So we had an appointment with my new OB today and it went great. The babies are measuring the right size and were moving around like crazy! As we were checking out I got a glimpse of my chart. It has the typical information such as vitamins I'm taking, blood work I've had done, baby measurements, etc. But at the top in a big box labled "Trouble" is the word TRIPLETS. I thought that was hilarious! I understand its a notification to anyone new to my file but do they have to write it under the "Trouble" category? LOL I don't see it as trouble at all.

This week I joined a local group called Tampa Bay Moms of Multiples. I have to admit, I'm excited to know there are moms of triplets close by! I'm going to attend a get together with a speaker about birthing and breastfeeding multiples in a couple weeks. This is good news as one of my biggest concerns is how will I be able to breastfeed THREE little mouths!

In addition to the local group, I have enjoyed using a national forum called Triplet Connection. Thus far most of the moms there have been super supportive. Plus I've been able to use that source to connect with moms via Facebook as well. The forum itself is a wealth of information just by going back and reading old posts.

Having triplets is fun! It puts me into a club of moms with this unique experience. And as I'm quickly learning, being pregnant with three is WAY different than being pregnant with one. Its different mentally, physically and certainly emotionally. So much more to worry about. So many more doctor visits. And so many more little faces to love very soon!!!

Veteren parents of multiples know exactly what I mean when I say, "People say the darndest things!" Having triplets opens the door to any silly, stupid, insightful, innane questions, comments, and so-called advice. My favorites thus far?

"What are you going to do with those babies once they get here?" Um I dunno, feed them, change their diapers, etc. What do you THINK we're going to do with them? Play checkers with them?

"You're going to have to get a bigger house!" I'm pretty sure we're well aware of that. Although, we will make our current situation work as long as we can.

"I'm happy for you! And scared for you..." Yep me too!

The best advice I've received so far (and I'm not being sarcastic with this one): "The thought of having triplets is more overwhelming than actually having them." Whew!

Having chatted with many triplet moms out there and read through many other blogs, I know these comments are only the beginning. I just smile at them and try to imagine how I would respond if I were the other person. I'd probably say something stupid too. :)

Being pregnant brings with it many challenges of course. One of which is diet. Pregnant women are supposed to eat an extra 300-500 calories, but when you're carrying multiples that calorie count multiplies too! Most of what I've read so far says I should be consuming 3000 calories a day! To make matters more complicated, of course they must be healthy impactful calories. Here is a breakdown of required daily servings for a woman carrying triplets:

Whole grains: 8 servings
Fruits: 3-4 servings
Veggies: 3-5 servings
Dairy: 4 servings
Proteins: 9 servings!!
Fats: 3-4 servings**
(**information from "The Multiple Pregnancy Sourcebook" by Nancy Bowers, RN, BSN)

Well this just means I need to make every bite count. Here is a favorite of mine that I've been having for breakfast. It looks gross but tastes fruity, light and delicious!
Its a Spinach Smoothie:
1 cup fresh spinach (I freeze pre-measured fresh spinach in zipper freezer bags and it stays fresh and works great in a smoothie)
1/2 banana
1/2 cup fruit juice of your choice
1/4 cup organic vanilla yogurt
2 tablesoons wheat germ
and a small handfull of your favorite fruit, fresh or frozen (I try to buy berries when they are in season and freeze them to use in smoothies later. Saves a ton of money!)

I would just like to state for the record, although my triplets happened spontaneously it by no means makes triplets and other multiples who were brought here with the help of science any less special or miraculous! Any baby, singleton or otherwise is a special blessing. So many women out there can't have children. To me its overwhelming that God would bless me so richly and others he denies the joy of motherhood. He knows better than we do of course, but I pray nightly for those I love who struggle with fertility.

Being pregnant with triplets seems to bring with it an instant celebrity status! I can only imagine how its going to be when the babies actually get here! We had our third doc appointment this morning, this time with the perinatal (high risk) OB. The babies look great! They are all the right size with strong little heartbeats. But when the nurses and docs in the office hear we are having triplets, everyone comes out of the woodworks! And the reactions are priceless. I get hugs, touches on the belly and congratulations. But I also get looks of worry and that "I wouldn't want to be you" look. Friends have been super supportive on Facebook too, but with the same mixed reactions. "Wow congrats! What are you going to do??" And then there's the kind but unnessary advice. "You're going to have to buy a bigger house!" "Do you realize you're going to have to buy three of EVERYTHING!" (Yeah no duh! lol...)

People often ask if the triplets were natural, which they are. Heck we were only married 6 weeks when we got pregnant. We certainly weren't concerned about fertility this early! The doc today told us that the chances of having spontaneous triplets (not fertitily or IVF induced) is about 1 in 187,000. Wow. Lucky us :) Truly, I feel lucky, despite the challenges I know its bound to bring!

Check out the video below of another mom who took her triplets to the zoo when they were just 6 weeks old! What a riot! I can't wait :)

Matt and I got married in May. We didn't want to wait to start a family so we stopped our birth control immediately. We figured it would take a few months to get pregnant. Well 2 months after our wedding day, July 5th, we took a test and it was positive! We were thrilled.

Our first doc appointment was 3 weeks later on July 26th. It was an initial appointment to make sure the baby had a heartbeat and all was well. We settle in for the ultrasound and the doctor begins looking for the baby. She hesitates and looks confused. Of course it worried me and I asked, "You DO see a heartbeat right?" to which she replies, "Yes! Actually I see two!" TWO! TWINS? We were shocked. Twins do run in my family (my grammy is twin) so I always knew it was a possibility but certainly didn't expect it. After calling our families and getting over the initial shock we were so excited. It would mean some changes to the plans but we were certainly excited.

Now because there were two heartbeats they sent us to the main office for a more thorough ultrasound. On that appointment, August 6th, the ultrasound tech was happily measuring our twins and listening to heartbeats and all looked great. And as she was trying to get a good angle on baby B to measure it, she saw something. She says, "I see what appears to be another yolk sac here. That only happens if..." We look at each other and said, "IF?" She moves the wand a little bit and says, "Yep, there's a third baby in there!" A third baby. Triplets! Omg.

So now its Aug 22 and we've had a few weeks to process it, but I have to admit its a bit overwhelming! First, I am very excited and feel very blessed that God would entrust us with such a huge responsibility. But I worry about so many things! How am I, little 120lb 5'3 me, going to carry 3 babies? Where in the heck am I going to put them!! Carrying triplets also puts us in the high-risk category and so it means seeing a specialist called a Perinatalogist. Why high-risk? Well, it just means that I'm more susceptible to pregancy issues like high glood pressure and gestational diabetes. The babies will most certainly be born premature. I've been told that full-term for triplets is only 34 weeks. Thats 6 weeks shorter than a normal singleton pregnancy. So the babies could be born with health issues, so of course I worry about that. And then there's the financial worries! Can we fit three babies into our little 2 bedroom villa? We will need a new car. A triplet stroller new costs about $1200. We'll need 3x as many diapers and clothes! As much as I'd hoped to breast feed, we'll probably have to supplement with formula which brings another cost in itself.

Despite all the worries, I do have faith. God gave us these babies and I believe he'll lead us in the right way to be able to support and raise them. I have to admit though... I'm scared to go back for another ultrasound! Every time I go in they find another baby in there!! :)