In a story that can only be described as miraculous, a mother of IVF triplets is sharing her overwhelming joy as all three babies have not only survived but thrived, despite the incredible challenge of two of them being born eight days after the first, at just 26 weeks of gestation.
Sarita Saltmarsh and her husband Colin, residing in Sydney, Australia, embarked on a remarkable journey of hope and resilience, investing £20,000 in fertility treatments, driven by their desire to have children after they met in 2008.
Their journey took an unexpected turn when their first daughter, Yasmin, made a sudden appearance at home on February 28. Astonishingly, within minutes of Yasmin’s birth, four ambulances arrived – one for each triplet and one for the mother.
To everyone’s astonishment, the remaining two babies chose to stay inside Mrs. Saltmarsh. It took a little over a week for them to make their grand entrance into the world.
Following Yasmin’s birth, Mrs. Saltmarsh was admitted to the hospital, and eight days later, after a second natural labor, she gave birth to Yasmin’s brother, Suntaj, and sister Zarine, with the two arrivals occurring approximately 20 minutes apart.
Mrs. Saltmarsh had to undergo a manual removal of all three placentas, battled an infection, and experienced significant blood loss.
Medical experts emphasize that the occurrence of double labor, where twins or triplets are born several days or more apart, is exceedingly rare. Many obstetricians are not even aware that such an event is possible. Typically, in cases of multiple births, babies are born within half an hour of each other during natural childbirth or just one to two minutes apart during cesarean sections.
Since the time they met, Mr. and Mrs. Saltmarsh have held onto the dream of having a child of their own. Mrs. Saltmarsh already has two sons, Sahil, aged 12, and Simran, aged 15, from a previous marriage.
Yasmin, although still vulnerable, is progressing well in intensive care. Her younger sister, Zarine, and brother, Suntaj, are being cared for in special facilities.
Dr. Chris Wilkinson, Head of Maternal and Fetal Medicine at Adelaide’s Women’s and Children’s Hospital, explained that in rare circumstances like this, his team allows babies to remain in the womb longer, providing them with additional time to develop and grow stronger.
Mrs. Saltmarsh expressed her gratitude, saying, “It was just miraculous; we feel extremely lucky to have delayed their birth, even just eight days made such a difference, they are much fatter and stronger.” This remarkable journey of resilience and love continues to inspire all who hear it, reaffirming the incredible power of hope and determination in the face of extraordinary challenges.
