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More on KentOnline
A mum is shocked, nervous, and excited all at once after receiving the life-changing news she is having triplets.
Jodie Smith, who lives in Holborough Lakes near Snodland, is just five weeks away from giving birth to three daughters.
The 33-year-old, who already has one-year-old Louis with her partner Jamie, was told in February to expect three more members of the family.
Her unborn children are all girls, two of which are identical.
"The news was a bit of a shock," she said.
"Back in January I found out I was pregnant but when we had the 12-week scan in February I found out it was triplets.
"I was lying on the bed and the nurse said 'do you have any multiples in your family?' I asked 'is it going to be twins?' but then she told me if was three!"
Jodie's aunts are twins and genetics do play a role in determining whether someone is likely to have multiple children at once, but the probability of naturally occurring triplets is super rare - just one in 9,000 pregnancies develop this way.
"We have had to change everything, it's going to be lovely but it's also going to be really hard."
"I wasn't even planning to have one," she joked.
"I didn't expect it all all, it's really rare. When you have IVF it's not that you will have multiples but it's more likely than with a natural pregnancy."
Having triplets will mean that Jodie will have to give birth via a caesarean section and her babies will be small - at the moment they are only 2.5lb, 2.7lb, and 2.9lb respectively compared to 7.7lb which is the average baby weight.
The three little girls will also likely have to spend some considerable time in a special care unit before being allowed home.
While doctors have told her the birth is most likely to happen between the end of July and Wednesday, August 7 she has been warned that they can be unpredictable and could come at any time.
When it comes to names, the couple haven't decided but Jodie says she prefers more traditional ones.
To prepare for their family to double in size, the couple have been moving to a bigger home and bought a more spacious car.
"It a whole big life change," she said. "We have had to change everything, it's going to be lovely but it's also going to be really hard."
