- Keely Walsh, 33, from Devonport, Tasmania, suspected she might be having a multiple pregnancy after noticing the size of her bump.
- When an eight-week confirmed she was carrying three babies, Keely and her partner Mat started preparing for life as parents of triplets.
- Incredibly, her baby girls Aurora, Moana and Niara are identical triplets.
- Together with her husband they get through 252 bottle feeds and 126 nappy changes in a week!
Here Keely shares her story in her own words
‘I’ve got something to tell you,’ I said.
When Mat frowned in confusion, I couldn’t hide my grin any longer.
I tried to quash the smile that tugged at my lips when my partner Mat, then 31, walked through the front door.
‘I’m pregnant,’ I laughed, as his mouth dropped open in shock.
‘I can’t believe it,’ he stammered.
We’d always wanted to be parents, but when I was 27, I’d been diagnosed with endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
I’d had surgery, but specialists warned that falling pregnant wouldn’t be easy.
Now I was elated that after just three months of trying we’d conceived naturally.
As my first scan at eight weeks approached, I noticed my belly was already visible.
Strange, I thought.
My best friend, Ilvana, who was five months pregnant at the time, wasn’t even showing that much.
You’re having triplets!
Could there be more than one baby? I thought.
Multiple births weren’t uncommon in our families – my great grandmother, Iris, was a triplet and Mat’s aunt Anna and uncle Carlos are twins.
Now, as I lay on the bed at the sonographer’s office, I gripped Mat’s hand in anticipation.
When the sonographer gasped, my heart lurched.
‘You’re having triplets,’ he announced, excitedly.
My hunch had been right! Peering at the monitor, I saw one steady heartbeat… then another, and another.
Three!
Mat and I erupted into a fit of nervous laughter.
Sharing our news with family and friends, they were thrilled, and had all suspected we’d be having a multiple birth as well.
Due to the possibility we might have faced issues making even one baby, we were overjoyed to be expecting triplets.
We were still coming to grips with the news when, a few weeks later, there was another update.
‘They’re identical,’ the sonographer informed us, pointing out that while they had their own sacs, they all shared a placenta.
With identical triplets being so rare, it’s hard to know what the odds are but they’re certainly one in a million!
‘They really are three little miracles,’ I gushed.
Referred to a specialist high-risk pregnancy clinic, I had weekly appointments with my obstetrician and scans to ensure my pregnancy was progressing well.
Thankfully, scans showed our bubs were growing beautifully, and at 12 weeks we found out we were having girls.
‘You’re going to be a girl dad,’ I joked to Mat, who was about to be outnumbered, especially as our pooch was a girl too.
Three bubs meant multiples of everything – three cots, three baby carriers and a three-seater pram.
We dipped into our savings to buy everything we needed, and friends and family were incredibly generous with gifts plus clothing hand-me-downs.
As my belly grew bigger, it became more difficult to do everyday activities, such as even just walking.
At 31 weeks Mat began pushing me in a wheelchair to provide some relief.
Then in January this year, when I was 32 weeks and two days, I’d just got back to Ronald McDonald House, where we were staying due to being a high risk pregnancy, when my tummy began to cramp.
‘It’s contractions,’ I said to Mat.
‘I’m in labour.’
We’d known it was unlikely I’d be able to carry to full term, but I was concerned it was still too early for our girls to arrive.
At the Royal Hobart Hospital, doctors confirmed I was four centimetres dilated.
‘You’re having your babies today,’ the midwife said, as staff prepped me for a caesarean.
Mat held my hand as I lay on the operating table, and we listened and sang to tunes by our favourite band, Hot Chocolate.
At 4.49pm, our first girl, Aurora, made her entrance into the world. Moana followed a minute later, and Niara a minute after that.
While the first two came out crying, Niara was silent.
Thankfully, after a little breathing assistance she was fine, and Mat cut the umbilical cord before the girls were whisked away to NICU to be checked over.
Weighing 1.5 kilos each, they were tiny, but far bigger than doctors had expected.
Hours later, after I was stitched up, Mat wheeled me in on my bed and I got to see my miracle girls.
Despite being covered in tubes and breathing masks, they were perfect.
When they were two days old, I finally got to cradle them.
‘Mummy loves you so much,’ I whispered.
With our girls said to be the first identical triplets born in Tasmania in 50 years, nurses doted on my special bubs and helped us navigate our way around being first-time parents to three.
Working as a team, Mat and I and the nurses carried out more than 252 bottle feeds and 126 nappy changes in a week!
Thankfully they were able to go home after just five weeks.
Aurora, Moana and Niara are now nine weeks old and growing bigger and stronger every day.
Our little fighters now all weigh three kilos each.
They are such chilled-out girls – they barely cry, sleep well and are thankfully perfectly healthy.
Mat and I have no problem telling them apart.
Moana is the biggest and has a milk dot on her right eye, and she lets us know when she’s hungry with a loud squeaky wail.
Aurora is very intuitive.
As soon as I walk into the room in the morning her eyelids will flutter open – she knows when mummy’s there.
Niara is the smallest, but she’s sociable, interactive and forever showing off a gummy smile. It’s incredible how alike they are, yet they have different personalities.
To help the rest of the world tell them apart though, we’ll dress them in different outfits.
We’re so thrilled to be parents.
Being a mum of triplets isn’t easy, but we have three times the love!
Follow the triplets on TikTok @tassietriplets
How do identical triplets occur?
Identical triplets originate from a single fertilized egg that splits into three embryos, sharing identical DNA.
Despite genetic similarity, environmental factors influence differences in appearance, personality, and health.
Unlike fraternal multiples, identical triplets are not hereditary but happen randomly.
Triplet pregnancies often come with higher risks of complications and premature birth, but medical advancements have thankfully improved survival rates.
