Multitasking when you’re a new mum is tough!

We can’t imagine what it’s like when you have three newborns in tow. And a toddler!!

Tbh, it makes our brains go fuzzy just thinking about it.

And even former Olympic athlete Jaime Halsey admits it was a shock for her.

Here she shares her story….

In February 2012, we had our amazing daughter Flo. My birth experience was pretty horrific, so I was adamant I wouldn’t have any more (ha, the irony!). But not long after Flo turned two, we had ‘the chat’ about having another baby.

The next thing I knew, it was time for our 12-week scan. Life has always been full of ups and downs, but nothing could have prepared us for the news we were about to receive.

We were having triplets!

I will never forget that moment, the shock and fear that went through my body as the nurse showed us three little people, all growing in my belly. I remember saying to my husband, “what the f**k do we do with three babies!? I mean, seriously, what do you do with three babies? I still ask myself this most days.

The following four months was a worrying time as we found out we had identical twins and a singleton. And anyone with identical twins will know that they carry significant risks in pregnancy (the chance of twin-to-twin syndrome or intrauterine growth restriction), so we had these concerns, and had another baby in the mix.

As the doctors asked if we wanted a ‘managed reduction’ (meaning to abort two babies), we faced an incredibly tough decision. After seeing three babies on the screen, this didn’t even feel like it should be an option. But the risk of them being born early was extremely high, and with prematurity also comes the possibility of problems or disabilities. The specialists also advised that if we went ahead, the odds on the babies surviving were 50/50. It certainly wasn’t an easy choice to make. However, we are both firm believers in what’s meant to be will be, and we decided we’d been given three babies, and that’s what we’d have.

Fast forward to February 2015, the date we welcomed our three beautiful girls into the world. Eden was our biggest at 3lb 14, Amber was 3lb 1, and our little diddler Erin was 2lb 13. They were so teeny tiny. I would shake every time I had to change a nappy around the wires or tubes attached to their bodies. It was such a scary time with all three children in incubators, fighting to get stronger and bigger.

We stayed on the ward for six more weeks, and it seemed like the longest wait to get everyone safely home, but a few days after we got out of the hospital, we wished we were back in. Feeding three babies every 3-4 hours was a shock, to say the least.

Looking back, I often wonder how we survived that first year? The sleepless nights, triple feeding, winding, crying, changing. And that was just the triplets. We still had a 3-year-old too! It was good in a way, as it meant I HAD to leave the house to drop her to nursery or a playgroup. It would have been easier to haul up in the house with my jamas on and a massive bowl of ice cream, but perhaps not so good for my mental health.

There have been some tough times over the last two years. I’ve often thought, ‘I just can’t do this’, ‘I’m not the right person for this job’ and needless to say, there have been tears. But as hard as it’s felt, there’s not been a day where I’ve regretted the decision to ‘keep’ all three babies. Even when I’ve been up all night managing a million kiddie needs.

The triplets are two now. They can walk, feed themselves, hold a conversation (kind of!) and play. It definitely feels a lot easier (in some ways), but it also brings new challenges. I generally feel like a referee most days or a human climbing frame. I never get to have a wee by myself and always have some sort of snot or biscuit down my jumper.

We still get 452 million questions when we’re out and about, which was ok at first, but after a few months of questions, it began to get on my nerves, especially when some were as rude as; ‘IVF job?’ ‘Triplets, oh, how awful!’  ‘What a nightmare!’, ‘You’ve got your hands full’,  ‘Rather you than me!’, ‘How did they come out?’

I know it’s not something you see every day, and I get people’s interest. I was the same with twins before I had children, but I’m pretty sure I would never have asked some of the questions people ask me. Well, not without saying hello first.

One thing is for sure. Our life is never dull. It is crazy, loud, happy (most of the time) and mentally and physically demanding, but I would not change it for the world!