Most increase the family gradually, with one child at a time. But Martine Janita Hansen (25) and Fredrik Prestbakmo (27) went from being two to becoming five at once. – Of course it has been a bit overwhelming, but it is also very nice. We are proud, says the new mother of three. In the last five years, there have been an average of about ten annual births in Norway with three or more children at once. But giving birth to identical twins is so rare that Statistics Norway has not kept statistics on it. It was therefore a very rare birth that took place on March 30 this year, when the identical twins Ivy, Era and Belle were born. Until then, it had been a nerve-wracking pregnancy. Greater chances of complications Martine felt in good shape during pregnancy, but had been informed that there was a greater chance of complications because they were identical. – We felt in a way that it was fantastic that they were enegga, it was quite fascinating. But at the same time it was very scary, we were scared all the way. I had a lump in my stomach before each ultrasound, she says. In week 28, they were taken by caesarean section at the hospital in Tromsø, because one of the girls took in too little nutrition. That way, the chances of everyone surviving were greater. For two months they have been hospitalized in the intensive care unit. But then the parents were offered to go home with the kids, and still receive follow-up from the hospital. They took advantage of that offer, and now the family of five is gathered in their home on Kvaløya. – We wanted to go home, it was a long time to be in the hospital, Hansen says. Martine Janita Hansen became pregnant with triplets. Photo: Private – A miracle Trude Karlsen Molvik is the general manager of the Twin Parents’ Association. She is aware that there is a higher risk of complications occurring when it comes to congenital pregnancies. – Among other things, there can be complications with the placenta, so that the nutrition is distributed differently between the babies, she says. Pregnancy with three in the abdomen generally also has a higher risk, according to Molvik. – It gets tighter in the uterus, and it is a greater physical strain for the mother. Therefore, there are few people who go out throughout the pregnancy. Molvik says that they do not know any statistics on how often triplets a single egg. – But it is very rare. Some believe it is 1 in 60,000, while others believe 1 in 200 million. But there are really no reliable sources there, says Molvik. She also believes that it is a mystery why identical twins arise. – We can not really fully explain why identical twins arise. And identical triplets, yes it is one of nature’s great miracles. Trude Karlsen Molvik from Tvillingforeldreforeningen says that there are no reliable figures on how often triplets are identical, but that it is very rare. Photo: Tvillingforeldreforeningen Must work in shifts Era, Belle and Ivy have now stopped using probes and are practicing drinking from bottles. – We have to work in shifts, especially now when they train to be good with the bottle, Hansen says. It can be challenging to distinguish between three exactly the same girls. Era was the one who managed to absorb the most nourishment in the mother’s womb, and is therefore slightly larger than her sisters. But the other two are worse to separate, so the parents have solved it by taking nail polish on one of Belle’s nails. “Eventually, when they get the same size, we just have to put on different bracelets or nail polish,” says Martine. It is not easy to keep track of three identical triplets, who also have the same sex. Photo: Private Small differences Even though the girls are only a little over two months old, and identical, there are some small differences. – There is one who is more fond of sleeping and is calmer, also there is one who has quite a lot of temperament. Ivy is a bit of a mix between the two, says Martine. On Martine’s father’s page, they have twins about 100 years back in time. Also on Fredrik’s side, there are twins far back in the family. But no one has had triplets before. Martine is happy that they have a family that steps in if they ask for help. – What does the future hold? – I think it will be quite chaotic, but I also think it will be fantastic. I’m pretty sure of that. It will be fun to see them develop in teams, and see more personality and the bond between them. We are really looking forward to that. There is already sympathy crying between them. It’s amazing, says a tired but happy mother of three. The parents have to work in shifts, to make everyday life go around. Photo: Private
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