Mother gives birth to a million-to-one identical TRIPLETS that she conceived naturally

When Melany Basualdo calls her daughters one-in-a-million, she is not exaggerating.

The 32-year-old gave birth to identical triplets – now almost seven months old – in Buenos Aires, Argentina on August 5, 2023, in what doctors say is a rare occurrence.

Although most identical triplets are conceived through in vitro fertilization, the fact that Ms. Basualdo is so rare is that she conceived the trio naturally.

The three baby girls – Damaris, Aymara and Emily – were born ten weeks prematurely, which is typical of a multi-baby pregnancy because the protective membranes are more likely to rupture prematurely.

The girls were born naturally within moments of each other and ranged in weight from 3.4 pounds to 3.11 pounds – compared to the average 8.6 pounds at birth – although it is common for twins or triplets to be smaller .

After delivery, each baby was given oxygen to support the lungs and growing organs, but after a few weeks they were allowed to go home.

Pictured above is mother Melany (far left) and hospital staff with her three babies. They were on oxygen for a few weeks before they were allowed to go home

The three girls are “complicated” to care for, their mother said, even though they are all “very well-behaved.” They are now six months old

There are two types of multiple pregnancies: fraternal and identical.

Fraternal babies occur when multiple eggs are fertilized at the same time by different sperm, while identical pregnancies involve a fertilized egg splitting into two or more embryos that have the exact same genetic makeup.

In the case of the triplets in Argentina, one of their mother’s eggs was fertilized with one sperm and split into three embryos.

Approximately 4,300 triplets are born in the U.S. each year out of 3.9 million births—representing 0.1 percent of all recorded births.

But only a handful of these are identical, with only four reported in 2015 – which equates to one in a million.

Multiples are more common in IVF fertility procedures because more than one embryo is transferred back into the mother.

Although they are born at only 30 weeks (a full-term pregnancy is considered 39 to 41 weeks), more than 98 percent of children born at this stage survive because most of their organ systems are already well developed.

Ms Basualdo said caring for the three girls was “complicated” but they were “very well behaved”.

The babies are also small enough to share one crib.

The three girls use about 15 diapers a day, their mother said, and are currently all small enough to sleep in the same crib.

She announced their births to a local news station. In the background sits her mother Marcela Frias who said the babies are the “light of my life.”

Ms Basualdo said: ‘It’s a complicated job, but I’m handling it well. They behave very well.

‘Despite a complicated pregnancy, everything went well and they are healthy.

“I’m glad I have them, it’s a blessing, a huge source of pride for me.”

The mother did not detail her pregnancy complications, but women who carry multiple children are at greater risk for problems such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia – a condition that causes high blood pressure and can lead to damage to organ systems such as the kidneys. .

Mrs Basualdo’s mother Marcela Frias is also delighted with the births, saying: ‘This is the best thing that could have happened to us.

‘They are the light of my life, I love them with all my soul. They are my life.’

Local reports showed both mother and grandmother beaming as they held the babies for cameras.

Ms Basualdo’s story comes after a couple in England were ‘over the moon’ when they had identical triplets in March last year.

The three baby girls – named Harper-Gwen, Marvella and Evalynn – were conceived naturally and delivered nine weeks prematurely at York Hospital.

Jenni Casper, 27, and her husband James, 26, were initially told they were expecting twins, with the chances being about one in 250.

But the couple said they were left speechless when they discovered during a 12-week scan that they would be having triplets instead.

James, a bin collector from Selby, North Yorkshire in England, said the whole situation is a bit ‘surreal’ but ‘amazing’.

He said: “Now that we’re home and moved in with them, it’s a bit surreal.

“But we’re just overwhelmed and they’ve met their older sisters who are over the moon and so excited.”