Who upon the news presented as a triple threat to the Aspelings have ended up being their greatest joy and biggest challenge in the past two months.
Not one but three, identical male bundles of joy were born to young parents Louise, 27, and Nathan Aspeling, 28. The chances of naturally conceiving and delivering identical triplets are perhaps one in two million, Louise told the Record last week. Doctors refer to it as a ‘one-in-a-million’ occurrence. She was shocked in January to find she is pregnant and the results of a scan was three times what she expected, literally. It was also too much for her regular gynaecologist, who had never delivered triplets before and referred her to a ‘super’-gynaecologist in Pretoria for more focused care.
The Aspelings welcomed Daniel Scott, Ryan Ronald and Luke Leonard into the world on 27 August. They were born prematurely, at 31 weeks, because the umbilical cord was detaching from Daniel, not allowing him access to oxygen and nutrition. An emergency cesarean had to be performed at Life Wilgeheuwel Hospital, Louise said, but she was glad to get rid of the immense pressure on her body.
“You wouldn’t imagine how you strain your body carrying three babies,” she said.
“I was on bed rest for two months before they were born, for their safety and my own as a higher risk is involved.”
Risks include premature birth, low birth weight, cerebral palsy and incomplete separation.
“We were prepared for the worst,” she explained, “as a lot can go wrong with birthing triplets.”
Luckily, despite the emergency delivery, the triplets were born perfectly healthy, each at a different weight (Daniel at 1.5kg, Ryan at 1.4kg and Luke at 1.1kg) but not in need of oxygen or blood transfusions. After the birth they were kept in the paediatrics department where doctors made sure they could feed and were developing normally before sending them home.
“They were excellently cared for at Wilgeheuwel,” Louise said, “I really want to thank their personnel for their fantastic advice and help.”
The triplets share DNA, sex, characteristics and features and their blood type. The pregnancy changed life around for the Aspelings, who have two other children, Dylan, 5, and Chloe, 2. They already had a full house, living in a two bedroom apartment at the time. They rushed to convert the garage of Louis’ parents’ home into a suitable home for seven. They also hired a nanny after the triplets were born to help out with feeding, bathing and caring for them. They currently use 24 nappies a day, a whole packet, between the infants.
Louis is still on maternity leave until the end of December but said triplets can easily seem a full time job.
“It’s different… you don’t know what you’re doing with three babies but you get into a rhythm and you just go with it,” she said about coping with feeding, bathing and clothing three newborns.
“Nobody’s perfect at parenthood, not even the third time around… I have had to paint their toe nails to be able to tell them apart.”
She’ll soon return to her job as administrator for the television programme Soul City on SABC 1. Hands-on father Nathan has been dividing his time between his entrepreneurship, installing waterproofing, and helping out with nappy changes. Brother Dylan is very protective of the little ones while Chloe thinks of them as her own dolls.
Does the special bond between twins or triplets hold true for them?
“Definitely,” Louise said.
“When Luke was in hospital after birth for a hernia operation and Daniel and Ryan were home with us, they seemed distressed; the minute you put the three of them together, even if they’re crying their hearts out, they calm each other down. It’s like they just know one another best.”
Want to receive news alerts via WhatsApp? Send us an SMS/ WhatsApp message with your name and cellphone number to 079 414 6709.
Familiarise yourself with our WhatsApp service disclaimer.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at roodepoortrecord@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
For free daily local news on the West Rand, also visit our sister newspaper websites Randfontein Herald, Krugersdorp News and Get It Joburg West Magazine
Remember to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to let your voice be heard!
