When Chloe Dunstan approached her 28 week milestone in her pregnancy with triplets, she was faced with an almost impossible decision.
Her two sons were thriving and on track to deliver at a healthy weight upon their due date on September 22nd, but her only daughter was suffering in utero.
Her daughter, who she had named Pearl, was suffering from a lack of oxygen and blood deprivation which restricted her growth and development, leaving her with a 20% chance of dying within the womb.
Struggling to make it from one week to another, Chloe and her partner, Ro, were faced with a heartbreaking choice: let Pearl die in the womb in order to carry her two brothers to full term, or deliver all three dangerously premature and risk all three ending up with permanent mental and physical disabilities, or worse, lose them all.
As Chloe and Ro finally ticked over into their third trimester, Pearl’s compromised oxygen levels forced their hand and the Dunstans made the decision to deliver all three early.
Pearl Miriam, Henry Magnus and Rufus Murphy were born on July 4rd at 28 weeks and 3 days via caesaerian, weighing 1lb 8oz, 3lb and 2lb 10oz.
But making the decision wasn’t the end of the hard road for Chloe and Ro, they still had to struggle through weeks of NICU battles for Pearl, including Patent Ductus Arteriosus, a pulmonary haemorrhage, a minor brain bleed, an infection and a liver failure.
But Pearl isn’t nothing if not a fighter, almost three months since her birth, Pearl has been sent home with her mum and her brothers and is now doing well.
Pearl, Henry and Rufus joined three big brothers, Evan, three, Otto, two and Felix, one.
Henry, Pearl and Rufus on their first day home together.
But they weren’t always so strong and healthy. At their birth, they weighed less than a normal baby combined.
All three were immediately placed on ventilators, feeding tubes and IV drips.
Pearl Miriam was born at just 690g or 1lb 8oz.
Henry Magnus came in at 1370g or 3lb.
And finally, Rufus, the baby but the biggest, followed at 1200g or 2lb 10oz.
Chloe and Ro with their triplets.
Henry and Rufus with their (very little) big sister.
The full family! Evan, three, Otto, two and Felix, one with Henry, Rufus and Pearl.
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