I gave birth to rare identical triplets after being told I was having twins

Marie-Claire Dorking
·Contributor
·4-min read
Stacey and Grant Silk were told they were expecting twins, but actually welcomed triplets, pictured with Hunter, Bodhi and Travis. (Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS/SWNS)
Stacey and Grant Silk were told they were expecting twins, but actually welcomed triplets, pictured with Hunter, Bodhi and Travis. (Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS/SWNS)

A mum who was told at her pregnancy scan she was expecting twins went on to give birth to rare identical triplets who are now home in time for Christmas.

Having conceived naturally Stacey and Grant Silk, from Oakhill near Shepton Mallet, Somerset, say they were initially shocked when they were told by the sonographer during their 12-week scan that they were due to become parents of twins. "We were left a bit speechless," Stacey explains. "But we came to terms with it quite quickly and let all our friends and family know. Grant joked at the time: ‘Imagine if there’s another one!’ Little did we know!”

It was during her next scan, at 20 weeks, that the couple found out Stacey was actually pregnant with triplets. "When we were told, we just looked at each other and burst into laughter. We couldn’t believe it," Stacey says. "When we got back to the car we just sat there in silence for a few minutes, trying to make sense of it all. It was quite overwhelming at the time. Grant had just bought a new car and said he was glad he’d chosen the nine-seater!"

While she was actually due on Christmas Day, Hunter, Bodhi and Travis were born prematurely at 33 weeks on November 6. Hunter and Travis both weighed 4lbs 6, while little Bodhi was 4lbs 5. The babies were cared for at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust Dyson Centre for Neonatal Care before returning home with their parents in time for Christmas.

Hunter, Bodhi and Travis who were born at 33 weeks and are now home in time for Christmas.(Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS/SWNS)
Hunter, Bodhi and Travis who were born at 33 weeks and are now home in time for Christmas.(Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS/SWNS)

"It’s magical," Stacey says of the triplets' arrival. "We’re so lucky that they’ve all been born healthy and have made such good progress so quickly. It feels as though someone’s been looking over us. Although the pregnancy was difficult at times, especially physically, I was very lucky not to have any of the medical complications that can come with triplets. We’re just overjoyed, and so happy!”

The couple, who also have a seven-year-old, Juke and a three-year-old, Blake, are now looking forward to a big family Christmas with their five children. "We’re taking it one day at a time and embracing the chaos," Stacey says. "We’re quite a chaotic family anyway, so it suits us! We can’t wait for Christmas with all the boys. We’ve told all our family to make sure they all cook over the Christmas holidays and we’ll spend the season visiting them all and eating all their food."

The Lullaby Trust estimates there are around 100-150 sets of triplets born each year across the UK. According to Tommy's, the pregnancy and baby charity, there are a number of different types of triplet pregnancy.

  • Trichorionic triamniotic triplets – each baby has a separate placenta and amniotic sac.

  • Dichorionic triamniotic triplets – one baby has a separate placenta and two of the babies share a placenta. All three babies have separate amniotic sacs.

  • Dichorionic diamniotic triplets – one baby has a separate placenta and amniotic sac, and two of the babies share a placenta and amniotic sac.

Identical triplets come from a single egg that has been fertilised by one sperm before splitting into three. It is thought to be as rare as one in a million pregnancies.

Non-identical triplets come from separate eggs that have been fertilised by different sperm.

Multiple pregnancies in which the babies share one placenta have a slightly higher risk of problems.

Triplets are on average born earlier than most single babies, with around 75 out of 100 triplet pregnancies born before 35 weeks. On average, twins are born at 37 weeks and triplets at 33 weeks, but there is wide variation in this.

According to NICE most women having twins or triplets have a healthy pregnancy and can follow much of the same antenatal advice as women having a single baby. However, there is a higher chance of complications for both the mother and babies that means women need to be monitored more closely during pregnancy, labour and birth.

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