WEBVTT - Secrets From A Mum Of Triplets 0:00:00.800 --> 0:00:04.080 Hi, and welcome to a very special episode of Outspoken. 0:00:04.480 --> 0:00:08.080 You're joined as usual by journalists Amy Sophie and Kate Torber. 0:00:08.320 --> 0:00:10.320 Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a 0:00:10.400 --> 0:00:13.800 mother of triplets? Well today we're joined by our very 0:00:13.840 --> 0:00:16.880 special mum, Linda, who was just twenty nine years old 0:00:16.920 --> 0:00:18.640 when she found out she was going to become a 0:00:18.760 --> 0:00:22.880 mum to identical triplet girls. Our mum's story is extremely 0:00:22.920 --> 0:00:25.000 inspiring and we want to say a big thank you 0:00:25.040 --> 0:00:27.840 to her for being the most amazing mum and helping 0:00:27.920 --> 0:00:30.240 us become the women we are today. So we do 0:00:30.280 --> 0:00:33.080 all hope you enjoy this very candid look at what 0:00:33.280 --> 0:00:40.640 life is like for a mum of triplets. Well, thank 0:00:40.640 --> 0:00:42.919 you so much for joining us for this special episode 0:00:42.960 --> 0:00:47.080 of Outspoken. Mum, welcome to Outspoken. I know you're I 0:00:47.080 --> 0:00:49.360 think you're the podcast number one fan. 0:00:50.159 --> 0:00:53.600 That is absolutely correct, own business. 0:00:53.680 --> 0:00:55.760 Sorry for all the swearing that you tell us of 0:00:55.840 --> 0:00:59.800 for yes, I don't really like the swearing, so let's 0:00:59.800 --> 0:01:02.760 have a swear free podcast today. What did you think 0:01:02.800 --> 0:01:04.400 about the arguing last week? 0:01:06.720 --> 0:01:08.560 I wasn't feeling impressed. 0:01:10.000 --> 0:01:13.200 Now, Maum, we wanted to take you back to nineteen 0:01:13.280 --> 0:01:15.920 eighty eight. When you first discovered that you were pregnant 0:01:16.440 --> 0:01:18.680 at the time, did you feel like it was there 0:01:18.720 --> 0:01:20.800 was something different about this pregnancy at all? 0:01:21.880 --> 0:01:24.679 Not really. I had a scan at about eight weeks 0:01:24.720 --> 0:01:27.360 and then discovered I was having well we were having twins, 0:01:27.720 --> 0:01:29.039 so that was very exciting. 0:01:29.200 --> 0:01:30.000 Who was hiding? 0:01:31.160 --> 0:01:33.200 I really don't know, can't answer that. 0:01:34.200 --> 0:01:37.759 So how poor must have the technology been back then 0:01:38.000 --> 0:01:39.399 to say that you were having twins? 0:01:40.680 --> 0:01:43.080 Well, then naturally conceived, So I guess no one was 0:01:43.120 --> 0:01:46.399 really looking for more than one baby and discovered two, 0:01:46.520 --> 0:01:48.360 So I don't think they're really looking for any more 0:01:48.400 --> 0:01:48.840 than two. 0:01:49.120 --> 0:01:50.720 And what was going through your mind? 0:01:50.760 --> 0:01:52.880 Can you? Can you paint the picture for us when 0:01:52.920 --> 0:01:55.840 you found out that it was actually three instead of two. 0:01:57.080 --> 0:02:00.840 Well, my obstetrician that I was seeing was actually away, 0:02:00.920 --> 0:02:04.320 and I went to see his colleague and he had 0:02:04.360 --> 0:02:07.680 me was measuring my waist and sort of humming and 0:02:07.720 --> 0:02:09.720 hrring and thinking I was too big for my dates, 0:02:09.760 --> 0:02:12.880 so sent me off for a scan and he just said, oh, 0:02:12.960 --> 0:02:15.440 I found another baby, that's all and walked out of 0:02:15.480 --> 0:02:17.640 the room to go and get his receptionist to go 0:02:17.880 --> 0:02:19.720 and get her to come and have a look at 0:02:19.760 --> 0:02:23.320 the scan. Meanwhile I was looking at the ceiling, not 0:02:23.360 --> 0:02:24.240 saying good word. 0:02:24.280 --> 0:02:29.200 I was a bit overcome, and knowing Dad, I'm assuming 0:02:29.520 --> 0:02:32.080 just having the idea of having twins probably would have 0:02:32.080 --> 0:02:35.520 been mind blowing to Dad having two girls. What was 0:02:35.560 --> 0:02:38.000 his reaction to finding out now it was three? 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:40.720 First of all, we didn't know what sex they were, 0:02:40.760 --> 0:02:43.280 but at the time he was with the scan. He 0:02:43.440 --> 0:02:45.680 was with me when I had the scan done, and 0:02:45.760 --> 0:02:47.800 he just looked at the ceiling and shook his head. 0:02:48.560 --> 0:02:49.639 Did he have a cigarette? 0:02:50.680 --> 0:02:51.240 Not allowed? 0:02:51.440 --> 0:02:54.760 I can actually imagine what his expression would have been like. 0:02:55.440 --> 0:02:58.080 What was the reaction from your other family members? 0:02:59.440 --> 0:03:03.600 I went my parents and my mum said to me, well, 0:03:03.639 --> 0:03:06.519 how am I going to cope? That was my mum's reaction. 0:03:07.160 --> 0:03:11.680 Hugh's mum's reaction, Your father's mum's reaction was, oh, that's nicety. 0:03:11.960 --> 0:03:15.919 Now what coles today? I was shocking and I just went, oh, 0:03:15.960 --> 0:03:16.720 my goodness. 0:03:17.000 --> 0:03:18.680 Did you feel kind of alone? 0:03:18.800 --> 0:03:21.400 Because I suppose I wouldn't, you know, there's not too 0:03:21.480 --> 0:03:23.560 many people that have given birth to triplets. 0:03:23.600 --> 0:03:24.360 Was it kind of hard? 0:03:24.360 --> 0:03:26.000 Because I mean that would have been at a time 0:03:26.000 --> 0:03:28.359 where you couldn't jump online and connect with someone else 0:03:28.360 --> 0:03:29.880 who'd gone through the experience. 0:03:30.840 --> 0:03:32.920 I think I was actually naive, and I think that 0:03:33.040 --> 0:03:34.839 was a good thing. I just thought, oh, this would 0:03:34.880 --> 0:03:38.160 be wonderful. Everything will turn out fine, nothing will go wrong. 0:03:38.320 --> 0:03:41.000 And I think if I was older, I probably would 0:03:41.000 --> 0:03:43.200 have worried, and if I'd had Google, I would have 0:03:43.240 --> 0:03:45.720 been super worried. But no, it wasn't at all. 0:03:46.520 --> 0:03:48.800 And how I mean, it's hard to say because obviously 0:03:48.840 --> 0:03:51.320 you were the only children you have, But from what 0:03:51.360 --> 0:03:54.120 you've heard, how do you think your pregnancy differed from 0:03:54.280 --> 0:03:56.400 like a normal one child pregnancy. 0:03:57.440 --> 0:04:01.840 Well, I was really lucky because I was sick. Some 0:04:01.920 --> 0:04:05.280 poor women are sick. For the first three months, I 0:04:05.480 --> 0:04:07.760 did not have one day. The only thing as well, 0:04:07.760 --> 0:04:11.920 I was really tired, and that I grew quite big. 0:04:12.920 --> 0:04:15.280 I was going to say, Mum, now, we did threaten 0:04:15.360 --> 0:04:18.240 to use a photo of you heavily pregnant in your 0:04:18.279 --> 0:04:21.719 bra at our twenty first birthday to illustrate the first 0:04:21.720 --> 0:04:24.680 photo of I was But you were big and you 0:04:24.720 --> 0:04:27.440 were only five foot one. So what was it actually 0:04:27.600 --> 0:04:31.320 like carrying around all that weight, especially I suppose as 0:04:31.360 --> 0:04:32.719 your pregnancy progressed. 0:04:34.000 --> 0:04:37.400 Well, I only found out at twenty nine weeks that 0:04:37.440 --> 0:04:40.360 are that we were actually having triplets. So all that 0:04:40.400 --> 0:04:43.520 time I thought we were having twins. So after this 0:04:43.960 --> 0:04:47.080 said scan, when they told me I was having another 0:04:47.120 --> 0:04:50.039 baby at a couple of weeks later, I was put 0:04:50.080 --> 0:04:54.120 into hospital and that's where I stayed until you were born. 0:04:54.600 --> 0:04:56.719 So, if you only thought you were having twins up 0:04:56.760 --> 0:05:00.719 until then, which names were you going with? Which name 0:05:00.960 --> 0:05:03.359 was that Kate Amy or Sophie? 0:05:03.520 --> 0:05:04.080 Sophie? 0:05:04.120 --> 0:05:08.760 Probably Well, actually we hadn't agreed on anything. I think 0:05:08.960 --> 0:05:13.200 the boys' names were actually easier. And no, actually that's incorrect. Sorry, 0:05:13.279 --> 0:05:15.279 the girl's names were a lot easier and the boys 0:05:15.560 --> 0:05:17.040 would probably still be unnamed. 0:05:17.200 --> 0:05:20.400 So did you want a want boys or girls or 0:05:20.400 --> 0:05:21.000 a mixture? 0:05:21.560 --> 0:05:24.800 Actually, I really wanted to have at least one girl. 0:05:24.839 --> 0:05:28.039 I wanted a girl somewhere, and we're just blessed to 0:05:28.080 --> 0:05:28.559 have three. 0:05:29.480 --> 0:05:32.320 And you know, mothers speak about that experience of feeling 0:05:32.360 --> 0:05:33.960 like the kick for the first time. 0:05:34.480 --> 0:05:36.800 What does it feel like to have three babies? 0:05:36.880 --> 0:05:38.799 And did you was there a time or real kicking, 0:05:38.800 --> 0:05:40.719 because I mean we fight as it is now, I 0:05:40.720 --> 0:05:42.679 mean we might have been having a fight in your stomach. 0:05:43.080 --> 0:05:45.440 Well, there were some occasions where you were having fights 0:05:45.440 --> 0:05:48.039 in my stomach. I couldn't actually guarantee. 0:05:47.440 --> 0:05:50.040 That maybe someone was brought up the AFLW or. 0:05:49.960 --> 0:05:53.000 Something maybe, but just blessed that you were all healthy, 0:05:53.040 --> 0:05:54.000 and that's the main thing. 0:05:54.560 --> 0:05:57.400 And for someone who hasn't seen this infamous photo of you, 0:05:57.600 --> 0:06:00.680 just how big did you get and how uncomfort was 0:06:00.720 --> 0:06:03.200 it in the final stages of the pregnancy. 0:06:04.040 --> 0:06:06.920 Well after they found out that we were having triplets, 0:06:06.920 --> 0:06:09.920 I went, I had a couple of weeks resting at home, 0:06:10.040 --> 0:06:12.880 and then they put me into hospital. So twenty nine 0:06:12.880 --> 0:06:14.919 and a half weeks I think I went into hospital 0:06:15.520 --> 0:06:17.479 and had the last couple of weeks there and all 0:06:17.520 --> 0:06:21.440 I did was lying a bed. So you babies grew. 0:06:21.480 --> 0:06:24.160 I think they said a pound each, so that was 0:06:24.240 --> 0:06:29.000 quite a lot. And at the end I just couldn't 0:06:29.000 --> 0:06:31.280 wait for you to get out because there was just 0:06:31.520 --> 0:06:34.400 no more room. It was just very very tight and uncomfortable. 0:06:34.720 --> 0:06:37.160 You obviously touched on that you're in hospital, But why 0:06:37.360 --> 0:06:39.280 was that and how risky was it at this time 0:06:39.320 --> 0:06:43.000 to be having triplets. I think they were just concerned 0:06:43.600 --> 0:06:46.520 that you were actually quite small at that time, and 0:06:47.160 --> 0:06:49.359 I think they just wanted to monitor everything, and I 0:06:49.400 --> 0:06:53.400 think in the end, I did have some issues I 0:06:53.400 --> 0:06:58.000 had and had some possible renal failure, so that was 0:06:58.040 --> 0:07:01.400 why you were brought on and I had an injection 0:07:01.520 --> 0:07:05.479 to increase your lung capacity, and then you were born 0:07:05.480 --> 0:07:06.520 twenty four hours later. 0:07:06.560 --> 0:07:09.280 So is this why we are older now? Because I'm 0:07:09.320 --> 0:07:11.000 already upset at turning thirty. 0:07:11.000 --> 0:07:14.000 But it could have been postponed. Been May. 0:07:14.040 --> 0:07:15.880 I think it was May the tenth, was your actual 0:07:15.960 --> 0:07:20.480 drey date you spoke about the threat of having renal failure. 0:07:20.520 --> 0:07:22.360 Did you ever actually think that you might die? 0:07:23.640 --> 0:07:24.880 No, not at all. 0:07:25.520 --> 0:07:28.640 Ife was just the busness the note. 0:07:29.520 --> 0:07:32.600 I think my brothers, because they're all doctors, were concerned. 0:07:33.400 --> 0:07:34.920 It was back in the day where you had a 0:07:34.920 --> 0:07:37.680 clipboard on the end of your bed, so when they 0:07:37.760 --> 0:07:39.800 used to come and visit me in hospital, they would 0:07:39.840 --> 0:07:42.080 look at the clipboard before they'd say hello, and was 0:07:42.200 --> 0:07:45.240 checking out my you know, all the results I was 0:07:45.280 --> 0:07:47.600 getting back, and I think they were concerned, but no, 0:07:47.760 --> 0:07:48.840 I was just oblivious. 0:07:49.360 --> 0:07:51.320 And what was it like, the moment that you actually 0:07:51.360 --> 0:07:53.960 they all decided, Okay, you can't go on anymore, you 0:07:54.040 --> 0:07:54.840 have to give birth. 0:07:54.880 --> 0:07:59.680 What was that like, Well, it was actually it was 0:08:00.680 --> 0:08:04.000 it was a little bit stressful, and I was just 0:08:04.160 --> 0:08:07.360 really pleased when it all started because I was just 0:08:07.400 --> 0:08:09.080 so uncomfortable. 0:08:08.720 --> 0:08:10.520 And you wanted to have an I know, obviously with 0:08:10.640 --> 0:08:12.640 three you can't have a natural birth, but you're one 0:08:12.640 --> 0:08:14.320 of those people that actually wanted to. 0:08:15.480 --> 0:08:18.280 Well, I did ask whether I could have a natural birth, 0:08:18.320 --> 0:08:21.600 and the doctor said, I don't guarantee the third one 0:08:21.640 --> 0:08:27.280 to get out on time, And well, well, okay, very nitty. 0:08:27.320 --> 0:08:29.640 So do some people actually have a natural birth with 0:08:29.720 --> 0:08:30.760 some peoples? 0:08:30.800 --> 0:08:32.880 Yeah, they do. Some people do, because. 0:08:32.679 --> 0:08:34.880 I thought that was crazy on friends when Phoebe gave 0:08:34.920 --> 0:08:35.760 birth naturally. 0:08:37.080 --> 0:08:39.120 I don't know if they really want you to, but 0:08:39.200 --> 0:08:40.720 sometimes that does happen. 0:08:40.800 --> 0:08:42.520 Can you talk us through what the birth was like? 0:08:42.559 --> 0:08:45.840 I can only imagine. I've heard different stories about me 0:08:46.040 --> 0:08:49.320 floating to the top and weird things. So can you 0:08:49.520 --> 0:08:51.840 tell us what that was like and what the operating 0:08:51.920 --> 0:08:54.719 room looked like and all those gory details and. 0:08:54.679 --> 0:08:56.800 How many cigarettes Dad had? 0:08:57.400 --> 0:08:57.600 Dad? 0:08:57.600 --> 0:08:58.520 There was he down there? 0:08:58.600 --> 0:08:58.800 Dad? 0:08:58.880 --> 0:08:59.400 Goland? 0:08:59.840 --> 0:09:02.560 No, No, your father was not down the goal and 0:09:02.640 --> 0:09:03.199 he was That. 0:09:03.120 --> 0:09:06.440 Wouldn't have been that wouldn't have been the goal and anyway, well. 0:09:06.520 --> 0:09:10.200 The stomach again, no, he was up helping me. No, 0:09:10.360 --> 0:09:13.880 I had an epidural, and the anthetist was fabulous. She 0:09:14.960 --> 0:09:17.800 actually had a child that I knew through the dental clinic, 0:09:17.840 --> 0:09:20.120 and so I had actually met her in a professional sense. 0:09:20.160 --> 0:09:21.560 And she looked at me, and I looked at her, 0:09:21.559 --> 0:09:24.320 and I thought, where do we know each other from? 0:09:24.480 --> 0:09:26.079 So I actually had so of. 0:09:26.040 --> 0:09:28.000 Course, that happens to you that you know somebody every 0:09:28.040 --> 0:09:29.240 time you know. 0:09:29.760 --> 0:09:34.679 Sdelaide once had the epidural. I actually had the shakes 0:09:34.760 --> 0:09:37.040 for the whole time I was having you. So she 0:09:37.200 --> 0:09:40.200 was wonderful. She just sat with me and talked to 0:09:40.200 --> 0:09:42.079 me and said I'd be all right. She was amazing. 0:09:42.559 --> 0:09:44.840 Your father was at the other side. He was sort 0:09:44.840 --> 0:09:48.120 of there. I remember he was kind of it was 0:09:48.200 --> 0:09:51.560 kind of helpful. Yes, I just remember there were so 0:09:51.679 --> 0:09:53.640 many people in the room because there had to be 0:09:53.800 --> 0:09:57.000 a doctor for each of you, and they had to 0:09:57.040 --> 0:10:00.680 be a neonatal nurse and they had to be I 0:10:00.679 --> 0:10:02.480 don't know. There just seem to be so many people, 0:10:02.559 --> 0:10:04.719 about twenty one people there, and there was even the 0:10:04.840 --> 0:10:07.240 janitor there with the broom. I remember. I don't know 0:10:07.440 --> 0:10:12.480 why he was there. He was down the action end. 0:10:12.679 --> 0:10:14.640 I'm not sure what he was doing if they allow 0:10:14.720 --> 0:10:16.520 him in there that I don't know if he was 0:10:16.559 --> 0:10:17.760 the janitor, but he had a broom. 0:10:17.800 --> 0:10:21.640 I don't know why was none of them? 0:10:22.080 --> 0:10:25.720 No, no, no. Back in those days, the parents waited 0:10:25.760 --> 0:10:27.719 by the phone. 0:10:28.400 --> 0:10:30.400 So if one of us was giving birth, would you 0:10:30.440 --> 0:10:31.040 want to be there? 0:10:31.720 --> 0:10:33.280 If I was asked, I would be. 0:10:33.800 --> 0:10:37.120 What does it actually feel like to see three babies 0:10:37.200 --> 0:10:39.040 being pulled from your stomach? 0:10:39.280 --> 0:10:41.640 Well, they actually have a little screen up, so you 0:10:41.679 --> 0:10:45.079 actually don't see much at all. They just pulled Kate 0:10:45.200 --> 0:10:48.600 out and she was the smallest, so they actually whisked 0:10:48.600 --> 0:10:50.800 her away and I sort of didn't even touch her 0:10:50.960 --> 0:10:55.760 until some time later. And then they took Amy out 0:10:55.800 --> 0:10:57.800 and they did actually put her by me and like 0:10:57.840 --> 0:10:58.599 she doesn't. 0:10:58.440 --> 0:11:00.480 Explain the favorite older. 0:11:01.320 --> 0:11:04.200 And then they did the same for Sophie. So I 0:11:04.280 --> 0:11:07.600 did actually see kay closer. I'm in Sophie, but I 0:11:07.640 --> 0:11:11.160 did see Kate, but she was she was the smallest. 0:11:11.240 --> 0:11:15.400 So we're concerned about how and what were your first impressions. 0:11:15.679 --> 0:11:17.840 I was actually really excited to have three girls. 0:11:17.880 --> 0:11:18.400 I was just. 0:11:18.640 --> 0:11:22.040 Thrilled and because you're all healthy, and you know that 0:11:22.160 --> 0:11:24.760 was part of it, because prior to you being born 0:11:24.800 --> 0:11:29.480 they're taking me down to the neonatal in their natural 0:11:29.559 --> 0:11:32.199 room and showed me some kids that had been born 0:11:32.600 --> 0:11:36.560 before you had been and at a lesser week, less 0:11:36.640 --> 0:11:39.040 number of weeks, just to show me that you know, 0:11:39.080 --> 0:11:41.720 you were going to survive. I never had any doubts. 0:11:41.720 --> 0:11:44.640 I just thought you'd be okay. Perhaps that was because 0:11:44.679 --> 0:11:47.240 I was young and silly and didn't actually realize things 0:11:47.280 --> 0:11:47.800 go wrong. 0:11:48.280 --> 0:11:50.520 You're twenty nine. I suppose you weren't that young. But 0:11:50.840 --> 0:11:54.960 maybe it's maybe maybe your positivity ensured everything. You know, 0:11:55.000 --> 0:11:58.040 when you think positive, positive things happened. Was there any 0:11:58.160 --> 0:12:01.000 crying or when we were ripped out. 0:12:01.760 --> 0:12:04.400 From us or from whom, from the babies? 0:12:05.400 --> 0:12:07.960 I don't actually remember that. Probably was a little squawk 0:12:08.080 --> 0:12:09.960 or two, but I actually don't recall. 0:12:10.600 --> 0:12:12.840 Well when I just was thinking about it then, because 0:12:12.840 --> 0:12:15.800 obviously we were like very close to each other, was it? 0:12:16.320 --> 0:12:18.680 And then they took us away and put us an incubator. 0:12:18.720 --> 0:12:20.840 The I wonder if we were missing each other, could 0:12:20.840 --> 0:12:21.559 we see each other? 0:12:22.280 --> 0:12:25.200 They actually put you close together, so I guess there 0:12:25.240 --> 0:12:28.120 was some of that bonding going on even then. 0:12:29.240 --> 0:12:31.120 What was Dad's reaction when he found out he was 0:12:31.160 --> 0:12:32.080 having three girls? 0:12:32.080 --> 0:12:34.920 Oh, He was so excited. He was so delighted and 0:12:35.200 --> 0:12:37.679 just we were both of us were just absolutely thrilled 0:12:37.679 --> 0:12:38.559 that you were healthy. 0:12:39.000 --> 0:12:40.920 Was he a little bit disappointed he didn't have a boy? 0:12:41.080 --> 0:12:43.520 I don't think so. I think he's quite happy to 0:12:43.559 --> 0:12:46.560 have three girls look after him in his old age. 0:12:47.240 --> 0:12:51.040 Lady cigarettes, well, because we were still in hospital and 0:12:51.080 --> 0:12:53.000 you had to go home, was that really tough to 0:12:53.080 --> 0:12:53.559 leave us? 0:12:53.880 --> 0:13:00.000 Really tough? That was really really tough because my sister 0:13:01.000 --> 0:13:03.319 law had just had a baby and with my brother 0:13:03.360 --> 0:13:06.040 and they just had one baby and taken her home, 0:13:06.120 --> 0:13:08.840 and I had had you guys, and had to leave 0:13:08.880 --> 0:13:10.240 him behind. It was really hard. 0:13:11.559 --> 0:13:14.640 Did you feel like you'd won that competition they'd had one. 0:13:16.760 --> 0:13:19.920 Winning? Yes? I did. 0:13:20.679 --> 0:13:23.839 And when we were finally home, what is the reality 0:13:23.880 --> 0:13:26.320 of living with three newborn babies? 0:13:26.360 --> 0:13:27.920 Do you get any sleep at all? 0:13:28.000 --> 0:13:30.640 Can I just go back one step, because before you 0:13:30.720 --> 0:13:34.800 came home, I was in there twice a day feeding you, 0:13:35.600 --> 0:13:39.000 and that was really really hard because you'd have to 0:13:39.840 --> 0:13:42.720 get up rest, feed you, to get the pump out 0:13:42.800 --> 0:13:46.920 and pump all the milk out, bring it in, feed you, 0:13:47.040 --> 0:13:49.840 then go home and rest because it's extremely tiring, and 0:13:49.880 --> 0:13:52.000 then go back in another time to go and see you. 0:13:52.080 --> 0:13:55.120 So in a way, having your home is easier because 0:13:55.120 --> 0:14:00.000 you were there, but because I hadn't had an overnighte 0:14:00.160 --> 0:14:04.400 with you. The Queen Victoria Hospital where we were born, 0:14:04.600 --> 0:14:08.280 set up me to have a couple of nights with 0:14:08.360 --> 0:14:11.320 the staff allegedly helping me, so that I knew what 0:14:11.360 --> 0:14:14.480 it was like to feed overnight. Well, I don't think 0:14:14.559 --> 0:14:17.280 the nurses got the memo from the doctor saying you 0:14:17.280 --> 0:14:19.040 are supposed to help this woman in the middle of 0:14:19.120 --> 0:14:21.600 the night when her three babies are crying. They got 0:14:21.760 --> 0:14:26.480 the memos incorrect. They thought that they weren't supposed to 0:14:26.560 --> 0:14:31.400 help me. So when doctor haslum what was a wonderful 0:14:31.400 --> 0:14:34.080 man that was looking after me, came in the next 0:14:34.160 --> 0:14:35.920 day to see how I was. I think I just 0:14:35.960 --> 0:14:37.920 burst into tears and looked like I'd had about two 0:14:37.920 --> 0:14:41.800 hours sleep, and he went bunch at the staff and said, 0:14:41.880 --> 0:14:44.520 why weren't you helping her? So the next night was 0:14:44.520 --> 0:14:46.920 fabulous because I had all these people bring these babies 0:14:46.960 --> 0:14:50.000 in and were helping me. But then when I went home, 0:14:50.160 --> 0:14:51.480 it was really hard. 0:14:52.040 --> 0:14:54.720 Did you feel like a bit of a cow or 0:14:54.760 --> 0:14:57.720 like you know, with your udders out or like a 0:14:57.760 --> 0:14:58.440 cat with a. 0:14:58.400 --> 0:14:59.640 Litter of babies. 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:05.000 Absolutely, I did twin feeding, which was wonder bars. You 0:15:05.080 --> 0:15:08.920 should say not and anyone buy it. 0:15:09.680 --> 0:15:13.840 Okay, I think this is too much detail. 0:15:14.920 --> 0:15:17.200 Well, when you did finally get home, did you have 0:15:17.280 --> 0:15:21.000 any additional help from a nurse or was there anything 0:15:21.040 --> 0:15:24.120 in place that you got because you had three babies? 0:15:24.520 --> 0:15:25.320 Any extra help? 0:15:25.360 --> 0:15:28.040 Actually, sadly no, and I hope things have changed for 0:15:29.480 --> 0:15:31.440 the new mums that are having multiples that they do 0:15:31.480 --> 0:15:33.880 get some help from the government. I think we did 0:15:33.960 --> 0:15:37.760 initially get a little bit of financial help, but I 0:15:37.800 --> 0:15:40.920 think it was for six years. We got a tiny 0:15:40.920 --> 0:15:44.520 little bit of money which helped pay for formula, but no, 0:15:44.840 --> 0:15:47.240 I had my mum and dad would help which was 0:15:47.320 --> 0:15:51.360 amazing his parents but your dad's parents would help a 0:15:51.400 --> 0:15:53.880 little bit. And the CAFs group in Komlight Gardens, I 0:15:53.880 --> 0:15:56.320 have to say shout out to all you girls used 0:15:56.320 --> 0:15:58.600 to bring me a meal once a week, come and 0:15:58.680 --> 0:16:03.720 help with meals and sorry help was feeding it was. 0:16:03.800 --> 0:16:06.120 They were incredible people I didn't actually know. 0:16:06.640 --> 0:16:09.720 And talking of litters, that's just Bentley crying at the door. 0:16:09.840 --> 0:16:12.520 If anyone our cast I feel like one thing that 0:16:12.560 --> 0:16:14.960 I would be scared about if I had twins or triplets, 0:16:15.040 --> 0:16:17.360 is mixing them up? Was there like a technique that 0:16:17.400 --> 0:16:20.000 you had to ensure that the same, you know, the 0:16:20.080 --> 0:16:21.800 right baby was the right baby. 0:16:22.120 --> 0:16:24.320 Well, this was in the day as a capsules, so 0:16:24.360 --> 0:16:26.640 all your capsules had the name on it. You also 0:16:26.720 --> 0:16:30.960 came home with a band around your foot to identify 0:16:31.160 --> 0:16:32.880 just in case we got mixed up. But you actually 0:16:32.920 --> 0:16:33.720 did look different. 0:16:34.200 --> 0:16:37.040 Imagine if they mixed us up in the hospital. Well, 0:16:37.080 --> 0:16:38.920 I feel like because you were the smallest, they probably 0:16:38.920 --> 0:16:40.440 would have been able to at least tell you it 0:16:40.440 --> 0:16:42.760 wouldn't really matter because it'd only be a few days. 0:16:43.080 --> 0:16:44.840 Do you remember you can't. 0:16:45.880 --> 0:16:47.760 I know a couple of the thirty six's players have 0:16:47.800 --> 0:16:49.560 come up and said to me, I bet that you 0:16:49.560 --> 0:16:52.480 guys got mixed up and you were actually amy, And I. 0:16:52.400 --> 0:16:55.760 Wonder, that's just scary to think about. So you mentioned 0:16:55.760 --> 0:16:57.360 that we did look quite different. 0:16:57.560 --> 0:17:00.600 Did you make a conscious effort not to dressed us 0:17:00.600 --> 0:17:03.320 the same and so we'd all have our own identity, 0:17:03.360 --> 0:17:04.879 Because I know a lot of people fall into the 0:17:04.920 --> 0:17:08.399 trap of, I don't know, dressing twins and triplets the same. 0:17:09.240 --> 0:17:11.639 Now I made a conscious decision not to dress you 0:17:11.680 --> 0:17:16.439 the same. Occasionally people would give item of clothing that 0:17:16.600 --> 0:17:19.600 was the same, so you would wear it mainly at home. 0:17:19.680 --> 0:17:22.040 But I just did not like taking you out in 0:17:22.080 --> 0:17:25.240 the same outfit because it drew even more attention to you. 0:17:25.400 --> 0:17:27.119 Well, that's what I was going to ask. What is 0:17:27.160 --> 0:17:29.360 it like going out in public with three babies? 0:17:30.440 --> 0:17:33.040 Well, I remember one time we were down at Gulwa 0:17:33.240 --> 0:17:37.080 and we had the twins stroller that your dad was 0:17:37.080 --> 0:17:40.360 pushing and I had the single stroller and we were 0:17:40.400 --> 0:17:44.000 getting stopped all the time. It was just incredible. So 0:17:44.040 --> 0:17:48.800 your father wanted to get a copy of some answers 0:17:48.800 --> 0:17:50.840 to questions that we were asked all the time. Were 0:17:50.840 --> 0:17:53.600 you IVF? How do you cope? All these sorts of questions. 0:17:53.600 --> 0:17:55.359 He was going to put it on a pamphlet, just 0:17:55.400 --> 0:17:57.800 hand it out because he was seller answering all. 0:17:57.720 --> 0:18:01.359 These questions because dad loves talking to me talking to 0:18:01.359 --> 0:18:03.639 people one personal questions as well. 0:18:03.920 --> 0:18:07.760 Oh. Absolutely, you not believe what people ask you, and 0:18:08.400 --> 0:18:09.560 it's quite confronting. 0:18:09.800 --> 0:18:12.000 What's the weirdest question someone has asked? 0:18:15.560 --> 0:18:19.520 I'll probably say were the children IVF? Because you weren't 0:18:19.520 --> 0:18:22.160 you were naturally conceived. But really that's no one's business 0:18:22.160 --> 0:18:24.800 whether you were you were IRVF or naturally conceived. 0:18:25.800 --> 0:18:28.120 And I suppose you touched on it before about saying 0:18:28.200 --> 0:18:30.119 that you didn't like to dress us the same because 0:18:30.119 --> 0:18:34.600 you wanted us to be individuals on that same sorry, 0:18:34.600 --> 0:18:36.639 on that same sort of philosophy. Is that why you 0:18:36.640 --> 0:18:40.080 didn't like people calling us the triplets as well? 0:18:40.320 --> 0:18:44.639 Yes, because that meant that you would like one entity. 0:18:44.720 --> 0:18:47.600 And I wanted people to know you were three different children. 0:18:47.760 --> 0:18:50.280 Just because you were born on the same day from 0:18:50.320 --> 0:18:53.439 the same mother, you actually had three different personalities, and 0:18:53.480 --> 0:18:54.840 I just wanted to encourage that. 0:18:55.960 --> 0:18:58.440 On our first birthday, we did make the front page 0:18:58.480 --> 0:19:01.000 of the paper, just a humble brain. I happened to 0:19:01.000 --> 0:19:04.160