Vickie and Jamie O’Donnell said they had struggled to conceive for years before the birth of their “miracle baby” son Phoenix last year.
But just a few months after their little boy’s arrival, 28-year-old Vickie was delighted to find out she was pregnant for a second time.
The couple were eventually given the incredible news that she was expecting triplets.
Violet, Tarney and Rhubie-Ann’s arrival in June this year meant that for just over a month, they were parents to four babies under the age of one.
“People see us walking towards them with the pram and you can see their faces glowing thinking ‘look it’s twins’!” Vickie said.
“Then they see the third baby and they’re like ‘Oh my God, it is triplets!”
“I honestly have no idea how many nappies we get through,” joked Vickie.
“The babies are all in different sizes too, so we have about three boxes on the go at any time.
“I absolutely love it though, I would not change it for the world.”
Vickie and husband Jamie from Abercynon had tried to conceive for years before they welcomed Phoenix into the world, but had some trouble along the way due to Vickie having polycystic ovary syndrome.
The couple were convinced they would never conceive naturally, and thanks to some hormonal help they got pregnant with Phoenix, who Vickie described as her “miracle baby”.
Just six months after his arrival on July 23, 2020, the couple were told the amazing news that their unexpected and unplanned pregnancy was in fact triplets.
Vickie, from Abercynon, said: “I was screaming. At first the woman said it was twins, and I said ‘I think you should look again because if it is twins what is the other one?’ And I was just sobbing.”
“I would say the hardest part is when all four of them want feeding at the same time,” she said.
“So if the three babies are unsettled and want a feed, and Phoenix wants his dinner, that is definitely challenging.
“And the best part of it is just having them all. I just love them so much, I would not change anything.”
Luckily for Vickie and dad Jamie, as well as Vickie’s parents who they live with and are a helpful set of extra hands, eldest son Phoenix loves his sleep, and often goes to bed at 7pm and doesn’t wake until 8am.
“It is like a conveyer belt sometimes,” Vickie said.
Their usual night time routine sees Phoenix get ready for bed first. Once he is bathed and bedded, its time to move onto the triplets.
“It all depends on who is the most unsettled first really, so I will start feeding one then get them in the bath, then I’ll pass them onto my Mam or Dad or Jamie who will all be home from work by then so they can get them dressed and into bed, then I move onto the next one then the next one.”
Once settled in their cot, which they are still small enough to share, the babies sleep through most of the night, each waking at different times in the morning.
“We have to fold down the back seat with Phoenix to fit the pram in for the triplets, and then Phoenix’s pram fits in the footwell. We are going to have to get a roof box or something as there is no room for anything else.”
