“Nobody ever thinks, ‘Oh, I might have three babies at the same time,” says 30-year-old mother Jennifer Jacobsmeyer, “especially when infertility runs in your family.” Even after fertility treatment and a year of trying, the kindergarten teacher and her husband, Nate, were shocked when an ultrasound revealed not one but three heartbeats.
At 31 weeks, Jennifer went into labor. Dr. Alison Cahill, a Washington University maternal-fetal medicine physician at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, delivered the triplets: two boys and a girl—all healthy but weighing between 2 pounds, 15 ounces and 3 pounds, 11 ounces. The babies spent the next several weeks in the NICU at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. One at a time, the triplets were sent home. Finally, nine weeks after Jennifer gave birth, on her initial due date, all three of the Jacobsmeyer children—Eddie, Tyler, and Adelyn—were together.
Today, life is hectic, but Jennifer wouldn’t have it any other way. She shares three nuggets of wisdom she’s learned.
1. Adapt. “On the one hand, be organized. Everything is laid out here: outfits chosen, bottles made, diapers ready,” Jennifer says. “At the same time, you’ve got to follow their cues. That’s life.”
2. Relax. “You read so much about mommy judgment,” says Jennifer. “I agree with reading books, but if Mickey Mouse is on and I can brush my teeth, it’s not going to rot their brains.” Know what works for your family.
3. Breathe. “There are times when all three are crying,” says Jennifer, “and it’s OK to go out to the mailbox, breathe, and come back with the mail.”
