Alex Lewis, 34, from Essex, was astonished when he learned that his wife, Charlotte, 32, was expecting three children. The couple had been trying to ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇɪᴠᴇ for three years and had spent £8,000 on I.V.F in the hope of realizing their baby dream.
Despite the fact that they were expecting triplets, doctors warned them that not all of them would survive. Charlotte and Alex were given the option of giving up two of their daughters in order to give the healthiest one the best chance of survival, but they refused.
On April 6, identical twins Annabella Rose and Florence Violet, as well as their sister, Lottie Bluebell, were born. Anabella Rose weighed 3lbs 5oz, Florence Violet weighed 4lbs 7oz and Lottie Bluebell weighed 2lbs 14oz – and after three weeks, they were all allowed home.
Alex decided to set up his ‘dad’s guide to living with triplets’ eight weeks ago and since setting up his Instagram page, he now has over 14,000 followers. His guide, which is shown in a series of snaps, shows the highs and lows of life with triplets – but most importantly, how parents of multiples can still go out and enjoy themselves.
“Since we had the triplets, our lives have become a military operation,” Alex, a father of four, said. “Every four hours, we must feed and change all three. It’s a lot of effort, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. We realize how fortunate we are to have three healthy daughters.”
“After the triplets were born, I created an Instagram page dedicated to our life with them, and in just a few weeks, I had over 14,000 followers. By posting our family photos every day, I hope to provide a dad’s guide to triplets,” he added.
Alex says that they still manage to have a Costa coffee every week, go to the beach, go shopping, eat dinner as a family, and even take the children to Centre Parcs. It’s been amazing to show other parents that having numerous children doesn’t mean you have to stay at home, trips out are possible.
“I was so overwhelmed when they all arrived,” Alex said. “It was well worth the weeks of concern. We never believed we’d be so fortunate as to have all three. I promptly sold our automobile to upgrade to a six-seater, and we made sure their space was ready. We only have three bedrooms, so if the triplets become bigger, we’ll have to move.”
Alex, who works in accounts, claims he no longer gets a minute piece. He said, “I will post images of just me enjoying some ice cream or running with the dog while the girls are asleep. It’s important to show people the highs and lows. Having triplets is relentless, and Charlotte doesn’t have time to do anything during the day. So when I come home from work, we are able to swap shifts so she can have some time to herself.
Alex and Charlotte haven’t put off having any more kids in the future and have even planned to have one more. Alex hopes to continue updating his social media pages every day to continue documenting his triplets’ lives.
He said: “It’s so easy to do and I’ve already given so many other people advice. We were lucky to have so many supportive friends and family who have either given away old clothes or high-chairs, which has helped massively with the cost of everything. Since having the triplets our weekly shopping bill has rocketed but it’s not as high as most would think. We spend £50 on milk, £30 on nappies and as the girls all have colic, we are spending another £50 per week on Gripe water and Colief for them.