Like any parents-to-be, Chamille and Paul Thompson were overjoyed when they went for their first ultrasound scan and saw their baby on the screen.
But when the British couple had their second scan six weeks later, the nurse had a surprise for them - Mrs Thompson was expecting twins.
Delighted that they would have a “ready-made” family, the couple went for their three-month scan - and were stunned to be told a third baby had been hiding behind her sisters.
Mr and Mrs Thompson, both 34, said they had always wanted three children. They just never expected to have them all at once.
Now the couple are adapting to their “amazing but totally bonkers” new life at home in Houghton-Le-Spring, Tyne and Wear, with their triplets Amelie, Lori and Sofia.
Mr Thompson, a firefighter, said: “I was in the Marines for ten years and I’m used to being in control of everything. That’s gone now, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Their three little girls were born by caesarean section on October 5, at 34 weeks and five days, within two minutes of each other. Lori and Sofia both weighed 5lb 4oz, while Amelie arrived at 5lb 1oz.
They spent three days in Sunderland Royal Hospital’s neonatal high dependency unit where they had help to breathe, and were kept in for a further seven days so they could put on weight.
Mrs Thompson, a recruitment agency manager, said: “Paul and I had been trying for a while, so we were delighted to be expecting. Then when we discovered we were expecting twins, we thought ‘great’, lots of people have twins and we’ll have a ready-made family.
“But when the third scan came round and we were told I would be having triplets, we knew this would be a bit of a risk and Paul went into shock.”
She added: “The babies must have been hiding behind each other, although of course we don’t know which ones.” - Daily Mail