Triplets Born in California, Parents Did Not Use Fertility Treatments

Identical triplets were born in California to parents who don't have any history of twin births in the family and one who never used any form of fertility treatment, CBS News reports.

Hannah and Tom Hepner are currently looking for ways to tell their triplets, Abby, Laurel and Brin apart. "When we first found out, we sort of laughed in a nervous way. It's overwhelming to think of everything that's to come." Dr. William Gilbert at Sutter Memorial Hospital admits that this sort of multiple births is rare that it is impossible to give definite odds on it happening with the use of fertility medication. "First one I've seen in 30 years doing this."

Dr. Gilbert estimates the chances of multiple births are between one in a million and one in two million. "Identical triplets are so rare that it is hard to calculate how frequently they occur." Tom Hepner, 33, the father of the triplets said: "We are thinking of bottling the water in Quincy and offering it as a fertility treatment." At the time of their birth, Abby weighed approximately three pounds and two ounces while Brin weighed three pounds and 11 ounces and Laurel weighed four pounds.

"It's no unusual with identical triplets to have a difference in weight. They usually don't share equal amounts of the placenta, so therefore one gets a little less nutrition than the other. When you have a difference in weight, the little one does better after they are born because the stress of being little matures lungs faster," said Dr. Gilbert. The doctor also confirmed that the triplets are doing better than they initially expected and should be able to go home in the next couple of days.