Couple Surprised with News They’re Having Triplets During Ultrasound. The ‘Miracle’ Babies Were Born 8 Weeks Early

A California couple arrived for a routine ultrasound expecting reassurance. Instead, they left with life-changing news.

“They were like, ‘Everything’s good, um, there’s three,” mom Stacie Radia told CBS affiliate KFMB, recalling the moment she learned she was pregnant with triplets.

Neal Radia said the surprise took a second to sink in. “She was like, We’re not having twins, we’re having triplets! I should have bought a lotto ticket that day!” he told the station.

The couple, who married in March, welcomed their three daughters just seven months later — identical twins Alyx and Ella and fraternal twin Charlie — giving the family the chance to spend the holidays together, KFMB reported.

According to the outlet, identical twins occur in about 1 in 250 pregnancies, while triplets are far rarer at roughly 1 in 10,000. In the Radias’ case, the triplets were conceived naturally.

Dr. Sean Daneshmand, medical director of perinatology at Scripps Clinic La Jolla, said Stacie’s pregnancy required close monitoring because two of the babies shared a placenta.

“There were three babies, two placentas. Two babies sharing [the] same placenta can create a lot of risk with one baby taking more of the blood from the other and not receiving enough back,” Daneshmand said.

The couple told KFMB they had always imagined having a bigger family — possibly three children — but had no history of twins or multiples on either side.

Neal said Stacie made it to 32 weeks before delivering. “She made it to 32 weeks walking into the OR,” he said. She also underwent a procedure to help her cervix provide additional support and reduce the risk of preterm labor.

The triplets were born in October at around 3 lbs. each and spent three weeks in the NICU before going home, KFMB reported. Their weights are now approaching 7 lbs.

“We’ve had many people call it a miracle, just the fact that it was spontaneous,” Stacie told KFMB.