Many mothers fear giving birth to only one child, but when Bianca Robertson found out she was expecting triplets, she hoped to give birth to them all naturally. Mom Bianca Aiono Robertson, who having ᴜɴᴅᴇʀɢᴏɴᴇ ғᴇʀᴛɪʟɪᴛʏ treatment to have a second child with her husband Peter, a multiple birth was always a possibility.
She found out she was pregant triplets at eight weeks after undergoing ʀᴇᴘʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇʀᴀᴘʏ to ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇɪᴠᴇ a second child. And Bianca assumed she was pregant with twins when a pregnancy test revealed her ʜᴏʀᴍᴏɴᴇ levels were greater than one-to-two weeks before she’d even gotten out of the bathroom. She said:” I was astounded. My hands reached up to cover my lips. The ᴡᴏʀsᴛ concern I had was that the doctor would suggest that I reduce them. I was terribly unwell for six weeks and had to ғʟᴇᴇ the doctor’s office. I had to take some ᴍᴇᴅɪᴄɪɴᴇ. It was completely ᴅᴇᴠᴏᴜʀɪɴɢ and ɪɴᴄᴀᴘᴀᴄɪᴛᴀᴛɪɴɢ.” Bianca informed her husband, Pete, of the results of the scan. Pete said:”Oh my gosh.”
Scans confirmed there were three babies, however an early pregnancy test strongly indicated Bianca would be having more than one. She explained:” When I did the pregnancy test it should have shown up one to two weeks pregant because it was a day before my ᴘᴇʀɪᴏᴅ was due. It came up two to three weeks almost immediately, instead of the usual three minute wait – the ʜᴏʀᴍᴏɴᴇ levels were so high. Also my ᴘʀᴏɢᴇsᴛᴇʀᴏɴᴇ had been around 30-40 at that time precisely – and this time it was 106! And – I was so sɪᴄᴋ – within a few weeks of falling pregant .” With experience in ᴅᴇʟɪᴠᴇʀɪɴɢ triplets, doctors were on board with Bianca’s plan to deliver her babies naturally. And as a wellness coach and former athlete, Bianca was familiar with pushing her body to its limits and the power of keeping a positive mindset.
However, doctors ᴡᴀʀɴᴇᴅ Bianca she wouldn’t be able to carry her toddler Maverick around. They also told her she would be housebound and need a full-time carer. Bianca gave birth to her three babies – all ᴠᴀɢɪɴᴀʟʟʏ as planned – on August 21 last year at 34 weeks. Indiana Leilani, Dakota Mereana and Hendrix Sione were born weighing 2.19kg, 2.95kg and 2.2kg. Indiana came head first, Dakota was breech and Hendrix was ғᴏᴏᴛʟɪɴɢ extraction. Bianca said the ʟᴀʙᴏᴜʀ which lasted nine hours – was actually easier than she had anticipated.
She said:” I got an ᴇᴘɪᴅᴜʀᴀʟ right from the time they ʙʀᴏᴋᴇ my waters so that they could manually turn the babies if needed .The hardest part was being induced with a ʙᴀʟʟᴏᴏɴ ᴄᴀᴛʜᴇᴛᴇʀ – I had to be on the gas for that. I actually expected it to be much harder but the babies were smaller, it was my second time around, I had an ᴇᴘɪᴅᴜʀᴀʟ early this time. It was a whirlwind experience. I guess I was also in work mode so I didn’t relax and enjoy the moment too much. I only had literally seconds with the babies for the first 24 hours then I was able to cuddle them the next day. It was a total spin out holding two girls at once, talking to my son, and then realising just because I had been doing skin to skin with these babies – I still had another one to look after who hadn’t had his mummy yet – that was full on!” .
It was two-and-a-half weeks before the triplets went home with Bianca, Peter and older brother Maverick. With four kids under four, settling into a routine proved somewhat difficult. Bianca said:” It just has to be flexible and instinctive. It’s hard because it’s very rare to have a rest, it’s like they’re on a string and one will wake up as soon as another one goes to sleep and that happens the entire day.” Bianca said the relentlessness and exhaustion of caring for three little babies and a toddler, and being logistically unable to breastfeed them all like she did the first time round has been tough. However she is loving all the cuddles, kisses and smiles her three babies bring and says the best bit is knowing how much more joy there is to come.
Sources: sunshinecoastkidstoday
