Snuggled in their mother’s arms, these three little babies are the best Christmas gift Shannon Page could have hoped for.
Because before (and after) coming into the world they had to fight to survive.
Doctors repeatedly advised Mrs Page, 29, and her husband, Ace, 28, to abort one of the rare 200 million to one identical triplets, for fear of losing all three babies before they were born. that they were born.
But the couple trusted their instincts and moved 40 miles from their home in Wincanton, Somerset, to be closer to the specialist neonatal unit at St Michael’s Hospital, Bristol, in case Mrs Page went into labour.
She made it to 29 weeks before the boys, named Cruz, Enzo and Aljo, were born weighing 2 pounds 7 ounces, 2 pounds 11 ounces and 2 pounds 13 ounces, respectively, on October 6.
And after spending their first three months in the hospital, the trio finally recovered enough to leave and spend their first Christmas at home.
Last night Mrs Page said: ‘It’s been a real whirlwind. We have been living outside the hospital and trying to navigate each day as it comes.
‘But now the boys are doing very well; Their feeding tubes are out and they are bottle fed.
Mom, Shannon Page and dad, Ace with their three identical triplets, Cruz, Enzo and Aljo, who were born ten weeks early on October 6.
After three months of being treated in the hospital, Cruz, Enzo and Aljo finally recovered enough to return home for their first Christmas.
The children were born at 29 weeks and six days, just over ten weeks early.
‘Having them home for Christmas is the best gift we could have hoped for. We feel incredibly lucky. Surely our home will never be the same again.”
Mr and Mrs Page, who have been together since they were teenagers, started IVF treatment on the NHS last year and had their first embryo implanted at the end of March.
They were thrilled when, seven weeks later, a scan revealed they were having twins.
But another scan at nine weeks left them “shocked” when doctors revealed they could see another heartbeat and Mrs Page was indeed pregnant with triplets.
However, the pregnancy was difficult and around week 17 Mrs Page began to faint.
Doctors discovered a rare complication that can occur in multiple pregnancies called twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. The condition occurs when babies share a placenta and can cause one baby to receive more nutrients, restricting the growth of the others.
Doctors advised the couple to consider terminating one or two of the babies to give themselves the best chance of delivering one of their children alive.
But the couple, who have been documenting their parenting journey on TikTok, where they have received tens of thousands of views, decided they couldn’t make that decision and instead let “nature take its course.”
Doctors advised the couple to consider terminating one or two of the babies to give themselves the best chance of delivering one of their children alive.
Identical triplets are so rare that they are thought to occur in only one in every 200 million births. From left to right: Enzo, Cruz, Aljo
However, a 19-week scan revealed further problems with Mrs Page’s cervix, which meant she could go into labor within days.
So a few weeks later, the couple made the difficult decision to fork out £4,000 and move into a temporarily rented house just minutes from the specialist neonatal unit in Bristol.
Mr Page, a plasterer, said: “The doctors were pretty sure we wouldn’t make it past 21 weeks, and if we hadn’t, none of the babies would have survived.”
‘Several people advised us that we might lay off one or two to help one survive.
‘We decided not to go ahead with this and it is the best thing we have done. “We let nature take its course and we are very grateful.”
The boys were born at 29 weeks and six days, a little more than ten weeks early.
After the birth, they were transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.
Although Cruz had a minor setback last month (November) and had to be separated from his siblings for two weeks when he developed an intestinal infection common in premature babies, he is now doing well. This week (December 19) the trio will be allowed to return home for the first time.
After birth, the triplets were moved to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.
Doctors repeatedly advised Mrs Page to abort one of the identical triplets for fear of losing all three babies.
Mrs Page, who works in finance, added: ‘We’re not religious but this is like a gift from God – it’s amazing.
“We’ve gone from not having children and almost feeling like it might never happen, to having three before we’re 30.”
Identical triplets are so rare that they are thought to occur in only one in every 200 million births.
Mr Page added: “To be honest we were speechless, I don’t think it really sunk in that we have three identical boys.” The last few months have been hectic, to say the least, so we are looking forward to getting back into our routine and getting back to a sense of normality.
“But we couldn’t be more grateful for the love and support we’ve received.”
To follow the triplets’ journey, visit @thepagetrio on TikTok.