Mum, 38, said she had ‘no hope’ of having children welcomes ‘miracle’ triplets

A woman who thought she had “no hope” of having her own children after being diagnosed with polycystic ovaries has welcomed “miraculous” triplets.

Monique Bertrand, 38, was diagnosed in October 2013 with the condition – which affects ovarian function and can make it difficult to conceive naturally.

Due to the seriousness of her condition, Ms Bertrand, from Lewisham in south east London, was told it was unlikely she would be able to conceive.

She and her partner, John, 39, decided they would become foster parents if they couldn’t conceive by the end of 2022.

Ms Bertrand lost six stone to ease her journey to motherhood but still believed there was ‘no hope’ before finally falling pregnant in April last year.

The mother-of-three said she was “over the moon” when she found out she was pregnant.

It wasn’t until Ms. Bertrand was eight weeks old that the couple discovered they were expecting triplets in an emergency ultrasound.

The healthy triplets – Lylah, Machó and Trinity – were born on November 9, 2022.

“When the doctors told me I wouldn’t be able to have children, it was just a disaster,” Ms Bertrand said.

“I’ve waited a long time to be a mother, so when the sonographer said it was triplets, I just screamed in confusion and happiness. I burst into tears on the table.

“It has been a blessing with so many challenges. The doctors called them miracle babies.’

Last November, doctors delivered Lylah at 2:27 PM and Machó at 2:28 PM, both weighing 2 pounds 8 oz, while Trinity was delivered at 2:29 PM weighing 2 pounds 1 oz, all via cesarean section.

The triplets, now six months old, are thriving after their first 50 days of life in the Special Care Unit of Lewisham University Hospital.

Mrs. Bertrand is tall The journey to motherhood began when she was 28 and diagnosed with PCOS – a common condition that affects the way a woman’s ovaries work.

Due to the seriousness of her condition, Ms Bertrand, from Lewisham, south-east London, was told it was unlikely she would be able to conceive.

She and her partner, John, 39, decided they would become foster parents if they couldn’t conceive by the end of 2022

She said, “I kept having a lot of pain during ovulation and my period and got a little sick.

‘My GP sent me for a scan and did tests to rule out anything else, then called me to discuss. I left the doctors and fell into a deep depression.’

After meeting partner John, the mother told him about her fertility problems a year later.

The couple unexpectedly became pregnant for the first time in November 2019.

“I had a miscarriage in February 2020, I was broken,” she said. “I just thought, This is a nightmare.”

On the advice of one of the midwives who treated her, Ms Bertrand decided to try to lose weight when the 2020 lockdown hit. She dropped from 18st 8lbs to 12st 5lbs in just one year.

Ms Bertrand lost six stone to ease her journey to motherhood but still believed there was ‘no hope’ before she finally got pregnant last April

The mother-of-three said she was “over the moon” when she found out she was pregnant

It wasn’t until Mrs. Bertrand was eight weeks old that the couple discovered during an emergency ultrasound that they were expecting triplets.

Then, in April 2022, she learned she was pregnant.

After eight weeks, the couple rushed to the early pregnancy ward at King’s College Hospital, Lambeth, after Monique started bleeding.

“The sonographer asked if we had done IVF,” she said. “After we said no, she told us it was triplets. Having three was a lot to take in.

“I called my mom that day to tell her and she thought I was kidding her.”

But the pregnancy wasn’t smooth sailing, with the couple learning that one of their daughters, Trinity, was in danger because her umbilical cord wasn’t working properly.

Mrs. Bertrand was offered an abortion to ensure the health of two triplets, but she refused.

“It was terrifying,” she said. “There is literally no help for multiple mothers and so much need. Even now people say I’m a superwoman, but this isn’t easy for me.’

The healthy triplets – Lylah, Machó and Trinity – were born on November 9, 2022