After enduring last December in the ICU with her unexpected triplets, a mother eagerly looks forward to her first traditional Christmas with her seven children. Thai, Tyler, and Tomas, identical triplets, defied odds of 160,000 to 1 when they were born naturally. Their mother, Mary McCandlish, 36, from Barrhead, East Renfrewshire, had originally intended to expand her family of four with just one more child.
After spending the previous Christmas at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, where the boys fought for their lives in an incubator, Mary is eagerly anticipating their first Christmas at home. Last October, Mary underwent a cesarean section to deliver Baby, Tyler, and Tomas, who weighed just 3lbs, 21bs, and 1lb respectively. This year, they will be celebrating at home with their older siblings Katrina, 14, Peter, 17, Emily, 15, and James.
The decision for early delivery was made by physicians due to the risks involved in continuing the pregnancy. At just 30 weeks pregnant and standing at 5 feet 1 inch tall, I feel like I’ve managed reasonably well. The boys had outgrown the space in the womb, prompting doctors to intervene to give them the best chance of survival. They are all sharing the same placenta, making it challenging to sustain them beyond 30 weeks.
It’s imperative that the lungs of a premature baby function sufficiently to oxygenate blood for the brain and body since they’re not fully developed to breathe independently. While doctors cannot guarantee their survival at birth, these babies have thrived since their first breath. Their tiny hands instinctively reached out to grasp each other, reminiscent of their time in the womb.
After a 10-week stay in the hospital, the boys were discharged earlier this year, reuniting with their four older siblings. Thai returned home first, followed by Tyler and then Tomas. Mary anticipates the most joyful Christmas yet for the family this year. Their household is likely to be bustling with activity, brimming with love and laughter, embodying the essence of family life.
“They’re eager to lend a hand,” Mary remarks. Having triplets in the family can either bring chaos or turn one into a superhero. It helped me establish a routine as soon as the boys arrived home from the hospital.
Mary’s first prenatal check-up at the hospital, conducted at 12 weeks, disclosed that she was pregnant with triplets. She was subsequently informed that the chance of having identical triplets naturally was 160,000 to 1, according to twin sonographer Gayle McTaggart. Identical triplets, McTaggart emphasized, are exceedingly rare. The process involves a fertilized egg dividing into two, followed by one of them splitting again to yield a total of three children. As fertilized eggs, the boys all share identical DNA.
