Rare identical triplets born at Saskatoon’s Royal University Hospital

Watch above: rare identical triplets were born in Saskatoon on Monday

SASKATOON – Some of the newest sisters in Saskatoon are identical triplets.

Aubrey, Madeline and Sophie Pocha were born Monday at Royal University Hospital.

“Yesterday there were three little cries and the whole pregnancy went insanely good,” said mother Teri-Lynn Pocha.

Multiples can be common for couples who are using fertility treatments, which sometimes causes women to ovulate several eggs.

Teri-Lynn, 23, and her husband Andrew weren’t on any treatment when they conceived – meaning their girls were derived from the splitting of a single egg.

“The fact that the three of them are all identical is what makes it so rare,” Teri-Lynn said.

She’s had a while to adjust to the news, finding out in her second trimester she was carrying triplets. According to records at Royal University Hospital, which date back 20 years, this has never happened until now.

Data on naturally conceived identical triplets is hard to find because it is such a rare occurrence. Some medical experts say it’s as rare as one-in-a-million births, and other statistics estimate it’s as rare as one in 10 million.

Delivered by caesarian after 35 weeks of pregnancy, the girls are in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) but are doing exceptionally well.

“The reason they’re in NICU is just to gain more weight cause they’re so tiny,” Teri-Lynn said.

The first born Aubrey weighed 4 lbs 7oz. Next was Madeline who’s 3 lbs 14oz. and last to arrive was Sophie, the smallest of the siblings at 3 lbs 13oz.

An anxious older brother and sister await them at home.

It’ll be a couple weeks before they’re discharged and the Pocha’s said they’ll use that time wisely.

“I’m tired and I might as well rest now while they have someone taking care of them,” Teri-Lynn said.

Andrew plans to come up with a way to differentiate between the girls.

“We’re going to have to paint their toenails different colours for the first while until we can figure out different quirks about them,” he said.