Christie Fletcher, 22, said she had been taking the ᴏʀᴀʟ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴇᴘᴛɪᴏɴ ‘ʀᴇʟɪɢɪᴏᴜsʟʏ’ at the same time every day. But despite this, she fell ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ and found out she was expecting non-identical triplets – something that usually only happens with the help of I.V.F. The chance of having a naturally ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇɪᴠᴇᴅ triplet ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ is approximately 1 in 6,000 to 8,000 births.
Christie says doctors told her she’s beaten odds of 25,000 to one by giving birth to non-identical triplets, Jorj, Isaac and Jac- something which normally only happens with the help of I.V.F. Christie, who was 21 when she fell ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ and already a mother to two-year-old Osian, said: ” I was so sʜᴏᴄᴋᴇᴅ to find that I was ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ again. I had been taking my ᴘɪʟʟ carefully and never in a million years did I expect to end up with triplets. But I had a strange suspicion that something was up when I randomly started feeling very sɪᴄᴋ. I was at a bonfire party when I didn’t know if I wanted to eat a burger or be sɪᴄᴋ. My ʜᴏʀᴍᴏɴᴇs were all over the place and I recognised the feeling from my first ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ, but I told myself I couldn’t be ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ as I had been taking my ᴘɪʟʟ . I was on the ᴘɪʟʟ when I fell ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ with Osian, but I hadn’t really been that careful in making sure I took it at the same time. After I had him, I was so sᴛʀɪᴄᴛ about taking my ᴘɪʟʟ every day as according to instructions – I took it ʀᴇʟɪɢɪᴏᴜsʟʏ at the same time every single day. There was no way on earth I ever thought I’d end up ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ again.”
The couple were in for more sʜᴏᴄᴋ when they attended Christie’s sᴄᴀɴ and the ɴᴜʀsᴇs broke the news that Christie expecting triplets. Christie said: “When I was having my bump scanned, I knew something was up. The ɴᴜʀsᴇs went very quiet and were staring at each other, smiling but with a look of disbelief on their face. They told me to look at the screen, and I could see three little babies in there. I just said ‘Oh my god’ and couldn’t believe it – I thought I was in a dream.” Christie gave birth at eight months to Jorj, the biggest of the three at 4lbs 13oz, Isaac, 4lb 8oz, and tiny Jac, just 4lbs 3.5oz.
Christie said: “Having this many babies takes some getting used to. And they certainly keep me busy – but I love my huge brood. I now have my hands full with four boys and I don’t plan on having any more. I’m not relying on the ᴘɪʟʟ again though- this time I’m making sure I get the implant.”
