Vickie and Jamie O’Donnell struggled to conceive their first child for years but miraculously fell pregnant again with triplets just four months after their son Phoenix was born
A mum who gave birth to triplets after years of struggling to conceive with her partner has described parenting as “like a conveyer belt sometimes”.
Vickie and Jamie O’Donnell said they had struggled to conceive for years before the birth of their “miracle baby” son Phoenix last year.
But just a few months after their little boy’s arrival, 28-year-old Vickie was delighted to find out she was pregnant for a second time.
The couple were eventually given the incredible news that she was expecting triplets.
Violet, Tarney and Rhubie-Ann’s arrival in June this year meant that for just over a month, they were parents to four babies under the age of one.
“People see us walking towards them with the pram and you can see their faces glowing thinking ‘look it’s twins’!” Vickie said.
“Then they see the third baby and they’re like ‘Oh my God, it is triplets!”
“I honestly have no idea how many nappies we get through,” joked Vickie.
“The babies are all in different sizes too, so we have about three boxes on the go at any time.
“I absolutely love it though, I honestly would not change it for the world.”
Vickie and husband Jamie from Abercynon had tried to conceive for years before they welcomed Phoenix into the world, but had some trouble along the way due to Vickie having polycystic ovary syndrome.
The couple were convinced they would never conceive naturally, and thanks to some hormonal help they got pregnant with Phoenix, who Vickie described as her “miracle baby”.
Just six months after his arrival on July 23, 2020, the couple were told the amazing news that their unexpected and unplanned pregnancy was in fact triplets.
Vickie, from Abercynon, said: “I was screaming. At first the woman said it was twins, and I said ‘I think you should look again because if it is twins what is the other one?’ And I was just sobbing.”
Three months on from the birth of Tarney, Violet and Rhubie-Ann, Vickie has shared her experience of parenting the triplets and now one-year-old Phoenix.
“I would say the hardest part is when all four of them want feeding at the same time,” she said.
“So if the three babies are unsettled and want a feed, and Phoenix wants his dinner, that is definitely challenging.
“And I don’t like to hear them crying, that makes me worked up then, that can be quite challenging, but I am never on my own. I am always with my mam or if she has popped out she is always close by. We live with my mam and my dad, they are our super heroes.
“And the best part of it is just having them all. I just love them so much, I would not change anything.”
Luckily for Vickie and dad Jamie, as well as Vickie’s parents who they live with and are a helpful set of extra hands, eldest son Phoenix loves his sleep, and often goes to bed at 7pm and doesn’t wake until 8am.
This gives the parenting team a solid night dedicated to the triplets, who all settle and wake up at different times.
“It is like a conveyer belt sometimes,” Vickie said.
Their usual night time routine sees Phoenix get ready for bed first. Once he is bathed and bedded, its time to move onto the triplets.
“It all depends on who is the most unsettled first really, so I will start feeding one then get them in the bath, then I’ll pass them onto my Mam or Dad or Jamie who will all be home from work by then so they can get them dressed and into bed, then I move onto the next one then the next one.”
Once settled in their cot, which they are still small enough to share, the babies sleep through most of the night, each waking at different times in the morning.
“Last night Violet went down at 8pm and then woke for a feed at 4am, then Rhubie-Ann woke at 5am, and Tarney woke at 7am. Sometimes I don’t get back to sleep after their night feeds before Phoenix wakes up and we have to start the day.
“I don’t know what I would do without my mam, often I’m feeding two babies and she has one. I’m a twin myself so it makes me appreciate what it was like for her.”
Transporting all four children is another challenge the family face and Vickie admitted it takes her ages to get the whole gang into the car.
“We have a seven seater, so its Phoenix in the back, the triplets in the middle and me and Jamie in the front,” Vickie said.
“We have to fold down the back seat with Phoenix to fit the pram in for the triplets, and then Phoenix’s pram fits in the footwell. We are going to have to get a roof box or something as there is no room for anything else.”
Vickie said they also have to take the triplet’s pram apart for it to fit as the frame is so bulky and heavy.
Vickie said she has loved the last three months being a parent to four children.
Due to the complexities of giving birth to multiples, the babies were born via C-section at 33 weeks weighing 4lb 5oz (Rhubie-Ann), 4lbs 1oz (Violet Mary) and 4lb 2oz (Tarney) – seven weeks before their due date. Because of this they have had to have more monitoring than a baby born at full term, with little Violet also having a shadow on her heart that needed extra checks.
All four children were also poorly over Phoenix’ first birthday and due to how vulnerable the triplets were at the time, the family were not able to celebrate with their loved ones so they are taking a special trip to Thomas the Tank world this weekend to celebrate. It is a triple celebration as Jamie and Vickie are also celebrating their third wedding anniversary, as well as Jamie’s 30th birthday next week.
Vickie described how obsessed Phoenix is with the triplets, and how interested he is in watching them and playing with them.
