Age: 28
1 pregnancy, 3 births
The babies are currently 18 months.
My husband and I had been trying for a year when we decided to seek help. Several tests later I’m fertile and his hormones suggest a pituitary tumor. A MRI concluded that he indeed had the tumor. Luckily we caught it early enough to be able to shrink it with medication. So no brain surgery was needed, thank God! He then went through a testicular biopsy and also started his medication. I started my daily injections of Gonal. A few months later I did IUI. I knew something was up a few weeks later when I woke up at 5am hungry beyond belief! I got out of bed and ate 5 Arby sandwiches in one sitting. Very unlike me. At 4’8 and 100 lbs I’ve always been a very light eater. A few weeks later I went back to the fertility doctor and learned that we were pregnant with triplets. I was so excited!!! However my doctor suggested that we talk to a selective reduction doctor since I am very small. I already knew what I wanted. I was going to keep all three babies. God gave me those three for a reason. He believed in me and I was going to carry out what he wanted for me. But I humored my doctor and saw the selective reduction doctor. He told me I would never be able to carry triplets with only being 4’8. He also thought two were identical and that their chances of surviving were very small. He suggested that I “eliminate” those two and keep the third. I walked out of that office and never looked back.
I never once had any problems throughout my pregnancy. I was still walking around shopping till the day I delivered. And the only reason I had to deliver at 33 weeks was because my dog stole my chocolate off the coffee table. My husband and I had been watching a movie when I had to take another potty break… probably my 100th time that night. LOL. I had been eating chocolate and left the remaining on the table. When I came back it was gone and I immediately knew what happened. I became enraged!!! I waddled out to the backyard where my dog was eating My chocolate and I took it back. Never mess with a pregnant woman’s food. Especially when she’s carrying multiples. I went back inside and threw it away. Of course I wasn’t going to eat it. But I wasn’t about to let that dog take my food. That was for me and my babies. I never got to get another piece. My blood pressure went through the roof. I started having visual disturbances, headaches, and nausea. I tried to get it back down by relaxing but nothing helped. So into the hospital I went.
On January 2, 2009 at 8:23 AM Noah Jacob was born. Then at 8:24 Dakota Rose was born. And my little peanut, Elijah Blue was born at 8:25 AM. Noah and Dakota weighed 4 lbs and Elijah weighed 3.1. Everyone was extremely healthy and came home the next month. And by the way, they were all fraternal unlike what the selective doctor originally thought.
I had gained 100 lbs topping the scales at 200 lbs. Breast feeding really helped to drop the weight. I was left with saggy skin. I made a Youtube video of it before I got my tummy tuck.
My plastic surgery was done in February. I’ve been working out hard ever since I got the ok from the doctor. I doubt that I’ll ever fit back into my size “0” jeans. As of now I’m 105 lbs and wear a size “1”. My hips definitely feel bigger and ache when I go from sitting to standing. I still have a bit of carpal tunnel, but it only bothers me from time to time. My body has changed so much since the triplets. It’s definitely not what it use to be. And losing weight is even harder now. But I wouldn’t change a thing. Not only did I get three, healthy, beautiful, babies… But we also caught my husband’s pituitary tumor in time thanks to the infertility. He took his meds and it went away that same year. He just went for his annual MRI and everything came back clear. Even though it was rough in the beginning it really did end Happily Ever After. Things are perfect. We are truly beyond happy… and I thank God every day for the life he has blessed me with.
that entire story is SO RAD!!! chasing down the dog to get your chocolate, not reducing the babies, carrying for that long and BREASTFEEDING, your babies were also good sizes!!!! YOU LOOK SO AMAZING!!!!
i had to watch the video of course. funny! although, you’re skin wasn’t much more than mine and i just had one … oh and, selective doctors? crazy, good work mama! your kids are so cute!
Your tummy tuck scar looks cool! I like how it’s all wavy instead of just a boring straight line. Did they remove your C-section scar in the surgery or is it just lower?
Aren’t you glad you didn’t selectively reduce? When I was 6 weeks pregnant my doctor thought I was miscarrying and suggested a D&C, which I refused, and now my beautiful threatened miscarriage is sitting behind me talking to herself. Sometimes what doctors think is the best or the right thing to do actually isn’t. Congratulations on three beautiful healthy babies!
You are sooo adorable! Just to let you know, I think your tummy looked great even before your surgery!! I am glad that you got to have your babies, and they were an extra blessing for you (saving your husbands life!). You look great…how long ago did you have your surgery?
Oh, my tummy does that sagging thing when I lean over too…and I didn’t even have triplets…I had 2 cesareans. Your husband did not seem too supportive of your tummy before the surgery. My husband tells me I am beautiful every day…he would never laugh at my saggy belly. I hope that did not make you feel bad. You looked BEAUTIFUL THEN and you look BEAUTIFUL NOW. :)
To think – without that tumor, you wouldn’t have three beautiful children! I also think you looked amazing even before the surgery! And I’m so proud of you breastfeeding your little bebes! I loved breastfeeding and can’t wait to with the next! :)
I have to be honest here… Although I found your pregnancy STORY to be lovely and inspiring I cannot say the same thing about your video. Of course, I don’t think there is anything wrong with having a little bit of a sense of humor about our post-baby bellies. But, to make an entire video mocking it, with who I assume was your husband laughing along in the background…I’ve got to say this sends the wrong message. I was saddened by the video.
selective reduction, that is a sick sick thought….
I agree that your pregnancy story was very very lovely,but i have to also agree with Ali about the video, it kind of upset me because a lot of our bellies look similar to yours before and i felt like the belly was being made fun of. I am glad you guys had a fun time doing the video, but i still feel that way. My husband says my belly n rest of my body is beautiful, n i got loose skin n stretch marks, if my hubby was to laugh n joke like yours did, that would really upset me n scar me for life..
I think you look great too in the video, n your kids are adorable :)
your pregnancy story is great and i am not as upset by the video as some other people here…though i totally understand why they are upset to be honest. i just think it’s sad people feel they need to risk their lives to have a “perfect” belly. our bellies go through a lot to have babies, and some bounce back and others not as well, but they’re all perfect because they are a reflection of what our bodies did to bring life into the world.
within days of having my child, my husband cheated on me. he had called me fat, disgusting, etc., after my son was born. i thought about getting a tummy tuck, but instead i figured if he couldn’t support me, instead of getting rid of my excess tummy skin i’d just get rid of him instead! ha. so i’m now a happy single mom and luckily for me a lot of that extra skin has been reduced through exercise and diet and just time. meanwhile, he’s miserable and alone. karma i guess.
i’m not knocking you for having a tummy tuck, i’m all for people doing what is right for them. and i think your pregnancy story is amazing…and BFing triplets…wow, that’s wonderful! thanks for sharing your story.
wow. these comments are waaaaaay sensitive. i’m sorry but the OP stomach’s did look like a butt and she has A LOT of loose skin to wiggle. this fact isn’t offensive and i can’t imagine why it would be taken as such. her husband was telling the truth, and it’s the women reading this who are assuming that just because something is funny it’s somehow implied that it is also ugly. everybody has their own dynamic with their hubby, their own way of dealing with body changes. to each other own. the end.
to tiffany — i think you did great, mama. don’t let anyone give you a hard time for laughing at the changes in your body or for having a tummy tuck because you’d prefer not to have the extra skin. i thought your pre-op stomach was cool but it looks great now too, in a different way.
You are so amazing!! I love the story of believing in yourself and knowing that you can carry the triplets and not have to selectively terminate. you look really good, too. congrats on your beautiful family!!
You weren’t worried at all that chocolate is dangerous and sometimes fatal to dogs? Poor thing :( Besides it’s not like chocolate is actual “food” for your babies as you put it, geesh give the poor thing a break. It’s not like it was purposely doing it to piss you off our steal nutrition.
after reading all these comments, i don’t even know the purpose of this site anymore. everyone getting offended and explaining each other… chocolate is sometimes fatal to dogs, true, but dogs are dumb enough to eat it. it was better than sitting there and letting the dog eat it, which is totally what i would’ve done if i had three babies hanging out in my uterus.
so now i’ve become what i began to criticize c:
point is: women, have some fun, everyone’s different, some women make youtube videos about their excess skin, others think it’s awful. ok great, but why not casting out our differences and not forgetting why we’re here?
my basset hound found him way on top of the counter top last year and ate the entire bowl of reese’s pnut butte cups (halloween). At first I thought my husband ate them all… then I noticed the landmines in the backyard had quite a sparkle to them (so that’s where the wrappers went..). To this day, I have no idea how he survived eating all that chocolate, lol.
**Back on track, though–I have to keep reminding myself that you’re short because after that tummy tuck, you look ridiculously thin! (size 1, yah, you are ridiculously thin, lol) I can understand why you elected for surgery, though. Kudos to everyone who can wear their multiples skin like a badge of honor; you certainly deserve it more than anyone! But i know what it’s like to want to look like your old self again. And if you have a means to do so, why not?
Awesome story!!! I have to say, I think you looked great even before surgery! Congratulations on your 3 healthy babies!
Holy moly! You look better than me and I had one! I’m just 2 inches taller at 4’10! I am 114 lb and still pudgey :)
I am so sorry some of these women are being nasty to you or saying your video was inappropriate. I think the story of your pregnancy is truly amazing and I commend you for sticking with a triplet pregnancy even when your doctors doubted you!
Congrats on losing 95 pounds! That is amazing! And finally, I think you earned your tummy tuck and I don’t see anything wrong with having it. I was impressed with your video as well. You were able to love your body even when it wasn’t perfect. Extra skin and scars aren’t something to be ashamed of and you clearly know that! I don’t see why these people are making such a big deal about it.
I think you are awesome for posting your story. I have triplets as well and gained 70lbs. I am doing some research for a mommy make over and one of the mommies from my triplet club suggested for me to check this website out. If you are in OC,CA – I would love to get your doctor s name. Thank you for sharing.