Joy Of Woman Told She May Get Pregnant After She Gives Birth To Triplets Conceived NATURALLY

Joy of woman told she may never have children after she gives birth to identical triplets conceived NATURALLY

• Donna Carter was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome at age 24
• Was told condition meant she would never conceive children naturally
• A decade later she found out she was pregnant with identical triplets
• Sons were delivered by C-section 7 weeks ago and mother 'feels blessed'

When she was told she may never have children, Donna Carter was heartbroken.

Diagnosed with a fertility condition in her 20s, she believed her dream of becoming a mother was over.

But ten years on, she now has her hands full with three identical triplets - conceived naturally - against odds of 200 million to one.

Adam, Miles and Damian arrived seven weeks ago - a month prematurely - weighing 4lb 9oz, 4lb 8oz and 4lb 5oz respectively.

They have since thrived and are now a healthy 7lb each.

Today Ms Carter spoke of her joy at becoming a mother-of-three so unexpectedly.

'It was such a shock. Doctors told me it was a chance in a million, like winning the lottery - and now I could do with winning the lottery for the money.'




Donna Carter, 34, was told she would never conceive naturally due to polycystic ovary syndrome. She was shocked to discover she was pregnant - and with identical triplets



Adam, Miles and Damian were delivered by Caesarean section seven weeks ago - and though born prematurely, now weight a healthy 7lb each

At age 24 Ms Carter had been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition in which fluid-filled sacs form on the ovaries, hampering fertility.


She was told it was highly unlikely she would ever conceive naturally - and believed her dreams of being a parent were over.

Ms Carter had been out of the country for four years and was living in Egypt with her partner Mahmood, a policeman.

The care worker, from Warsop, Nottinghamshire, had returned to the UK to find work when she discovered she was pregnant.

She said: 'I was told at the age of 24 that I wasn't able to have children - and now I'm blessed with three at 34.

'When I came back I found out I was pregnant - and at five weeks I was told there were three heartbeats.'



Ms Carter said: 'I was told at the age of 24 that I wasn't able to have children - and now I'm blessed with three at 34'




It is thought the odds of conceiving identical triplets are an an incredible 200 million to one. Ms Carter said: 'They told me it was a chance in a million, like winning the lottery - and I could do with winning the lottery now for the money'

WHAT IS POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME?

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition that affects how a woman’s ovaries work.

The three main features of PCOS are:

• irregular periods – which means the ovaries don't regularly release eggs (ovulation)
• excess androgen – high levels of 'male hormones' in the body, which may cause physical signs such as excess facial or body hair
• polycystic ovaries – the ovaries become enlarged and contain many fluid-filled sacs (follicles) which surround the eggs (it's important to note that, despite the name, if you have PCOS you don't actually have cysts)

Symptoms include regular periods or no periods, fertility problems, excessive hair, weight gain, thinning hair on the head and acne.


The exact cause of PCOS is unknown, but it often runs in families. It's related to abnormal hormone levels in the body, including high levels of insulin.

Insulin is a hormone that controls sugar levels in the body. Many women with PCOS are resistant to the action of insulin in their body and produce higher levels of insulin to overcome this.

This contributes to the increased production and activity of hormones such as testosterone. Being overweight or obese also increases the amount of insulin your body produces.

She was referred to Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham where she was given a scan every fortnight.

At 32 weeks pregnant, Ms Carter became ill and was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia - a condition in which women develop high blood pressure in the second half of their pregnancy.

As it can lead to serious complications for both mother and baby if left untreated, she was rushed into hospital.

Ms Carter said: 'There were no beds free in the neonatal units in the whole of the East Midlands - my babies would have been split up, as there was a place in Cambridge and one in Birmingham - so I was just trying to hold on.'

Due to her illness, Ms Carter was put into an induced coma for 15 hours and the triplets were delivered by Caesarean section.

She said: 'I was very large - I swelled up like a balloon.

'A week later and the boys decided to come into the world.

'I came to in intensive care and all I wanted was a cup of tea - I didn't realise they had been born. They showed me a photo of them and I couldn't believe it.

'I was so big I thought I was still pregnant. Then they took me down to see them.'

Ms Carter said the staff at the hospital were amazing.

She said: 'I just felt really overwhelmed and I was in floods of tears and my midwife was practically crying.

'Because of the rarity of the births, there were lots of students coming in.

'The babies spent just one day in the neonatal unit and after that they were fine.'

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