A woman told she would never have children after being diagnosed with polycystic ovaries was shocked to find out she'd conceived miracle triplets naturally. Monique Bertrand, 38, was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in October 2013.
She was told the likelihood of being able to have children was slim due to the severity of her condition. After meeting her partner, John, 39, seven years ago, they decided to foster if they had not conceived by the end of 2022.
To help aid her chances, Monique lost over six stone in 2021 by switching to a healthier lifestyle and doing more exercise. But despite this, and after seven years of trying, she felt there was ''no hope'' started seriously researching fostering and adoption.
Monique was then ''over the moon'' to find she was pregnant, in April 2022. But it wasn't until she started bleeding at eight weeks that doctors broke the news she was expecting triplets during an emergency ultrasound.
The couple broke the news to 200 ''delighted'' guests at a baby shower when she was 27 weeks pregnant. Monique welcomed her healthy triplets on 9 November 2022.
Doctors delivered Lylah at 2.27pm, and Machó at 2.28pm, both weighing 2lbs 8oz, while, Trinity was delivered at 2.29pm, weighing 2lbs 1oz, all via c-section. The trio, now six months old, are thriving after 50 days spent in the special care unit, at University Hospital Lewisham.
Monique, an assistant director for education from Lewisham, South East London, said: "When the doctors told me I wouldn't be able to have children it was just a disaster. 'I waited a long time to be a mum so when the sonographer said it was triplets I just shouted in confusion and happiness.
"I just burst into tears on the table. It's been a blessing with so many challenges.
"The doctors called them miracle babies." Monique's difficult journey to motherhood began when she was just 28 and diagnosed with PCOS- a common condition that affects how a woman's ovaries work.
She said: "I kept having a lot of pain during ovulation and my period and was getting a bit sick. My GP sent me for a scan and did tests to rule out everything else, and after that called me to discuss.
"I left the doctors and went into a deep depression.'' After meeting partner John, Monique told him about her fertility issues a year later.
The couple fell pregnant unexpectedly for the first time in November 2019. "I had a miscarriage in February 2020, I was broken," she said.
"I just thought, this is a nightmare." Following advice from one of the midwives treating her, Monique decided to try and lose weight as lockdown hit in 2020.
Going from 18st 8lbs to 12st 5lbs in just one year, Monique was delighted to find out she was pregnant in April 2022. At eight weeks Monique and John rushed to the early pregnancy unit at King's College Hospital, Lambeth after Monique began to bleed.
"The sonographer asked if we'd done IVF,'' she said. "After we said no, she told us it was triplets.
"To have three was a lot to take in. I called my mum that day to tell her and she thought I was pranking her."
Despite being diagnosed with pregnancy induced hypoglycaemia, Monique managed hold a baby shower on the 15 October 2022. Monique, John and her mum, Judith Patterson, 56, all released a confetti cannon each, two pink and one blue to represent the triplets.
"The whole place went wild," Monique said. "The only thing that was a slight giveaway was our registry, because we said we didn't mind either blue or pink things!"
That same week, the couple were told one of their daughters, Trinity, was at risk as her umbilical cord wasn't working properly. Doctors offered them an abortion to secure the health of the two healthy triplets - but Monique refused.
From then, the mother-to-be had three ultrasounds per week to monitor Trinity's progress. At 30 weeks, Monique was rushed to King's College Hospital after developing pre-eclampsia before being transferred to St George's Hospital, Tooting, for a caesarean.
After holding all three babies, they were whisked to the NICU and then transferred on to University Hospital Lewisham, South East London, a week later - where their mum was also taken to monitor her recovery. On December 29, 2022, all three babies were finally discharged.
Despite being overjoyed to have her children home, Monique found the transition ''difficult''. "It was terrifying," she said.
"There is literally no help for multiple mums and so much need. Even now people tell me I'm a superwoman but this is not easy for me."
The triplets, now six months, are thriving and forming their own personalities. "Lylah is the smiler," Monique said.
"She's the elder sister, and barely cries, she's just so sweet. Machó is like all men, very needy.
"He always wants me to pick him up and is mummy's boy toy. Trinity is the lioness and well beyond her months.
"She's the one who is the most intellectual and is trying to crawl." Follow the family on their Instagram @ferreira_triplets
