Mum Who Lost Three Babies Has Triplets - By Accident

Mum Who Lost Three Babies Has Triplets - By Accident
|

A mother who tragically lost three babies was stunned when she unexpectedly became pregnant with triplets - all in the space of two years.

Gemma Schollick, 28, and her husband Stephen, 30, were devastated after the stillbirth of their daughter and a further two miscarriages.

The couple decided to stop trying for a baby and focused on the three children they already had - Ben, eight, Josh, six, and five-year-old Sophie.

They decided to get married but while on honeymoon in Cornwall in July 2011, Gemma became pregnant again.

After early scans, the couple were told they were expecting twins - but at a later scan, Gemma was 'beside herself' to be told she was expecting triplets.

The discovery came after a string of heartaches for the couple from Haltwhistle, Northumberland. In early 2010, the couple learned that they were expecting a baby.

Gemma carried the child – who they had called Amelia - to full term, but during an antenatal appointment on December 27, 2010, medical staff were unable to find a heartbeat.

The couple were told their daughter had died. Two days later - on Amelia's due-date – Gemma gave birth to the still-born baby.

Two months later, Gemma became pregnant again but she miscarried. And within three months of the miscarriage, she conceived again, but the baby died six weeks into the pregnancy.

In July 2011 the triplets were conceived during the couple's honeymoon and were born on January 29, 2012.

"When the nurse first said I was having triplets I thought she was winding me up," Gemma recalled.

"I sat in the car park for half an hour after the scan and just cried my eyes out. I was so scared. I didn't buy anything for the babies - I didn't want to tempt fate."

The triplets were born nine weeks early - Alfie was the smallest at 2llb, 2oz, his identical twin, Andrew, was 3lb, 3oz and Aidan was 3lb, 6oz - but all are now healthy one-year-olds.

"I'll never forget Amelia and our other babies, but finally our family is complete," said Gemma.