O’Donnell,who had nearly given up on her dream of becoming a mum, but all her wishes have come true at once as she and groundsman husband Jamie, 30, are enjoying Christmas as a family of six.
Vickie O’Donnell, from Wales 28, said she wanted to have children ‘for as long as’ she could remember. But she was ᴅɪᴀɢɴᴏsᴇᴅ with ᴘᴏʟʏᴄʏsᴛɪᴄ ᴏᴠᴀʀɪᴇs [ⓅⒸⓄⓈ], which meant it might be difficult for her to ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇɪᴠᴇ. She said :” I was ᴅᴇᴠᴀsᴛᴀᴛᴇᴅ and more than once I told Jamie, ‘You don’t have to stay with me’. I wanted him to be a dad and if it meant sacrificing our relationship, I thought he should have that chance. But he eased my ғᴇᴀʀs, saying we’d get there in the end and if it didn’t happen, we could adopt or foster.” O’Donnell was put on ғᴇʀᴛɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴅʀᴜɢs, some of which made she feel so sɪᴄᴋ her had to stop taking them. She took ᴅᴏᴢᴇɴs of ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ ᴋɪᴛs and grew used to seeing them come up negative month after month.
O’Donnell said: “One morning I did a test and left it on the windowsill without even bothering to check the result. What was the point? Later that morning I felt a bit dizzy and remembered the test. To my complete amazement, it was ᴘᴏsɪᴛɪᴠᴇ. I paced up and down, waiting all day for Jamie to get home from work to tell him in person. Once he realised I wasn’t joking, he was as excited as I was.” She added: “It had taken us more than half a decade and plenty of ғᴇʀᴛɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴅʀᴜɢs to have Phoenix, so when I ᴍɪssᴇᴅ ᴀ ᴘᴇʀɪᴏᴅ 11 weeks after giving birth, I thought nothing of it. I did a ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ ᴛᴇsᴛ just in case – and it was ᴘᴏsɪᴛɪᴠᴇ! I’d expected Phoenix to be an only child and now I’d have two babies under one. But I was loving being a mum and knew I’d cope. The sᴏɴᴏɢʀᴀᴘʜᴇʀ at my 12-week scan studied the images then turned the screen to show me and Jamie. You’re having twins . I looked at Jamie, who had a big grin on his face. Although I’m a twin, I never thought I might have them myself. It was a shock, but a happy one. But as I stared at the screen, I could see something else. The ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀ said, ‘It’s triplets!’ Jamie’s face was as white as ᴀ ɢʜᴏsᴛ, and neither of them could believe it.”
At 33 weeks, Rhubie-Ann, Violet, and then Tarney being brought into the world, two girls and one boy. They weighed 4lb 5oz, 4lb 1oz and 4lb 2oz respectively. They were tiny, but not as fragile as I’d feared. I was able to hold them straight away, all three together, before they were taken for special care. Luckily, they did well and we took them home to my mum’s 16 days later. O’Donnell said:” They were tiny, but not as fragile as I’d feared. I was able to hold them straight away, all three together, before they were taken for special care. Luckily, they did well and we took them home to my mum’s 16 days later. The triplets are adorable. They’re still small, so they sleep in one cot, side by side with Tarney in the middle. They have such different personalities. Rhubie-Ann is so calm and loving. She had problems with her hips, which hadn’t matured enough, so had to be in a harness. But she’s OK now and loves being able to kick her little legs. Tarney melts everyone’s hearts as soon as they see him. He always has a big smile on his face and loves cuddles. I call Violet my little diva. She was the really active one in the womb and there’s something very cheeky about her. They’re 22 weeks now and I’ve started to look after all four of them on my own.”
Now, she and husband Jamie are enjoying Christmas as a family of six. Life is hectic with three babies in the house and an energetic 16-month-old toddler and she have to be ultra-organised. She had all her Christmas presents wrapped for weeks.
