A couple of young mothers embark on the greatest adventure of their lives after welcoming triplets in the last few weeks, an already significant challenge increased tenfold by a fifth wave of COVID which has not spared the little family.
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When Nykia Rossignol, 28, and Laurence Fortier, 22, launched their project to form a family in March 2020, they had never considered that it was not one, but three children who would show up at the end of the day. nose.
After a year of assisted procreation, everything works from the second attempt for the couple. The biggest surprise, however, came at the first ultrasound, eight weeks later. “We were stressing about whether there was a beating heart, whether our baby was viable. When we saw the little heart, we said to ourselves “phew”, but there, the probe cuts and we see a second one”, says Laurence, who had had a presentiment for twins.
“But there, we saw the third,” adds his wife, laughing, caught up in what awaited them.
“I saw right away the change of car, the triple stroller which is seven feet long, the three berths, our house with just two bedrooms, etc. Let’s say it changed our life plans, ”says Nykia Rossignol.
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The triplets thwarted the predictions by leaving the hospital with the arrival of 2022, some twenty days earlier than expected.
A lot of stress
The latter gave birth to Mila, Ellie and Jake on November 29, at the CHUL, in Quebec.
The little ones were born at 32 weeks because Mila’s heart was struggling to keep up and she had “fairly severe growth retardation”.
So after an unusual pregnancy, the couple came up against the unpredictability of preterm births.
Fortunately, after a few agonizing weeks and an infection under control for Ellie (see below), the trio is off the hook. The new family was even able to leave the CHUL and head for their native region just in time for Christmas. And the babies, who weren’t due home by the end of January, defied the odds as they were discharged from hospital on New Year’s.
But as if that weren’t already enough, COVID-19 has invaded the family home. All three cubs tested positive, but other than “a good cold and congestion”, they are doing well. Their mother Nykia, however, had more severe symptoms, which have since subsided.
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The little ones are not likely to be out of place since their room looks like a nursery.
” A clan “
It is therefore through all this hubbub that the two young mothers quietly discover their little ones. And that’s where the magic happens, where Nykia and Laurence’s eyes light up.
“It was so beautiful when we were able to put the three together for the first time and they found each other, says the couple. We saw immediately that it is a clan. »
For new parents, this unforeseen event upsets their plans, but they will live an adventure “that not many people have the chance to experience”. The challenges will be many, starting with a move, but they will take them one by one.
“We had built the house for us and a child,” says Laurence, adding that their little nest has only two bedrooms. The house is therefore for sale and the plans for a new self-construction, “to succeed in saving a little while doing it”, will be made between the bottles and the diaper changes.
“The most beautiful gift”
“But no matter all that, the greatest gift, it’s us who have it this year. We have healthy triplets,” they confide, their eyes filled with hope of unforgettable moments together despite the uncertainty that awaits them.
“They will grow together, play together, always rely on each other. […] We look at them and we already see the future. It’s nice. »
EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR BABY… TIMES THREE!
Triple stroller; another double in addition to a single for outings “because the triple does not go everywhere”; three cribs, two changing tables, a triple nursing chair, three car seats and a van to install them, the Rossignol-Fortier shopping list is enough to make you dizzy.
“And you can’t reuse anything from the older ones, that’s all at once.” Financially, when you calculate it, it’s mind-blowing,” says Nykia.
And that’s not to mention milk and diapers.
“A mum wrote to tell us that she’s been two days with a box of milk preparation for twins. Which means that we do a day and a half. These are the things that struck us when we understood what awaited us, ”relate the two mothers laughing.
THE MAGIC OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Nykia Rossignol and Laurence Fortier created an Instagram page at the start of pregnancy to allow interested people to follow their adventure. But since the posting of “triple.a.deux”, the magic of social networks has worked.
In particular, they were offered the rental of a house for the duration of their hospitalization in Quebec, a gift from heaven. “It was a mother who offered us the house for a derisory price. It rents for families of children hospitalized at the CHUL. It’s super generous and it saved us, ”says the couple, grateful.
Several people have also asked them to launch a crowdfunding campaign to help them breathe a little. “People are really nice. They are curious about our history, they are interested in the development of babies, it’s a great relationship. […] And help warms our hearts. We know very well that we will probably never have a daycare center with three children to place at once, so we will live on just a salary for a few years, ”says Nykia.
A NOT EASY ARRIVAL IN THE WORLD
Like many premature babies, the three little Fortiers had to go through a roller coaster before finally seeing their condition stabilize. In addition to little Mila’s stunted growth which forced a C-section at 32 weeks, her sister Ellie developed an intestinal infection.
“She had necrotizing enterocolitis. It’s like a part of the intestine that is dying. She had to spend seven days completely fasting and that was the furthest in her force-feeding. It was difficult”, say Laurence and Nykia.
“You think you’re ready for the rollercoaster of emotions that comes with all of this, but we weren’t,” they said. It’s always three steps forward and ten back. »
The little one finally responded well to the treatment and was able to start eating again after a week. This little scare, however, made the moms realize how much their children were struggling.
“They are so strong. It’s so much love that we receive by seeing how they fight that we have the impression that we will never be able to give them back what they give us. »
A rarity in Quebec
Statistics of triple and more births in Quebec
- 2020: 29
- 2019: 46
- 2018: 53
- 2017: 56
- 2016: 46
- 58.5 per year (average of the last 30 years)
Source: Statistical Institute of Quebec
The three little treasures of Nykia and Laurence
Born on November 29, 2021
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Jake, Mila and Ellie, sleeping peacefully on their mom, Nykia Nightingale.
JAKE
- Born at 10:55 a.m.
- Weighed 3.81 pounds
MILA
- Born at 10:56 a.m.
- Weighed 2.91 pounds
ELLIE
- Born at 10:58 a.m.
- Weighed 3.94 pounds