Triplets Ma, Harvey, and Lucas Udell have made history in Britain by surviving their fifth birthday before their first. When they were born at the age of 24 years and 5 days, they were two pounds lighter than usual. Their birth was an emergency, and it was three months before they finally made their first trip home from the hospital with their parents, Rachel, 31, and Ashley, 29. The couple was unable to even buy Christmas presents for their sons a year ago because of their deep love for them. Max, however, was born weighing 1 lb 4 oz and now weighs 12 lb 13 oz. His identical twin, Lucas, increased in weight from 1 lb 6 oz to 15 lb 6 oz, while his brother Harvey increased from 1 lb 6 oz to 16 lb.

Rachel said, “I am so proud of my young soldiers,” yesterday. After their birth, they experienced a great deal. I’m very grateful that they are all here with me today. They are wonderful boys. After a day of taking care of three hyperactive children, she used to enjoy going out on the town with Ashley, but now all she wants to do is fall on the couch and watch her favorite Emmerdale episode.

The 560 diapers a month that Rachel purchases led her to admit, “At their birthday party, I was in tears multiple times. I observed the boys as they consumed their birthday cake and played with their presents. Although it’s wonderful to share in their birthday celebrations, it also makes me go back to the beginning.”

Rachel, a former medical secretary, and Ashley, a gardener, 30, are eager to wed after getting hitched in May 2010. “I have polycystic postures, therefore my association and I are both concerned about the muscles. Pregnancy took me a year and a half to achieve, and we received more than we expected. Rachel was let off from her job at 20 weeks due to pelvic pain.”

She visited St. Michael’s Hospital in Bristol less than five weeks later to receive birth defect therapy. She remarked that the boys appeared to be miniature dolls as they emerged. The terrifying health issue appeared suddenly and heavily. For ten days, Rachel and Ashley watched to see if he would live. Septicemia affected Harvey. Gradually, they came out of the ventilators. Max spent two months on one. They were sent to Royal United Hospital in Bath and remained there until allowed to go home on February 18th.

“When the boys were in the hospital, especially at first,” Rachel stated, “It was a really strange period for us. It resembles an out-of-body experience in many ways. Within the hospital, we live in a bubble of our own. There appears to be a new emergency every day, and we are frequently terrified and worn out.” Rachel and Ashley had previously enjoyed dining out and having drinks with friends before the trio arrived.

She first breastfed all three boys for a total of three hours, with just an hour’s respite in between. Between 5:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., she spends her days nursing, changing diapers, playing, and chasing boys while seated on the couch with a glass of wine in her hand.

Rachel said, “I have very little time to myself. We hardly leave the house. I spend most of my time in my old sports shorts and t-shirts with no makeup on. But I will never complain. I love my boys more than anything.”

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