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Tag: identical triplets

  • Identical Triplets: Another Rare Case of Natural Conception

    Yet another rare birth of identical triplets occurred in Long Beach, Calif.

    Just a few months ago, Tom and Hannah Hepner gave birth to three baby girls on November 22 at Sutter Memorial Hospital in Northern California.

    According to medical examinations, the fertilization of identical triplets usually only occurs by infertility treatment. Even then, multiple births are rare but because of the advances in reproductive treatments and technology, identical triplets have been occurring more often than not.

    The conception of twins occurs when a single egg divides into two and fraternal twins occur by the conception of different eggs.

    In the case of identical triplets, a single egg splits in to three separate eggs.

    In a report by the Daily Mail, the Hepners’ doctor reported that the chance “of producing identical triplets without fertility drugs range from 1-in-1-million to 1-in-100-millions.”

    Well, it seems that Mother Nature may have the last say so in this matter.

    Recently, Brad and April Dooley gave birth to three baby boys on January 13. Patrick, Liam and Owen, who arrived six weeks earlier than expected, were each born between 4-minute intervals.

    All baby boys were said to be healthy except for Liam who had to go through minor surgery for an intestinal issue.

    When the couple was informed that they were pregnant with three little ones, they were instantly shocked. April, for one, said she became very emotional when Brad noticed not one but three fetuses while viewing their first ultrasound.

    The Dooleys initially wanted to add one other child to their family, for they already have a five-year-old daughter.

    “We were trying for one more time,” April said. “I had two miscarriages. We were just trying one more time to get pregnant.”

    Some may view these pregnancies as very uncommon. However, surprisingly enough, both couples conceived naturally without influences of artificial infertility treatments.

    Maybe in the near future the medical field will witness even more natural births of identical triplets and eventually throw out the notion that these types of pregnancies are impossible.

    Until then, it would be amazing to see all six in a cute photo shoot together!

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Identical Triplets Born Without Help Of Fertility Drugs

    Identical triplets have come into the world in California, and doctors say they are a rare case.

    The odds of identical triplets being conceived without the help of fertility drugs ranges from 1-in-1-million to 1-in-100-million, although it’s difficult to gauge accurately due to the extreme rarity of such an event.

    “We are thinking of bottling the water in Quincy and offering it as a fertility treatment,” said new dad Tom Hepner.

    The babies are girls and are doing well, although they vary a little in weight. Right now, they are recovering in the hospital until they can maintain their body temperature and mature their tiny lungs.

    “It is not unusual with identical triplets to have a difference in weight,” said Dr. William Gilbert. “They usually don’t share equal amounts of the placenta, so therefore one gets a little less nutrition than the other. When you have a difference in weight, the little one does better after they are born because the stress of being little matures your lungs faster.”

    Gilbert runs a program at Sutter Memorial Hospital–where the babies were born with much preparation–that helps parents of multiples. Raising even one child can be a daunting task for new parents, but when more of the same age are thrown into the mix, it can be overwhelming. Mom Hannah Hepner says she and her husband are looking forward to the challenge, however, and are ready to get their girls home.

    “We understand that they are going to be individuals,” Hannah Hepner said. “We look forward to finding out who those individuals are and helping them along the way.”

    Image: Fox40 screengrab