After A Month In Hospital They Were All Allowed To Go Home And Have Just Spent Their First Christmas Together
Their mother Katie Johnson was determined to give all three a chance of sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴀʟ, and let nature take its course, when The babies had life-threatening growth problems in the womb and worried doctors suggested terminating one or two to help the other sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴇ.
It was a decision that paid off. The three were born safely – although Oliver weighed only 2lb 15oz, while his identical twin Oscar was 4lb. Non-identical Aurelia was 3lb 15oz. After a month in hospital they were all allowed to go home and have just spent their first Christmas together. Mrs Johnson, 32, who works in commercial real estate and lives in London with husband Patrick, 35, was told at her 12-week sᴄᴀɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇɴᴛᴀ ᴡᴀs ʙᴇɪɴɢ sʜᴀʀᴇᴅ ᴜɴᴇǫᴜᴀʟʟʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀɪᴘʟᴇᴛs ᴡᴇʀᴇ sᴜFFᴇʀɪɴɢ Fʀᴏᴍ ɢʀᴏᴡᴛʜ ʀᴇsᴛʀɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ.
‘There was a ʀɪsᴋ to all of them, Oliver was 25 per cent smaller than his brother and the ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ Fʟᴏᴡ ᴡᴀsɴ’ᴛ ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʜɪᴍ ᴘʀᴏᴘᴇʀʟʏ. IF Oʟɪᴠᴇʀ ᴅɪᴇᴅ, Osᴄᴀʀ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴅɪᴇᴅ too. But there was no way that we could ᴛᴇʀᴍɪɴᴀᴛᴇ one or two babies. We had to give them all a chance of sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴀʟ.’
After Mrs Johnson and her husband, who works in finance, ʀᴇFᴜsᴇᴅ to consider termination, doctors at King’s College Hospital carefully monitored the triplets throughout the pregnancy. Mrs Johnson said: ‘It was nerve-racking as they were sᴄᴀɴɴᴇᴅ each week, and it wasn’t getting any better with Oliver. At 28 weeks we were told he had stopped growing completely. But doctors said that as long as the ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ Fʟᴏᴡ carried on getting to him, then they would leave him in the womb.’
Three weeks later, however, doctors discovered that the ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ Fʟᴏᴡ to Oliver had stopped and they had to get him out immediately to sᴀᴠᴇ ʜɪs ʟɪFᴇ. The triplets were delivered by ᴄᴀᴇsᴀʀᴇᴀɴ sᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ. Mrs Johnson said: ‘It was a relief when they were all born safely. Oliver was incredibly tiny.’
The triplets gained in strength day by day and after four weeks were allowed home. They are now 11 weeks old and Mrs Johnson said: ‘They have done incredibly well; we are so proud of them. Oliver has put on some weight, so he’s catching up with his brother now. The doctors expect the difference to even out at some point. We feel incredibly lucky that the triplets have all sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴇᴅ, and are here with us to celebrate their first Christmas. It’s an incredible gift.’