rockin'robin
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Mother Of 11 Was At Higher Risk Having Had 2 Previous C-Sections
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Three babies are not what Valerie Hopkins expected.
At nearly 40-years old, Hopkins gave birth to triplets -- Tiara, Kiara and Ciara -- earlier this month.
"I just remember counting the babies as they was being pulled out," Hopkins said. "There's No. 1, there's No. 2, now hurry up and get No. 3 out."
The sisters add to her brood of eight other children, making it a total of 11 children she's taking care of.
This go-round, doctors classified Hopkins as high risk, and she feels carrying nearly 15 pounds of babies during pregnancy was by far the hardest part.
Hopkins is still holding strong, and the babies are healthy. Two weigh about 5 pounds and the other about 3 pounds.
"I'm feeling great. I'm feeling beautiful as ever," she said.
What put Hopkins at higher risk was not just her advanced maternal age but the fact that she was having triplets and had two prior C-sections.
"A woman with a multiple gestation pregnancy has an increased risk for preterm labor, premature rupture of membranes," said Dr. Charrell Thomas, an ob-gyn at Memorial Hospital.
Thomas said he realizes what Hopkins was up against and believes it's exceptional that everything went so well, especially because Hopkins had no help from fertility drugs.
"Having triplets naturally is rare," Thomas said. "The incidents are anywhere from 1 in 7,000 to 1 in 10,000 pregnancies of naturally occurring triplets."
Hopkins said she's meant to be a mother, and while some think three babies may be a burden, she considers them a blessing.
"I guess I'm used to this," she said. "After you've had eight, you learn how to juggle them around. I already know how to feed two at one time."
When it comes to shopping, Hopkins said she's always searching for bargains, but she's still counting on support from the rest of her family.
Woman, 39, Gives Birth To Triplets - Jacksonville News Story - WJXT Jacksonville
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Three babies are not what Valerie Hopkins expected.
At nearly 40-years old, Hopkins gave birth to triplets -- Tiara, Kiara and Ciara -- earlier this month.
"I just remember counting the babies as they was being pulled out," Hopkins said. "There's No. 1, there's No. 2, now hurry up and get No. 3 out."
The sisters add to her brood of eight other children, making it a total of 11 children she's taking care of.
This go-round, doctors classified Hopkins as high risk, and she feels carrying nearly 15 pounds of babies during pregnancy was by far the hardest part.
Hopkins is still holding strong, and the babies are healthy. Two weigh about 5 pounds and the other about 3 pounds.
"I'm feeling great. I'm feeling beautiful as ever," she said.
What put Hopkins at higher risk was not just her advanced maternal age but the fact that she was having triplets and had two prior C-sections.
"A woman with a multiple gestation pregnancy has an increased risk for preterm labor, premature rupture of membranes," said Dr. Charrell Thomas, an ob-gyn at Memorial Hospital.
Thomas said he realizes what Hopkins was up against and believes it's exceptional that everything went so well, especially because Hopkins had no help from fertility drugs.
"Having triplets naturally is rare," Thomas said. "The incidents are anywhere from 1 in 7,000 to 1 in 10,000 pregnancies of naturally occurring triplets."
Hopkins said she's meant to be a mother, and while some think three babies may be a burden, she considers them a blessing.
"I guess I'm used to this," she said. "After you've had eight, you learn how to juggle them around. I already know how to feed two at one time."
When it comes to shopping, Hopkins said she's always searching for bargains, but she's still counting on support from the rest of her family.
Woman, 39, Gives Birth To Triplets - Jacksonville News Story - WJXT Jacksonville
