The triplets entered the world with their own unique weights: 4 lbs 9 oz, 4 lbs 8 oz, and 4 lbs 5 oz, but now, they’re thriving, each tipping the scales at a healthy 7 lbs. Donna Carter, at the age of 34, received the surprise of a lifetime when doctors shared the astonishing news that she was pregnant with not one, but three bundles of joy.
Donna, originally hailing from Warsop near Mansfield, had been living abroad for four years with her partner, Mahmood, who is an Egyptian policeman. Upon their return to the UK, Donna received the unexpected revelation of her pregnancy. She reflected, “I was told at the age of 24 that I wasn’t able to have children, and now I’m blessed with three at 34. When I came back, I found out I was pregnant, and at just five weeks, I was informed that there were three heartbeats. It was an absolute shock. The doctors told me it was a one-in-a-million chance, akin to winning the lottery. And right now, winning the lottery for the financial aspect wouldn’t hurt.”
Back in Nottingham, Donna underwent regular scans at Queen’s Medical Centre every other week. However, when she reached the 32-week mark of her pregnancy, her health took a sudden turn, and she was diagnosed with a breech birth. It was a critical situation, and she was swiftly transported to the hospital.
In her own words, Donna described how her body had swelled significantly, almost like a balloon. Within a week of this diagnosis, the triplets decided it was time to make their entrance into the world, and Donna embarked on a 15-hour-long labor followed by an emergency caesarean section. She recalled the moment of awakening, saying, “The commotion was so intense that when I woke up, I was disoriented and just craved a cup of tea. I had no inkling that my children had been born while I was unconscious.”
Upon glimpsing a photograph of her newborns, she was momentarily befuddled, thinking, “They can’t be mine! How can they be my children? They must still be inside me!” She had been so enormous during her pregnancy that she mistakenly believed she was still expecting. However, once she was taken to see them in person, the overwhelming flood of emotions and sheer contentment washed over her. It was an incredible moment, one that left her profoundly moved.