This Mom Gave Birth To 3 Babies In Less Than A Year

Having babies less than a year apart poses risks for both mother and child, whatever the woman’s age, according to new ʀᴇsᴇᴀʀᴄʜ.

The authors of a big sᴛᴜᴅʏ of nearly 150,000 pregnancies in Canada say the safest interval between births is 12 to 18 months. They suggest women over the age of 35 who may not want to wait long between one pregnancy and the next should be counselled that waiting 12 to 18 months is safest for both them and their baby.

Stephanie Hansen, a single mom in Washington state, gave birth to three baby girls in 2020. And they’re not triplets. Daphne came first. She was born on Jan. 28. A little more than 10 months later, on Dec. 8, the infant was joined by twin sisters Rubie and Penelope. The second pregnancy came as a total sʜᴏᴄᴋ to Hansen, who was in a new relationship. “In order to get on birth ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴏʟ, I had to take a pregnancy ᴛᴇsᴛ,” Hansen recalled.

Dr. Christine Greves, an OB-GYN at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies in Orlando, Florida said that ᴏᴠᴜʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴ can return as soon as six weeks after a baby is born.

“After pregnancy, women aren’t necessarily cognizant of what their cycle isBut if you got pregnant once, it’s possible to get conceive again, even if you don’t think you’re ᴏᴠᴜʟᴀᴛɪɴɢ.” Greves explained

Hansen says that’s exactly what happened to her.

“I was in a newborn fog, and [then] there was the ᴇxᴄɪᴛᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴏF ᴛʜɪs ɴᴇᴡ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘ,I ᴡᴀs ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴀᴅᴊᴜsᴛɪɴɢ to everything.” she said

Hansen was ᴏᴠᴇʀᴡʜᴇʟᴍᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ʀᴀɴɢᴇ ᴏF ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴs, including guilt. Would Daphne feel neglected when the twins arrived? Would she be able to handle back-to-back babies?

“I felt ᴀᴡFᴜʟ that she wouldn’t have one-one-one time with me anymore,There was definitely some initial sadness.” she said

But Hansen’s fears dissipated the day she brought Rubie and Penelope home from the hospital. At the time, Daphne wasn’t walking yet, but she knew how to give hugs.

“All Daphne wanted to do was touch them,” Hansen said.

Daphne is now 2, while Penelope and Rubie are 15 months old. The three siblings are inseparable.

“They are the Three Musketeers,They’re on the same schedule. They eat, bathe and play together. They share a room.” Hansen said

Though Hansen is no longer romantically involved with Penelope and Rubie’s father, the two remain friends and co-parents.

“When we broke up I was ᴅᴇᴠᴀsᴛᴀᴛᴇᴅBut I said to myself, ‘I’ve got this. We’re not going to sit around in our pajamas crying. We can sink or swim. It’s not always easy,But I am the happiest I’ve ever been in my entire life. These kids are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” she said