Expecting Mom-to-Be of Triplets Faces Heartbreaking Decision That No Parent Should Ever Have to Make

Most families dream of having children and no matter how many kids you have, each and every pregnancy is different. And regardless of how much you prepare for your baby, there’s no way of anticipating the unexpected.

This became all too familiar for Australian couple Chloe and Rohan Dunstan when they went for their first ultrasound, expecting to see their baby for the first time. They were shocked when they saw not one, not two, but three babies!

But it wasn’t all good news as the doctors immediately presented the Dunstans with an unthinkable decision that no parent should ever have to make. A decision that would end up changing their lives forever.

Image via @chloeandbeans / IG

What happened during their visit to the doctor? Keep reading to find out.

Meet the Dunstans

Chloe and Rohan (Ro) Dunstan were a young couple living in Perth, Australia. By the time Chloe was 22 and Ro was 26, the two had already been together for eight years and married for three. The young couple was blessed with three young boys all under the age of three. Evan was the oldest at 3 years old, Otto was two, and Felix was one.

The Dunstans always wanted a big family and they decided it was time to make their family of five a family of six.

Image via @chloeandbeans / IG

While this was an easy decision for the family, they had no idea that they had more than one blessing waiting for them.

“Magic Number”

Chloe, a stay-at-home mom, and Ro, a baker, decided it was time to try for another baby. After all, they were financially stable enough to provide for their family and they had more love to give.

They loved their three young boys very much, but they felt like their “magic number” was always meant to be four. And with three sons, they were hoping their fourth child would be a daughter.

But destiny had other plans for the Dunstan family.

Getting Pregnant

And soon enough, the family found out they were expecting another baby. Can you imagine how excited the family was when they found out they were pregnant? No matter how many kids you already have, finding out you’re expecting another is super exciting and the Dunstan family couldn’t wait to share the news with their friends and family.

And they were about to receive some shocking news during the first ultrasound that would change their lives forever. Chloe and Ro sure weren’t ready for what happened next.

First Ultrasound

At six weeks pregnant, the Dunstans were ready to see the first images of their baby. But when the ultrasound tech started working, she saw not one, but two babies. How exciting!

“Okay so what I see is a baby over here and a baby over here …", the ultrasound tech told Chloe who described her experience on Instagram.

Naturally Chloe responded by crying and shaking and said, "You mean like twins??"

Image via @chloeandbeans / IG

And just a few minutes later, after Chloe had collected herself, the ultrasound tech was about to give her more surprising news that would fill her with both excitement and fear.

Not One, Not Two, But Three Babies!

While the expecting parents were processing having not one, but two babies, before they could catch a breath, the ultrasound tech was about to share some even bigger news.

The tech moved the want over a bit and said, "and there's another one here", Chloe shared on Instagram while recalling the story of the first ultrasound.

That’s right, they were expecting not one, not two, but three babies—triplets! Can you imagine expecting one healthy baby, but finding out you were going to have three?

But Chloe’s initial excitement about having a baby, quickly turned into fear and she even asked the tech, "That's it, right? There's no more?"

Chloe was shocked by the news and she was in tears and they weren’t happy ones.

Experiencing Every Emotion

The expecting parents were experiencing every emotion possible. They were both overwhelmed with fear and overjoyed with happiness. After hearing the news, Chloe was shaking and Ro was speechless.

While the family was excited about having three babies, they were aware of the complications and risks that come with having multiple pregnancies, including the babies being born a month or two early. Their babies were due September 22, 2015, but it was likely they would come sooner.

Image via @chloeandbeans / IG

Because Chloe and Ro knew that there was a possibility of complications, they were hesitant to celebrate. And they still had a lot of revelations in store for them during the pregnancy.

Baby Announcement

The expecting parents couldn’t wait to share the news with their friends and family and they got some help from their three boys who made the baby announcement.

Evan, Otto, and Felix posed with three baby dolls for the Instagram announcement that read, “lots of chaos and lots of trouble all the fun is about to double. We are expecting no one, not two … but three little babies to join our crew!”

How incredibly cute!

Image via @chloeandbeans / IG

But while the Dunstans couldn’t wait to tell their loved ones about their triplets, they were about to receive some difficult news.

Two Boys and a Girl

A few weeks later, the Dunstans were ready to find out the sex of their babies. Would they finally have a girl, like they dreamed of?

During another ultrasound, the family found out that they were finally going to have the girl they were hoping for as the triplets were two boys and a girl!

Image via @chloeandbeans / IG

While the Dunstans were elated to hear the wonderful news, because they were having three babies, they were still worried and had some concerns.

Three Heartbeats

Over the next few months, the expecting parents prepared to turn their family of five into a family of eight, with three new babies on the way.

Chloe started shopping for the babies, buying them the most adorable, little onesies, drinking bottles, pants, shirts, and hats.

She even began using a home heartbeat monitor to hear the babies. And she was relieved when she found all three heartbeats at one time. How exciting!

Image via @chloeandbeans / IG

And while the family was getting used to the idea of having triplets, nothing could have prepared them for the news they were about to receive during the second trimester scan.

Babies’ Development

A few months later, Chloe and Ro came in for a second trimester 3D scan. Concerned yet hopeful, they weren't ready for the news they received from the doctors that day—apparently, their little girl was in danger.

The scan taught them that one boy was the biggest, measuring in the 80th percentile, and his brother was just above the 50th percentile—both great measurements for triplets.

Unfortunately, the girl was tiny, measuring in the 10th percentile, a few weeks behind where she should be.

The Unthinkable

Can you imagine having to decide which of your babies to save? How do you even go about trying to come up with a solution you can live with?

While the Dunstans had two healthy baby boys who would benefit from staying in the womb a few more months, their sister wasn’t doing well and staying a few months longer wasn’t an option for her.

Image via @chloeandbeans / IG

But Chole just couldn’t bear the thought of letting her little girl go.

Risk Worth Taking

And it was time for the family to make a choice—would Chloe deliver early or carry the babies to term?

Aware that their baby girl’s only chance at surviving was to deliver all three babies three months early, Chloe decided it was a risk worth taking.

“I will live with guilt for the rest of my life for being responsible for giving them a disadvantaged start at life—but I feel the guilt and sadness of letting her go would have been much greater … I just feel like she deserved a chance”, Chloe told Daily Mail Australia.

“This was the easiest and yet the hardest decision I've ever made,” she added.

Image via @chloeandbeans / IG

But would the family regret this decision once the due date came closer?

Going Against the Doctor’s Wishes

Even though the decision to deliver early was easy for the Dunstans, the baby girl, who was named Pearl, was still not doing well. Her growth continued to be restricted and her umbilical cord wasn’t working as it should have been. The family was still dealing with the possibility of her not making it.

And at 28 weeks, the doctor wasn’t quite ready to deliver and wanted to hold off another day or two. Although Chloe respected the doctor’s opinion, she wasn’t ready to risk her daughter’s life and she decided to stand up for herself and her daughter by requesting that the babies come out immediately.

Image via @chloeandbeans / IG

After a long conversation, the doctor agreed to deliver the babies that day, even though she didn’t agree with Chloe’s choice. Pearl had already struggled to make it to 28 weeks and Chloe was willing to do whatever it took to save her daughter’s life.

The Delivery

Thankfully, Chloe’s choice to deliver the triplets early and go against her doctor’s wishes paid off.

At just 28 weeks, on July 3, 2015, the Dunstans welcomed three miracle babies. Henry Magnus was the largest at just over 3 pounds, Rufus Murphy came in at 2 pounds 6 ounces, and Pearl was 1 pound 5 ounces.

Fighting for Her Life

Because the triplets were delivered extremely prematurely, all three babies ended up needing blood transfusions, but as expected, Pearl had the hardest time.

The beautiful baby girl had a PDA in her heart, a pulmonary hemorrhage, a minor brain bleed, metabolic bone disease, and she was fighting an infection. She had trouble digesting milk and had to be taken off feeds a few times. But the main issue was in her liver and she was extremely jaundice. She was even hooked up to a ventilator during the first few weeks.

Image via @chloeandbeans / IG

Pearl was out of the womb, but now that she was delivered, she was fighting for her life. The family still wasn’t sure if their daughter would make it.

Born a Fighter

Thankfully, the PDA closed up on its own after Pearl was given medication for it and she didn’t need surgery. The infection also cleared up after she received antibiotics. The latest scan of her liver even showed that everything was looking much better.

Because Pearl was born so small, her organs were underdeveloped and she was facing a lot of potential problems. But the tiny baby girl proved that she was a fighter and she wasn’t going to give up that easily.

Image via @chloeandbeans / IG

Things were finally starting to look up for the tiny Pearl.

Getting Stronger

Because the babies were born at just 28 weeks, they had to stay in the NICU until they were strong enough to come home. Like any new parents, the Dunstans were eager to take their triplets home, but they had to wait a few weeks until they could bring their precious babies home to their three young kids who couldn’t wait to meet their new brothers and sister.

Image via @chloeandbeans / IG

Can you imagine carrying three babies in your stomach for 28 weeks and after delivering them being told you couldn’t take them home for weeks? What a strange feeling it must have been for the Dunstans to have to return home without their babies, especially when Pearl’s health was so up in the air.

Splitting Time

We can’t even begin to imagine how hard it was for Chloe and Ro to leave the hospital without their newborn triplets. And over the next few months they had to split their time between visiting their babies in the hospital and staying home with their three young children. They must have been exhausted!

Most of the time they visited the babies separately so one of them could stay with their three other children. The new parents were feeling the pressure of being in two places at one time.

Image via @chloeandbeans / IG

“I think emotionally being pulled between home and the hospital is what's hardest of all. I feel like we aren't with the babies enough but I feel like we aren't with our boys enough,” Chloe said to Daily Mail Australia. “I just can't wait until they're all together with us at home.”

Boys’ Homecoming

And after nine long weeks in the hospital, that must have seemed like forever to the Dunstans, they finally got to bring their precious baby boys, Henry and Rufus, home.

But this homecoming was bittersweet because they had to leave their baby girl, Pearl, in the NICU. It must have been hard for the parents to leave Pearl in the hospital, but they knew she needed to get bigger and stronger before she could come home.

Image via @chloeandbeans / IG

And they didn’t have to wait much longer for their family to finally be together.

A Family of Eight

After 11 long weeks, Pearl was finally strong enough to come home and reunite with her brothers!

The family couldn’t have been more thrilled to bring the beautiful baby girl home, who was now healthy. Pearl was nothing short of a miracle and she managed to defy the odds.

“Today is the best day … The day our family is finally complete. Today is the first day of the rest of our lives as a family of EIGHT! We are so happy and so blessed!!!”, Chloe wrote on Instagram.

Image via @chloeandbeans / IG

After being born on July 3, 2015 the triplets were finally reuniting on September 18, 2015. And that wasn’t the only amazing thing about this miracle birth.

Home at Last

What’s even more special is that all three babies made it home before their September 22, 2015 due date! How cool is that?

Chloe and Ro were parents to triplets, who were now healthy enough to leave the hospital and be on their own. They were always hopeful that Henry and Rufus would be home before their due date, but they thought that Pearl would be staying in the hospital a bit longer.

Image via @chloeandbeans / IG

Pearl, who was much smaller than her brothers, was finally sleeping next to them, and the triplet’s older brothers couldn’t wait to bond with them.

Brotherly Bonding

The triplets were now home with no known health issues, but Pearl was still on several medications, mostly extra vitamins, to keep her healthy.

Between feeding, changing, and putting the babies to sleep, Chloe and Ro had their hands full. Not to mention the three other boys they had all under the age of four. They had to make time for their older boys who enjoy feeding and holding their little brothers and sister. The three boys even seemed to be helping their parents care for their siblings. How adorable is that?

Social Media Famous

Throughout it all, Chloe documented the family’s journey on social media, letting the world in on the whole process.

From the first ultrasound where she found out that she was having three babies through the second trimester scan where she found out that Pearl was underdeveloped to delivering the babies and finally bringing them home.

To date, the family’s Facebook page titled Chloe and Beans has more than 50,000 likes and Chloe’s Instagram titled chloeandbeans has a total of 415,000 followers. Now that’s pretty amazing for people who aren’t celebrities. The family even has a YouTube page titled Life with Beans that they joined in March 2016, which has almost 250,000 subscribers.

In addition to giving the world a view of the very real struggles of multiple pregnancies, the Dunstans weren’t afraid to ask for help along the way.

Asking for Help

Having one baby is expensive, but can you imagine expecting to have one and finding out you’re carrying three? While Chloe and Ro prepared for the financial burden of having four children, they weren’t ready for six. So, they asked for help.

Along with some friends, they developed a fundraising page called Chloe & Ro's Journey To A Whole Lotta Love on Indiegogo to help them better deal with the financial responsibility of adding three more to their family of five. They even shared their story to help connect with potential donors.

In total, they raised $6,030! Now that’s amazing. The money was used for all things that come with having newborns like childcare, house cleaning, car seats, cots, blankets, bottles, wipes, and diapers.

Image via @chloeandbeans / IG

The family couldn’t have been more grateful for all the support they got along the way.

Support of Others

While many of us struggle to ask for help, sometimes it can make all the difference. It takes a whole lot of strength and courage to do so.

And the Dunstans haven’t taken the generosity they’ve received for granted, even though it took them some time to realize that there’s nothing wrong with asking for help.

“It's taken some time to learn that accepting help is nothing to be ashamed of and we are really very grateful for everything we've received, and the emotional support has been amazingly overwhelming and wonderful,” Chloe told Daily Mail Australia.

“Every day I'm amazed by how kind and generous and caring people can be, even people that have never met you. It's really just so beautiful.”

Image via @chloeandbeans / IG

And they had at least one more blessing in store for them.

Family of 10

The three triplets have grown into happy, healthy children and in May 2020, Chloe announced that they were welcoming two more children into the family. Henry, Rufus, and Pearl would no longer be the youngest ones in the family. The Dunstans were expecting twins!

Just a few months later in July, the triplets celebrated their fifth birthday. And on October 28, 2020, the family of eight became a family of 10.

Cosmo Wilfred was born weighing 6 pounds 6 ounces and Sylvie weighed 5 pounds 1 ounce. Pearl was no longer the only girl in the family. How sweet.

Image via @chloeandbeans / IG

We can only wonder if the family of 10 will stop at 10 or if they’ll keep on going, adding more precious blessings into their home.

Any Regrets?

Chloe and Ro Dunstan had to make one of the hardest decisions no parent should ever have to decide—should they deliver dangerously early, putting all three babies at risk or continue the pregnancy as normal, with a strong possibility of losing the girl. And they chose the former, delivering early.

But do they ever regret the decision they made?

“I feel guilty for having the boys delivered when they were growing so well in the womb. But Pearl would have died if we didn't deliver early, so I will never regret that,” the mom told Daily Mail Australia.

Image via @chloeandbeans / IG

“I do remember briefly considering the alternative of letting her go so her brothers could continue to grow strong and healthy and have the best start in life, but now that she's here, my heart hurts at the thought of not having her in our lives.”

Happy Ending

There’s clearly a lot of love in the Dunstan family and it’s truly heartwarming to hear about triplets who defied the odds, being delivered early, and are now three happy five-year-old children.

Image via @chloeandbeans / IG

While Chloe and Ro made the choice to have the three babies early, which showed a lot of faith and determination, we have to also acknowledge the doctors and nurses who fought hard for the triplets and gave them amazing care as well as everyone who helped the parents along the way. Without the joint effort of a bunch of people, this uplifting story wouldn’t have been possible.

Doctors Were Baffled By What They Discovered In This Woman’s Delivery Room

Some Exciting News

In September of 2017, Nicole Ziesemer got some really exciting news—she was pregnant and expecting her first child! The soon-to-be mom couldn’t wait to share the great news with her husband and the love of her life, Matt, but she didn’t want to just spring the news on him during a normal conversation.

As soon as she would share that she was pregnant, this was going to be a life changing for the both of them, and so she decided to do something cute and creative to surprise him.

She just had no idea how big of a surprise was awaiting them.

“It Was All New to Me”

Even if you’re trying to have a baby, it’s still somehow so surprising to see that positive result on your pregnancy test. Nicole was overjoyed that she was pregnant, and wanted Matt to be just as pleasantly surprised as she was to find out.

“This was my first pregnancy, and it was all new to me," Nicole revealed to ABC’s WZZM 13.

She couldn’t wait to share this wonderful news with Matt, and celebrate with him over Labor Day weekend, and immediately bought him a little surprise.

Nicole’s Big Reveal

Matt and Nicole Ziesemer had been together for half a decade, since 2012 when they met online. Nicole was so excited for her big reveal and couldn’t wait to give Matt her surprise gift.

“She gave me a shirt that said ‘World's Greatest Father’, and that's how I found out,” Matt enthusiastically shared with ABC’s WZZM 13. How adorable!

As you can imagine, the two were over the moon that Labor Day weekend, when they found out that Nicole was pregnant.

Image by Nicole Ziesemer / Facebook

But this was just the very first surprise of many to come.

An Exciting Start to Fall

The local Michigan couple was starting their autumn with some wonderful news, and couldn’t believe that in just a few months, they would be parents.

And apparently, Nicole actually learned she was expecting quite late in the pregnancy—her due date was January 30th, 2018, which meant that the soon-to-be parents had about five months to prepare their home for a newborn.

Image by Nicole Ziesemer / Facebook

And this wasn't the only news about their future child that they were late to learn. Because soon, the couple would be faced with some unexpected news that nobody saw coming.

Prepping for the Big Day

A couple of months went by and it was time for the holiday season! You can imagine just how much joy the family had that December, with just a few more weeks until Nicole and Matt welcomed their new little one into the world.

And with barely two months left until the big day, the couple had made sure to prepare with all of the essentials—a baby crib, a baby seat, and some adorable baby clothes.

Image by Nicole Ziesemer / Facebook

But that wasn’t the only thing that the couple had made sure to be extra-prepared for.

Doing Things Old School

Time was ticking, and as each day was going by, Nicole and Matt were getting closer and closer to the due date. And while it’s incredibly important to be physically prepared when you’re expecting a baby in terms of equipment, another important detail of the birth to decide is your birthing plan.

Image by Nicole Ziesemer / Facebook

The couple—who wanted to stay away from doctors and hospitals as much as possible—decided that they wanted to do things old school, and have a natural birth in their very own home. They made sure to find a midwife to help them through the process and, of course, on the day of birth.

Sick on Christmas

It was the week of Christmas that Nicole unfortunately started to feel unwell. “Nicole had the flu [for] 3 days … so she had not eaten anything or really slept since Sunday,” Matt shared on his Facebook page.

But the flu was going to be the least of her worries.

Illustration. Image by Anastasiia Chepinska / Unsplash

Along with feeling ill, fatigued, and not being able to eat, she started to have really bad stomach pains, too. It wasn’t until a couple of days later on Friday that she realized just what was actually going on with her body.

36 Weeks Pregnant

In the middle of the night, Nicole’s water had broken, which meant that her pain during the past two days were actually contractions!

Since she was barely at 36 weeks, though, the couple was advised to go to the hospital, considering that a home birth was currently not safe for the baby.

Image by JESHOOTS.COM / Unsplash

“We decided to go to Gerber Hospital in Fremont because they work well with our midwife and think more on the natural side of things,” Matt further explained.

Your Body Does What it Needs to Do

The thing about giving birth and having a baby is that no matter how many books and videos you watch about it—you’ll never really be prepared for having kids. But even before your babies and kids are grown up, one of the trickiest parts of the pregnancy is the actual birth itself!

Image by Nicole Ziesemer / Facebook

Sometimes, your body just wants to do what it wants to do, and you can’t really know what will happen. And even though they needed to act fast and change their birth plan, the couple would quickly find out just how true the phrase “everything happens for a reason” really is.

A Midwestern's Midnight Winter Weather

Although they found a hospital that would be understanding of their personal preferences to do things as naturally as possibly, the hospital was also far away from them. And the midwestern midnight winter weather didn’t seem to be on their side, either.

Screenshot via WZZM 13

Matt revealed on his Facebook post, “I don’t know who remembers Thursday night into Friday, but along the lakeshore was a complete blizzard, so first I had to snowplow and snow blow the driveway, because we got 10 inches of snow and then we [drove] two hours to Fremont in a blizzard!”

A Few Hours Later

Nicole and Matt's night might seem to have gotten off to a rough start, but there was some good news heading their way.

By the time the couple got to the hospital and were situated in the room, around 3:30-4:00 A.M., Nicole’s contractions started to become stronger and more noticeable.

One Ultrasound

During the whole time that Nicole was in labor, she and the medical professionals did whatever they could to make sure this birth was as natural as possible. That included trying not to use any type of scans or tests to check-up on the baby.

However, for pure safety of the baby, Nicole agreed to an ultrasound at one point, and luckily, everything seemed to be okay for the little newborn—as far as they knew.

Illustration. Image by MedicalPrudens / Pixabay

However, as the hours passed by, the pain got worse, and Nicole was in urgent need of something to ease the pain and assist with the birth.

2.5 Hours Later

Even though it wasn’t part of her original birthing plan, thankfully, the epidural helped Nicole with the pain and her contractions.

“[Nicole] pushed for another 2.5 hrs after the epidural, and then the baby decided to start showing signs of stress for the first time, so at this point, Nicole and I are exhausted, ready to do whatever is necessary to get the baby out, so the doctor used a vacuum because of the higher heart rate,” Matt explained. What a wild ride so far!

But apparently, this was just the beginning.

Adapting to a New Situation

Can you imagine what Nicole and Matt must’ve been going through? At first, Nicole’s water had broken about a month earlier than expected. Then, instead of a natural birth at home they needed to drive two hours in a midnight blizzard storm to the hospital, only for poor Nicole to suffer through hours and hours of labor.

But don’t worry, the sweet and charming couple were about to get double the luck, in a way that nobody would’ve seen coming!

Welcome Baby Blakeley

The couple arrived at the hospital on Friday in the middle of the night, and finally, the happy couple was able to welcome their very first child into the world at 10:06 P.M. on Saturday, December 30th, 2017.

They named their beautiful daughter, Blakeley Faith Ziesemer. What a unique and beautiful name!

Screenshot via WZZM 13

But the sweet little baby weighed just four pounds and four ounces, almost half the size of an average newborn. And the parents were about to find out just why.

The Plot Thickens

The two were absolutely thrilled to have finally welcomed their baby daughter into the world.

“My wife was an absolute trooper!! I was so proud of her for what she went thru and how she dealt with the pain and everything … [and] I thank the entire staff at Gerber for all they did for us. They were great!!,” Matt proudly shared on his Facebook page. How sweet!

But right before they thought that this wild ride was over, there was still one more twist and turn left.

The Doctor’s Unbelievable Discovery

Nicole had just given birth to her adorable little girl, and the new proud mama just needed some minor stitching. But right as the obstetrician started working on the placenta, the medical team realized something almost impossible had become possible.

Everyone thought they had just witnessed and experienced the miracle of life, but it turns out that there was something different awaiting them all.

Screenshot via WZZM 13

Because as the doctor checked Nicole to make sure everything was fine, she noticed something that wasn't supposed to be there.

Double the Trouble, Double the Fun

What was going on? Dr. Megan Forshee, Nicole’s doctor, shared with WZZM 13: “I reached in to check the patient and realized there was a head.” Surprise! The doctor told the happy couple that there was still another baby inside.

"We thought [Dr. Forshee] was joking and she was like, 'I don't lie about these things'," Nicole explained to WZZM 13.

Turns out that Nicole and Matt were in for a real double the trouble, double the fun kind of surprise—another baby!

Screenshot via WZZM 13

How was this even possible?

“The Entire Floor of The Hospital Was in Our Room”

As soon as they realized that Nicole was actually carrying twins, it was time to prepare for the second delivery.

Since the couple’s family was outside of the delivery room, they had no idea what was actually going on. They wondered if everything was okay, since they could see people coming and going from the room.

Matt further revealed on his Facebook post, “the entire floor of the hospital was in our room, it was packed, just making sure everything was going to be ok. It was crazy!”

Meet Baby No. 2

“Nicole, thinking she was done, has to push again, and now her epidural had worn off, so her back pain was awful, but she did it,” Matt explained on his post.

At 11:05 P.M., exactly 59 minutes after baby Blakeley Faith was born, the couple happily welcomed their son, Cade Matthew, into the world!

Baby Cade weighed 5 pounds, which means that together the twins weighed 9.5 pounds.

After almost two days of being in labor, baby Blakeley was born in an incredibly healthy condition. But what about baby Cade?

Seeing a Ghost

How wild is it that this whole time, nobody knew that Nicole was having twins? The couple tried to keep medical check-ups at a minimum, which might explain why nobody knew in the beginning of the pregnancy what was about to come. But how did they not know after doing the ultrasound when Nicole was in labor?

“It was just a shell shocker because no one was expecting it, everyone in the room thought they had seen a ghost," Nicole shared with WWZM 13.

Screenshot via WZZM 13

And while everybody was speechless and in awe about this double miracle, the medical team needed to focus on taking care of baby Cade after the birth.

Hide-and-Seek

It turns out that baby Cade was actually playing a little game of hide-and-seek, and was literally hiding behind his sister during the ultrasound, which is why nobody knew he was even there. What are the odds?

But even in this unbelievable situation, the medical team needed to put their shock aside, and focus on baby Cade.

Matt explained on his post, “Since he was pushed out so quickly and never had contractions really, his lungs and fluid in his lungs didn’t come out as good as his sister's.” But not to worry, he was in good hands!

Two of Everything

Both of the newborns had a few medical issues to tackle on, but within a week, they were both happy, healthy, and ready to be taken home!

Speaking of their home, though, "my first thought after delivering the second baby, 'oh crap!' we need a second crib, a second car seat, a second everything," Nicole confessed with WZZM 13.

Tons of Twists & Turns

The whole entire weekend was filled with all sorts of twists and turns for the new parents. And once Nicole finally gave birth to their very first child, a whole new plot twist appeared.

And while their first thoughts might’ve been a bit of worry of how they were going to take care of two kids, it quickly went away once they actually got to see and hold their new twin babies.

“This has been one of the best days of my life, and also one of the biggest emotional rollercoasters I have ever been on,” Matt wrote on his post.

Surprising the Family

The happy couple decided to surprise their family in a very similar way to how they were surprised!

They gathered everyone in their room, along with some of the hospital staff that were beyond excited about this beautiful moment.

Off to the side was one twin in the hospital crib, and hidden underneath the blankets with mama Nicola was the other twin. As soon as Nicole opened up and showed the family what was under the baby blanket, everyone was in shock and couldn’t believe that there was another little family member added to the family tree. Talk about precious!

Everything Happens for a Reason

Twins are such a special and unique phenomenon, and Matt and Nicole were beyond grateful, and can’t imagine what their life would be like without these two adorable cuties.

But another thing the family learned through the three-day madness, was that everything truly happens for a reason—and that reason is for your benefit. Who knows what would’ve happened with the two twins if Nicole had a home birth?

Image by Nicole Ziesemer / Facebook

“Even though I’m more of a natural person, things happen for reasons, and there are definitely times for medical intervention and this was one of those times,” Matt confessed.

More Medical Issues

Speaking of medical issues and intervention, this wasn’t the end of the story.

Remember how we mentioned that the little bundles of love had a couple of medical issues to power through their first week?

Image via Nicole Ziesemer / Facebook

It turns out that they detected some respiratory issues as soon as Cade was born. “Since he was pushed out so quickly and never had contractions really his lungs and fluid in is lungs didn’t come out as good as his sister’s,” Matt shared in his original post.

Good News for the New Year

Nobody expected Nicole to be carrying twins, so when she gave birth to two babies, the team of doctors needed to be extra prepared to take care of two newborns at once.

Thankfully, the staff was incredible and able to help out each of the babies heal properly after the unexpected surprise birth.

Image by Nicole Ziesemer / Facebook

Within a few days, baby Cade’s breathing problem was almost healed, and Blakeley was showing signs that she would be stable enough to go home soon. Talk about some good news for the start of the new year!

Two Tough Warriors

At the start of the new year, Matt excitingly shared, “Cade was taken off his ventilator today and put on a CPAP. This is great news and some major progress to the healing of his lungs and improvement of breathing!! Blakeley is a little jaundice but doing great other than that and we are hoping she is released tomorrow! Thank you all for your continued support!!!”

Image via @ziesemernicole / IG

By January 2nd, Cade was already breathing on his own and was taken off the CPAP. How heart-warming! And while both twins were proving to be two tough warriors, unfortunately, his twin sister was still dealing with some of her own issues.

Blakeley’s Bacterial Infection

While baby Cade was dealing with respiratory issues, baby Blakeley was dealing with a bacterial infection.

“We were really hoping to bring Blakeley Home tonight, but unfortunately the MDs are still concerned with her very first blood culture being positive,” Matt updated everyone on his post on January 2nd. The doctors prescribed her antibiotics for the next week, but even after the first day, she was showing signs of improvement.

Image via @ziesemernicole / IG

But if there’s anybody who should get the trophy for stronger member of the family, it might be Matt, for being the rock for everyone!

Team of Troopers

The two tough twin warriors were proving that they could take on whatever the world was throwing at them! Each day they were doing better and better, and by January 5th, the proud father and loving husband updated the world with some more good news.

“Both kids are doing great!! We are hoping that Cade is released tomorrow!!! As long as he takes his bottle the next 24 hrs that will happen!! He is off all breathing supplements and his IV!!!!! Blakeley is doing wonderful as well! 2 more days of antibiotics and she should be home on Sunday!!!”

Image via @ziesemernicole / IG

Just by the exclamation points alone, you can image how excited Matt was. How precious!

Reuniting at Home

The adorable newborns and mama Nicole made a quick recovery, and the family was able to reunite at home in no time.

There’s no doubt that going from expecting one baby to actually having two babies came with many challenges, but we’re sure the positive power couple was able to tackle it all together as one, big happy family!

Image by Nicole Ziesemer / Facebook

Plus, they’ve had tons of support from their loved ones, their community, and the beautifully kind people on the Internet.

If you thought there couldn't possibly be a crazier pregnancy story, comes Eliza Curby who just a few weeks after the birth of her child started to feel odd.

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

So, she did what any reasonable woman would—she went back to her doctor. But when he looked at her ultrasound, he said "you can't be serious."

You never really know if your dreams will come true, but if this love story shows us anything, it’s that if it’s meant to be, the things you want most will find a way into your life in the most unexpected and amazing way.

Eliza and Ben Curby’s love story seems to be straight out of a movie — meeting at a cafe and falling in love quickly, when Eliza found out she was pregnant, everything seemed to be going just perfect.

But soon after she gave birth to her beautiful baby, things took an unexpected turn. Can Eliza and Ben deal with the surprises that life threw at them?

Read on to find out.

Eliza Curby’s Life-Long Dream

Eliza Curby was born and raised down under, in Sydney, Australia. She had always dreamt of having some kiddos of her own one day. And the older she got, the more and more excited at the idea she became.

Image via Eliza Cooper Curby/Facebook

And even though she always imagined she would have a big family, she had no idea that it would happen the way that it did. But long before she achieved her life-long dream of becoming a loving mother, Eliza was hard at work trying to build the perfect life for herself.

Working at a Café

In the early ‘00s, Eliza didn't know what she wanted to do in life but just like other teens, she enrolled in college. From 2002, she attended the independent school of Brigidine College St. Ives, but once 2007 came around she felt like it was time for a change.

Image via Eliza Cooper Curby/Facebook

Once she reached her mid-20s, she found herself working at a local café, grinding the days away with her work friends. Little did she know, that this café would unknowingly turn out to be one of the most important and life changing places of her life.

Boy Meets Girl

“Rushing around the busy cafe where I worked, I noticed our regular, Ben, the second he walked in,” Eliza Curby told That’s Life! Magazine. Before she knew it, the two would fall in love, as if they were straight out of a romantic “Boy Meets Girl” type of movie.

Girl works at café. Boy walks into café to order coffee. Boy continues to come in to order coffee. Boy and girl slowly fall for each other in secrecy.

Image via Eliza Cooper Curby/Facebook

Or at least, they thought it was a secret.

Those Electric Blue Eyes

“Although I kept my crush to myself at first, my workmates soon caught on. ‘Here comes your husband,’ they’d joke,” Eliza revealed. But in all honesty, this definitely seemed like more than just a crush. It literally was love at first sight, and anytime that Eliza got to make eye-contact with his beautiful blue eyes, her heart would melt. And you know what they say, right? Eyes are the windows to the soul.

A Wintertime Deal

It was clear to everyone at work that Eliza was head over heels for this man with beautiful blue eyes. But the two had never really spent more than 10-15 minutes talking with each other since they only interacted while she was at her place of work.

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

But once wintertime came around, Ben would give Eliza a surprising offer that she just couldn’t refuse. One that would give her a chance to show Ben just how much she cared, and how much he could truly trust her.

The Most Personal and Intimate Space

“In December 2014, Ben asked if I’d like to house-sit at his place while he went away,” Eliza shared. Ooh la la! Asking someone to house-sit for you is quite a big deal – you can’t just ask anybody, after all.

And this wasn’t just Ben’s house, this was his home. Which is basically the most personal and intimate space anybody really has. Right?

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

Eliza wasn’t sure how she felt about him, but was more than happy to do this favor while he was out of town during the holiday season.

A Thank-You Gift

Before the house-sitting offer came about, Eliza didn’t really know what to think about Ben, or how he felt. But once he returned home, everything seemed to change.

“When he returned after two weeks with a bracelet for me, I realized he was into me too,” Eliza shared.

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

Not only did he gift her a bracelet, but he also invited her to stay for dinner that night as well – giving them a chance to actually talk and get to know each other on a more personal and intimate level. How exciting!

From Coffee Shop Crush to Hot Date

Can you imagine how Eliza must’ve felt? Not only did her little coffee shop crush buy her some beautiful jewelry as a Thank-You gift, but he also invited her for a hot dinner date. Talk about a love rush!

And if Ben’s feelings about Eliza were unclear before, by the end of the night, they were about to be crystal clear.

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

“As we shared dinner together that night, it was the first time we’d spoken for more than 15 minutes! Then we shared our first kiss,” Eliza revealed. How romantic!

Their Ideal Families

It’s absolutely reasonable to want to know if the person you’re dating wants to have kids in the future or not – it’s known to be one of the biggest deal breakers for many couples, and with good reason.

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

But it turned out that Ben and Eliza were pretty much on the same page when it came to having a family! There was just one differences in the details of their ideal family dream, but it didn’t seem to necessarily be a deal breaker for either one of them.

Taking Things to the Next Level

It might’ve taken them a little bit of time to transition from their barista-customer dynamic to dating, but once they crossed over that threshold, everything zoomed like a rocket of love.

“Twelve years my senior, Ben wasn’t afraid to talk about the future. After just a month, we openly spoke about starting a family together. While Ben loved the idea of having two kids, I always dreamed of having a whole brood,” Eliza confessed.

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

Little did they know, that their actual family would turn out to be beyond anything they could ever imagine.

Relationship Tests

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. And as good as things were going for the puppy love couple, by the time three months had passed, their relationship would be met with another test.

We all know that having conversations about commitment and big life plans is one big step to take in a relationship – and the two lovebirds flew through it with flying colors.

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

But another big test to a relationship that’s usually overlooked, is handling and taking care of your partner should they get sick.

Being Vulnerable & Weak for the First Time

Whether it’s food poisoning from date night or the harsh winter flu, being sick is never fun. And unfortunately, sometimes, being sick can add even more stress to a new and blossoming relationship.

Especially, since it might be the first time you’re put in a position of being so vulnerable and weak in front of the person you want to impress and like so much. And vice-versa, it can add extra pressure onto the caretaker to make sure they do the right job of taking care of their new flame.

Image by Isabella and Louisa Fischer/Unsplash

And three months into their fiery and passionate relationship, Eliza had fallen ill, leaving them with a brand-new challenge.

Breaking the News to Ben

It’s safe to say that no matter how close you feel with someone, and no matter how long you’ve known them, revealing big news like this can be a bit nerve wrecking. But Eliza was so excited and felt so confident about it all, that she couldn’t wait to tell Ben.

“Sharing the news with Ben, he wrapped me in his arms. Our family was starting sooner than we had planned, but we were over the moon,” Eliza eagerly explained.

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

But this was just the beginning of the big surprises that would be sprung on the puppy love couple.

The Next Nine Months

This was in no way even close to how they had imagined starting a family together, but that’s what made it that much more special.

The happy couple spent the next nine months prepping for a brand-new lifestyle and home together. From baby clothes shopping to booking all the necessary appointments and check-ups, the dynamic duo couldn’t have been happier about how everything worked out.

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

With each day that passed, they fell even harder for each other, and got even more excited about their adorable little bun in the oven.

Welcome Baby Charlie!

The big day arrived, and Eliza’s water broke! The happy couple rushed to the hospital to welcome their new baby into the world. After a C-section surgery, on January 2016, Eliza and Ben welcomed their beautiful baby daughter, Charlie, to the family.

“With big pink lips and blonde curly hair, she looked just like my sister, Suzannah,” Eliza emotionally recalled.

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

Within a year, the two went from flirty coffee shop friends to loving parents. They fell in love with their baby faster than each other, and couldn’t get enough of her!

A Smooth Transition

Fortunately enough, the adjustment from soon-to-be-parents to first-time-parents seemed to be quite smooth for Ben and Eliza. “After the first two weeks, our gorgeous girl was sleeping really well,” Eliza light-heartedly shared. Talk about lucky!

There’s no doubt that this proud mama was truly embracing her motherhood. She felt so blessed to have such a sweet girl, that she was inspired and felt ready to go back to school.

Image via Eliza Cooper Curby/Facebook

Little did she know, that life was getting ready to hit the happy couple with another surprise or two.

Mentally Ready for Anything

Even though they were still in the early stages of dating when they first got pregnant, it’s safe to say that the following months truly heightened and strengthened their love.

Eliza and Ben felt on top of the world, and ready for anything. They wanted to best life for Charlie, and a short six weeks after their precious daughter was born, Eliza found herself back at university.

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

But just because Eliza was mentally ready to take on obtaining a degree, didn’t mean she was physically ready.

Feeling Sick Immediately

Before welcoming their child into the world, every parent worries about what things will be like once they are born. And even though Eliza wanted to be a mother more than anything, she still had some natural concerns. But after the first couple of weeks of parenting, Eliza thought to herself, “This isn’t so hard after all.”

Because of that, she felt ready to take on more, and started classes again. However, Eliza disclosed that, “Almost immediately, I felt lethargic again and suffered frequent headaches.”

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

Oh no! What did this mean?

A Little Bit of Stress

As soon as Eliza started to feel a bit ill, she contacted Ben. What could be wrong with her? She had been feeling fine for the past month and a half, so what could’ve triggered her to feel so weak?

“I’m sure you’ve just taken on too much too soon,” Ben suggested to Eliza.

Image via Eliza Cooper Curby/Facebook

While Ben’s rationalization made a lot of sense, Eliza had a feeling deep down that it was something much bigger than a little bit of extra stress.

A Sign of Something Else

Stress can be the basis and a big factor for many illnesses, but Eliza had a feeling her lethargic symptoms and headaches were a sign of something else.

“‘I think I might be pregnant,’ I admitted to Ben,” Eliza revealed.

Ben was set on it being stress, but Eliza felt like the only logical explanation was the fact that she indeed might be pregnant.

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

Regardless of who was right though, there was a very quick way to find out if Eliza was actually sick with something, or blessed with the miracle of life, again.

Taking Another Test

Eliza had just given birth to her first child a month and a half before she started to feel ill. It’s definitely possible to get pregnant right away, but was that the case with Eliza?

Image by Anthony Macchio/Pixabay

Just like the year before, she got herself a pregnancy test, and awaited the results just like the time before. No matter how many tests you take, those few minutes waiting to see the results of a pregnancy test can always be some of the longest minutes of your life. And even more so, since Eliza didn’t understand how it could be possible to be pregnant again so soon.

The Second Round of Results

The results were in, and the pregnancy test displayed two pink lines in the result window – meaning that she was in fact pregnant!

Eliza was just as excited as the first time around, and knew that together, her and Ben could conquer anything. “With an eight-week-old already at home, it was going to be a challenge, but Charlie was such a dream baby,” Eliza further shared.

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

But it was what happened at the very first ultrasound that was even more shocking than the test results.

The Second Round of Ultra-Sounds

As soon as Eliza got the results from the at-home pregnancy test, the couple immediately called the doctor and arranged an appointment for later that day.

The arrived to the office, and got situated in the examination room for their second round of “the first” ultrasound.

“As the wand glided across my belly, the doctor said something that made me laugh out loud… Ben had been happily cradling Charlie in his arms but now his face was as white as a ghost,” Eliza shared.

Image by MedicalPrudens/Pixabay

What did the doctor reveal?

News They’ve Never Heard Before

All parents just want their babies to come out safe and healthy, which is why it’s important to always stay up-to-date on your doctor appointments. It seemed like only yesterday the couple was doing their routine check-ups for when Eliza was pregnant with Charlie, but what the doctor was about to reveal to them was something neither of them had ever heard before.

"‘It’s still too early to be sure, but I think there’s two heartbeats,’ [the obstetrician] admitted,” Eliza shared.

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

As much as Eliza wanted to have a bunch of little ones running around, even she herself didn’t believe the doctor. “‘I’m sure there’s a mistake,’” Eliza said.

One Little Bun or Double the Fun

The obstetrician notified them that upon their arrival next month, they would know for sure if she should be expecting one little bun in the oven, or double the fun.

So one month later, the couple returned to the office, and did another ultrasound.

Eliza further revealed, “‘There’s definitely two,’ [the obstetrician] grinned. ‘How on earth are we going to cope?’ I panicked. Back at home, I googled three babies under one, hoping for some advice. But there was nothing.”

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

If the glorious powers of Google weren’t of any use, then what would be?

The People of the Internet

We’re now living in an age where the Internet is one of the best tools to utilize when it comes to literally anything in your life. But alas, Eliza was having trouble finding any help via Google.

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

So instead, she turned to the innovative people of the Internet, and decided to be the main source of help. “I decided to start my own blog, Twingenuity, to connect with other mothers who’d given birth to multiples,” Eliza excitingly shared.

The Universe’s Gift to the Happy Couple

Eliza had found a way to express all of her excitement and struggles during her pregnancy, while also connecting with other mothers who were going through something similar.

Overall, she was in shock about how her family had quickly come together. About a year prior, the couple had the big conversation about having a family together, indicating that even if they weren’t ready right then and there, it was definitely something on their minds.

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

With all of that said, it seemed like somehow, someway, the universe had given them exactly what they wanted.

One Year, Two Pregnancies, and Three Babies

Nine months later, in December 2016, the excited couple welcomed not one, but two identical baby boys into the world.

Within one year, the couple had gone through two pregnancies, and now had three beautiful babies to call their own. Unbelievable!

Before Eliza had given birth, she had light-heartedly joked with her family and friends, “I feel like I’ve been pregnant for years!”. And now that they had baby Charlie, Jack, and Wolfe to take care of, she jokingly mentioned, “It’s like we’ve got triplets!”

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

So how were they going to manage this all on their own?

The Dynamic Duo in Action

Raising kids is never easy. However, the first year is probably one of the most difficult ones. So, as long as they could get through that very first year, they figured everything would be smooth sailing.

And with their hands full of three babies under the age of one, the dynamic duo turned out to be an incredible team of parents together!

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

“Thankfully, [during the pregnancy] Ben was incredibly supportive and took over all the chores,” Eliza explained. And after the pregnancy, the two were keen on switching between feeding the babies and changing their diapers during the first year. How heart-warming!

Raising Little Duckies

“Once they started to walk and talk, they became the best of friends. Now, almost three years on, my babies have grown so much and have their own distinct personalities,” Eliza eagerly expressed.

Eliza and Ben are having the time of their lives parenting together, and enjoy every second of getting to know their cute little babies. And there’s no doubt that Charlie, Jack, and Wolfe love their amazing parents right back! “Following my footsteps wherever I go, they make me feel like a mother duck,” Eliza further explained. How cute!

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

Almost all of her dreams were complete, but there was still one last thing that the couple had in mind.

Letting Love Find a Way

Eliza and Ben had quite a full house filled with adorable little cuties running around! And even though they were killing it at the parenting game, Eliza and Ben still wanted to do one more thing to bring the family even closer together.

The heart-warming and inspiring couple decided they were ready to tie the knot, and were thrilled that their cute little duckies would be able to witness it!

“When Ben and I married in November last year, it was so special to have our kids as part of our big day,” Eliza emotionally expressed.

Spreading the Love

Eliza and Ben’s story went absolutely viral, and has touched so many people’s hearts. Along with their heart-warming story, the fact that Eliza has shared her own personal experience and tips via her personal blog, interviews with magazines and websites, and even podcasts, has helped out so many other parents out there.

Image via @twingenuity.co/IG

From what baby products to buy, to how to handle multiple babies at once, to just venting out about the struggles and frustrations of parenthood, Eliza felt that sharing her knowledge felt like one of her life’s callings.

You never really know if your dreams will come true, but if this love story shows us anything, it’s that if it’s meant to be, the things you want most will find a way into your life in the most unexpected and amazing way.

Eliza and Ben Curby’s love story seems to be straight out of a movie — meeting at a cafe and falling in love quickly, when Eliza found out she was pregnant, everything seemed to be going just perfect.

But soon after she gave birth to her beautiful baby, things took an unexpected turn. Can Eliza and Ben deal with the surprises that life threw at them?

Read on to find out.

Eliza Curby’s Life-Long Dream

Eliza Curby was born and raised down under, in Sydney, Australia. She had always dreamt of having some kiddos of her own one day. And the older she got, the more and more excited at the idea she became.

Image via Eliza Cooper Curby/Facebook

And even though she always imagined she would have a big family, she had no idea that it would happen the way that it did. But long before she achieved her life-long dream of becoming a loving mother, Eliza was hard at work trying to build the perfect life for herself.

Working at a Café

In the early ‘00s, Eliza didn't know what she wanted to do in life but just like other teens, she enrolled in college. From 2002, she attended the independent school of Brigidine College St. Ives, but once 2007 came around she felt like it was time for a change.