see how they're growing, and 0:16:06.693 --> 0:16:09.653 then a doctor would look at that and be like, yep, 0:16:09.773 --> 0:16:12.933 everything's going fine. And honestly just kept progressing in that 0:16:12.973 --> 0:16:16.853 way and there was no reason to rush When it 0:16:16.893 --> 0:16:20.453 got to about thirty three weeks thirty four weeks, I 0:16:20.533 --> 0:16:25.333 was like, what's going on? Because I am mentally done, 0:16:25.453 --> 0:16:28.533 Like I just can't so heavy, I'm not sleeping, I'm 0:16:28.533 --> 0:16:31.773 so sore, I've got pups rush. I was getting close 0:16:31.813 --> 0:16:34.813 to the end of like when I could hold on 0:16:34.893 --> 0:16:38.613 to and it was ideal to keep them in until 0:16:38.613 --> 0:16:41.733 about thirty five weeks, something about like their lungs developing, 0:16:42.133 --> 0:16:44.293 so I was trying to hold on till then. But 0:16:44.453 --> 0:16:47.093 by about thirty four weeks, I was like, please, just 0:16:47.333 --> 0:16:48.773 when am I going to do this? And they were like, oh, 0:16:48.813 --> 0:16:50.973 we actually don't have any spots for another two weeks 0:16:51.053 --> 0:16:53.213 or something, and I was like, no, no, I don't 0:16:53.213 --> 0:16:56.653 think you understand. I need to come out sooner than that. 0:16:57.453 --> 0:17:00.533 So I had to go kind of through an emergency pathway, 0:17:00.653 --> 0:17:02.853 it's what they called it. But it was the same 0:17:02.893 --> 0:17:05.532 as what anyone would experience. I guess. It just wasn't 0:17:05.572 --> 0:17:08.453 like a set date for me. It was like come 0:17:08.493 --> 0:17:10.973 in on Friday and then like probably on the weekend, 0:17:11.493 --> 0:17:15.293 like woh, Monday, it will happen. So yeah, I had 0:17:15.332 --> 0:17:19.612 an iron infusion because they were concerned about are the 0:17:19.613 --> 0:17:22.733 best thing ever yeah, and thank god I had that 0:17:22.812 --> 0:17:27.373 because I lost lots of blood. They were like the imfusion. Yeah, 0:17:27.413 --> 0:17:30.053 So I did that first and then got admitted into 0:17:30.093 --> 0:17:33.973 the hospital with Jordan, and at that time still COVID rules, 0:17:34.013 --> 0:17:37.812 so if Jordan had been tested positive with COVID, he 0:17:37.813 --> 0:17:39.693 wouldn't be able to be at the birth. So I 0:17:39.733 --> 0:17:42.092 was so stressed, Like it was a really stressful time 0:17:42.973 --> 0:17:46.933 just in the lead up, being like I'm so done. Also, 0:17:46.973 --> 0:17:50.333 we can't get COVID because like you cannot not be there, 0:17:50.813 --> 0:17:53.693 and they only allowed one support person the birth. Like 0:17:53.773 --> 0:17:56.973 I'm sure that's not the case now, but that just 0:17:57.213 --> 0:18:00.853 inevitably meant that we would be separated. Because I knew 0:18:00.853 --> 0:18:04.013 that the babies would be born prematurely. They were going 0:18:04.053 --> 0:18:06.853 to go to the NIKU and I was going to 0:18:06.933 --> 0:18:11.092 go somewhere else. So just like having to come to 0:18:11.253 --> 0:18:13.773 terms with you're not going to have this birth that 0:18:13.813 --> 0:18:17.253 you had when you had one child. It's going to 0:18:17.293 --> 0:18:19.733 be entirely different, and there's lots of things you can't 0:18:19.773 --> 0:18:23.493 control having true blitz. So it's just trying to mentally 0:18:23.533 --> 0:18:27.653 prepare for that birth that wasn't going to be anywhere 0:18:27.653 --> 0:18:30.333 near thing I had experienced or anyone else I knew 0:18:30.373 --> 0:18:34.013 had experienced. This is really stressful kind of context and 0:18:34.053 --> 0:18:36.733 trying to keep calmness. And yeah, I. 0:18:36.693 --> 0:18:39.293 Mean I think that the mental aspect of it is 0:18:39.533 --> 0:18:42.253 incredibly important. And you know, I had one of my 0:18:42.293 --> 0:18:46.653 babies in COVID too, and that anxiety of Okay, if 0:18:46.693 --> 0:18:49.413 I get COVID, I'm giving birth in a COVID ward alone. 0:18:50.093 --> 0:18:53.293 If he gets COVID, he can't come. It's a lot 0:18:53.333 --> 0:18:56.693 of additional thoughts and a lot of the stories that 0:18:56.733 --> 0:18:59.933 we've been telling recently obviously around that time, but it 0:19:00.013 --> 0:19:02.733 was it was this real moment in time of this fear, 0:19:02.893 --> 0:19:07.933 additional fear, not to mention that you're also carrying three babies. 0:19:08.613 --> 0:19:10.933 So the babies are born on the twenty first of January. 0:19:11.613 --> 0:19:13.813 Tell me about when they came out. 0:19:14.093 --> 0:19:17.973 Yes, it was an incredible day of anticipation. So me 0:19:18.013 --> 0:19:20.373 and Jordan we actually got our own room, and then 0:19:20.773 --> 0:19:22.773 I felt like the doctors were kind of fighting over 0:19:22.813 --> 0:19:25.613 who could do the birth. This woman doctor was like, 0:19:26.173 --> 0:19:28.013 I think I'm going to do it, and I was like, great, 0:19:28.093 --> 0:19:30.653 you do it. Like you know, it's a quite exciting 0:19:30.693 --> 0:19:34.893 thing for a doctor. I think I assume and we 0:19:34.973 --> 0:19:38.733 had a chat with the anesthetist and go down to 0:19:38.813 --> 0:19:42.052 the room like I'd had a cesarean before because I 0:19:42.053 --> 0:19:45.253 had MADS. And the one request I made to the 0:19:45.293 --> 0:19:48.533 doctor was about not getting them mixed up because I'd 0:19:48.533 --> 0:19:52.333 already named them inside me. So he was like any 0:19:52.333 --> 0:19:56.093 other question. I was like, yes, this one is Eric, 0:19:56.213 --> 0:19:58.213 this one is Teddy, and that one's Ada, and you 0:19:58.253 --> 0:20:00.773 cannot mix them up when you take them out. Obviously, 0:20:00.813 --> 0:20:03.253 Ada you know that one. But the boys I had 0:20:03.253 --> 0:20:06.493 already named inside me, just based on their movements. So 0:20:06.573 --> 0:20:09.332 I was really stressed that to him, and he's like, okay, 0:20:09.693 --> 0:20:10.052 got it. 0:20:10.533 --> 0:20:13.933 I love that you could tell who was moving. 0:20:14.413 --> 0:20:17.372 Yeah, I could tell. I could tell. Teddy just had 0:20:17.453 --> 0:20:19.853 this personality of like a little soft Teddy Bear and 0:20:19.893 --> 0:20:23.292 he wouldn't move very much. And Eric was like kicking 0:20:23.333 --> 0:20:26.093 like crazy, Like I have these videos of my stomach 0:20:26.133 --> 0:20:28.973 and you'll think, like Frush Show, you'll think it's an 0:20:29.013 --> 0:20:32.133 alien or something because it just looks like limbs poking 0:20:32.133 --> 0:20:35.133 out of my stomach. That's probably Eric. And it's so 0:20:35.213 --> 0:20:38.493 funny just reflecting on that part now, because they could 0:20:38.533 --> 0:20:41.933 not have each other's names because Teddy's like this teddy 0:20:41.933 --> 0:20:45.612 Bear and Eric is like just this super independent just 0:20:45.653 --> 0:20:48.613 wants to run around and like jump on things, and 0:20:48.733 --> 0:20:52.453 it matches their personality so much, and it was something 0:20:52.453 --> 0:20:55.493 I was so sure about before giving birth. I was like, 0:20:55.613 --> 0:20:58.493 don't mix them up, because that is their names. And 0:20:58.573 --> 0:21:00.493 it was something that we both agreed we needed to 0:21:00.533 --> 0:21:05.133 have sorted because the chaos already of having three. We're 0:21:05.133 --> 0:21:07.533 not like naming them afterwards or something. We're like, get 0:21:07.533 --> 0:21:11.733 it all done, yeah, make sure they're labeled and got 0:21:11.733 --> 0:21:14.733 the names. And so then I got wheeled into the 0:21:14.813 --> 0:21:17.852 operating room and obviously Jordan had to step outside because 0:21:18.453 --> 0:21:20.613 they don't let them be there when you have the needle, 0:21:21.893 --> 0:21:24.013 and he found that really stressful because he was like, 0:21:24.253 --> 0:21:26.253 it's so hard not being there with you. But once 0:21:26.253 --> 0:21:29.733 he came back in, they started the operation and basically 0:21:29.813 --> 0:21:32.893 the same as necessarian that I'd had before. There's nothing 0:21:32.893 --> 0:21:37.052 that I hadn't expected, but yeah, the amazement of having 0:21:37.173 --> 0:21:40.733 three come out, and also just the incredible amount of 0:21:40.733 --> 0:21:43.493 people in that room in the operating theater, like never 0:21:43.533 --> 0:21:48.453 seen so many doctors, nurses, like pediatrician, per child like 0:21:48.573 --> 0:21:52.092 on standby, Like it was crazy with so many people 0:21:52.733 --> 0:21:57.173 and they brought out Ada first and like took down 0:21:57.213 --> 0:22:01.173 the sheets so I could see her, and then Teddy 0:22:01.253 --> 0:22:04.213