With teenage twins and a nine-year-old son already in their care, Joadey Dyer and her husband, Gary, were in for quite the surprise when they discovered that Joadey was pregnant once again. Little did they know that their surprise was about to turn into sheer shock when doctors revealed that Joadey was expecting not one, not two, but three new additions to their family, effectively doubling their brood. What’s more, all six of their children turned out to be girls, leaving Gary significantly outnumbered in the Dyer household.
Joadey, who gave birth to the triplets in March, suspected that she might be carrying more than one baby shortly after learning of her pregnancy. She remarked, “I knew something was wrong because she was growing so fast and she ate like a horse.” Joadey, now 39 years old, humorously noted, “Now I’m up most of the night. After one wakes up to eat, I go back to bed and half an hour later another one wakes up.”
Before the arrival of the triplets, Joadey and Gary already had their hands full with 15-year-old non-identical twins, Kirsty and Brook, and their nine-year-old daughter, Maddison. Two of the triplet siblings, Erin and Evie, are identical, originating from the same egg. However, the third triplet, Riley, developed from a separate egg released during the same cycle, a type of conception known as polyzygous.
The triplets were born via C-section four weeks ahead of schedule, with weights ranging from 2 pounds 4 ounces to 2 pounds 10 ounces. Their delivery required the assistance of a team of 26 doctors. Following their birth, the babies spent six weeks in the maternity unit at Southend Hospital, located near their home in Benfleet, Essex, to regain their strength.
Reflecting on her pregnancy, Joadey said, “When you’re pregnant with three babies, all you keep thinking is what’s going to go wrong because the chances of problems go up. Everyone coming out screaming and not having any problems is great.”
Currently, the triplets require feeding every four hours and go through a staggering 20 diapers a day. Joadey mentioned that her family has a history of twins on her mother’s side dating back to 1837. “They seem to appear about every 37 years, but we’ve never found another set of triplets,” she said with a smile.
As for Gary, Joadey assured that he was coping well with being surrounded by girls. “We keep reminding him that there is only one of him and seven of us,” she added with a chuckle.
