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Identical triplets conceived naturally are so rare they only occur around once in every 60,000 pregnancies.
Often considered high risk, multiple births account for less than three percent of all babies born in Australia with two thirds of them born early and requiring special care.
Although Australia’s birthrate is at a record low, with the fertility rate falling to 1.48 births per woman, multiple pregnancies have remained steady over the past decade and are being celebrated from March 15-22 during Multiple Birth Awareness Week.
For Toowoomba mum Beth Pettigrew, who also has a four-year-old daughter, finding out she was pregnant with triplets after a year of trying and a miscarriage, was a joyous moment but also slightly shocking.
“My partner and I were thrilled when I found out I was pregnant again, but triplets definitely weren’t part of our plan,” Ms Pettigrew said.
“When I had my eight-week scan, the radiographer turned the monitor toward me and said count with me; one, two, three.
“I was in total shock and had to go outside to compose myself and take a few deep breaths.”
Born in May last year, the triplet girls were delivered at 32 weeks and three days in Mater Mothers’ Hospital Brisbane and spent more than three weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Ada came first weighing 1.2 kgs, followed by Marcie at 1.7 kgs and Willa at 1.8 kgs.
“We knew there were a lot of risks carrying triplets and my pregnancy was quite challenging because I had to go to Brisbane from Toowoomba regularly, for scans and monitoring.
“Then a month before I gave birth I was admitted to Mater and although it was scary, I knew I was in safe hands with their specialists and midwives,” Ms Pettigrew said.
Director of Neonatology Pita Birch said identical triplets occur when a single fertilized egg splits into three separate embryos.
“It’s an exceptionally rare occurrence and it means that all triplets share the same DNA and are genetically identical,” Dr Birch said.
“And even though they share the same DNA, it’s interesting to note, they will all have unique fingerprints, and their personalities will also likely be quite different as they grow and are influenced by their environments.”
Even though the triplets are only ten months old, Ms Pettigrew says their different personalities are already evident.
“It’s such a cliché, but you really do get three times the love and it’s wonderful watching them all interact together,” she said.
“And fortunately, my mum lives across the road, so we get lots of help looking after our triplets and our toddler.”
Mater Mothers’ Hospital is Queensland’s leading hospital for multiple births and celebrated a record number of seven sets of triplets born in 2025.
“Multiple births can present challenges for our medical team, but all of them receive 24/7 care in our specialist unit which is the busiest of its kind in Australia,” said Dr Birch.
