A mum has given birth to rare naturally-conceived identical triplet girls - after being told they'd all be boys. New parents Jake Hammerton, 22, and partner Caitlin Knight, 20, were thrilled when they learned Caitlin was pregnant.
The couple, from Deepcar, Sheffield, found out at their 22-week gender scan they were having identical triplet boys - a one in 200 million case without IVF. The couple had even selected their unborn sons' names before Caitlin was rushed into hospital after going into labour on August 24.
But when the tots came at 32 weeks the following morning, the parents learned they actually had identical triplet girls. Tiny Thea, Lily and Esmae - originally called Theo, Luca and Jude - needed medical care in separate cots for three weeks.
But on September 11 they were properly reunited for a cuddle for the first time since their birth. The tots are doing well and the parents are expecting to bring them home from the hospital in the next two weeks.
Jake, an electrical engineer, said: "The triplets didn't meet until last week because of all the machines monitoring them. When they met, we could tell they definitely knew each other. They kept putting their hands on each other's faces.
"They don't cry as much when they're together - it soothes them. We're excited to have them home together - it will be a shock, but not as much of a shock as finding out our three boys were three girls!
"When I told Caitlin after her C-section, she wouldn't believe me. The doctors had to convince her.
"To be honest, our biggest concern was them coming out healthy. They weren't what we were expecting, but they're all doing well so we are happy. Bringing them home will definitely be a challenge, but it's one we're ready for."
Caitlin said: "When I saw the babies for the first time, I just cried. I was so overcome with emotion - I can't explain it. When Jake told me they were all girls, I thought he was joking. I kept saying 'Stop, it's not funny!' Bringing them all together for the first time was such a nice feeling. Now I just can't wait to bring them all home."
Jake told how he and Caitlin, then 21 and 19, had never planned to get pregnant and had used contraception. But on February 14 - Valentine's day - they were excited to learn they were expecting.
Two months later, on Jake's birthday, April 5, he got the best present - the news that they were having three babies. Jake explained when they went into Jessop Hospital, Sheffield, even the doctors were shocked when they spotted identical triplets, because they're so rare.
Reports suggest the chances of having identical triplets naturally can be as miniscule as one in 200 million - meaning it was quite a high-risk pregnancy.
Caitlin, a dental nurse, said: "At our second appointment they went through all the risks and it was all doom and gloom. They offered us an abortion but we said absolutely not. We knew we wanted to keep them."
They were told they would be having three boys - which they even queried multiple times to make sure. As the planned caesarean section date of September 2 loomed, the parents-to-be, who are currently in the process of buying a house, selected names for their sons.
They chose Theo, Luca and Jude for their little boys and nervously awaited their arrival. Caitlin began getting back pains on August 24, and they began fearing something was wrong with the babies - until Caitlin's waters broke.
She was rushed into hospital for an emergency caesarean section and the triplets were born early in the morning of August 25. But to the parents' shock, all three of their newborn 'sons' were, in fact, girls.
Jake said: "We had no idea until the moment they were born. We checked lots of times and every midwife said they were all boys.
"Then they began pulling out the babies and when I went to look after, I saw they all had little pink hats, not blue. I told Caitlin and she didn't even believe me. The doctors had to convince her I was telling the truth."
Caitlin added: "Jake told me and I said 'don't joke like that, it's not funny!' but he wasn't joking."
Tiny Thea, originally Theo, was born weighing 3lb 1oz. Lily, originally Luca, was born weighing 4lb 1oz. Esmae, originally Jude, weighed 3lb 6oz. Thea had to be rushed off for treatment due to her tiny size, but Caitlin and Jake had a moment to cuddle with the other two girls before they also were taken to the NICU.
The new parents had prepared a nursery for the tots, but luckily it was neutrally coloured. What boys toys they had purchased they donated to charity, and family bought them plenty of girls toys to replace them.
Jake said: "We didn't really mind the fact the genders were different than what we were told. We were really shocked, but they were healthy, which was the main thing."
Originally the babies were all in separate rooms because they needed to be wired up with tubes to give them oxygen and medication. The parents visited them in hospital every day, watching the tiny babies get slightly bigger as time passed.
Eventually they were moved to the same room but different cots, until Sunday (September 11) when Thea was the final baby to be taken off a ventilator. They finally shared a snuggle in the same cot for the first time since their birth - an emotional moment for the new parents.
Jake said: "They're all developing their own personalities. Thea is so feisty and keeps ripping out her tubes. Esmae is always smiling, and Lily is so lazy - she just sleeps all day!"
As the babies grow stronger the parents are waiting until the day they can finally bring them all home - which doctors estimate may be as soon as mid-October. Jake is waiting to take his paternity leave when they can come home and begin their lives in the real world, while Caitlin has mostly healed from her c-section now.
Caitlin said: "I can’t wait to bring our babies home, and just get on with it ourselves. Nappies and feeding without all the wires."
Jake said: "It's been a strange experience but I don’t think there’s anything to compare it to. I think it’ll make it more real once they’re home. We're ready."
