Covid-19: Ipswich nurse's triplets pregnancy 'could've been so different'

Shannon and Matthew Steele said staff at Ipswich Hospital provided "excellent care"

A nurse who shared her journey of having triplets on social media said her pregnancy "could've been so different" if it were not for Covid-19.

Shannon Steele, from Ipswich, gave birth to Ronnie, Maddison and Emilia on 24 August after an emergency Caesarean.

She said what was her first and will be her only pregnancy felt "stolen" due to measures in place due to coronavirus.

As reported, she shared her story on Instagram to help others with fertility battles after her own.

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Mrs Steele said she felt like her pregnancy was "stolen" because there were many things the couple missed out on that first-time soon-to-be parents would normally experience - especially given they will not be having any more children after having triplets.

But the NHS nurse said her experience at Ipswich Hospital was "excellent" and staff there were "supportive every step of the way".

She added: "They provided excellent care for the babies but took time to ensure I was OK as well as my husband - they are an outstanding group of passionate people."

Mrs Steele said she did not meet the triplets for two days as she had become "very poorly"

Mrs Steele started her Instagram feed our.triplets.journey with the aim of helping others going through "fertility battles".

She was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) at the age of 15 and a thyroid condition about three years ago.

She said she and her 35-year-old husband were "one step" away from going down the IVF route.

She said it was "almost poetic" that her husband got to have a lot of "firsts" with the babies

Then in March they discovered they were due to have not only one baby but three.

Although the wait to get pregnant had been long, when it came to the babies' arrival, she said it was a "rush to get them out" at Ipswich Hospital.

One of the triplets was in "a lot of distress" and Mrs Steele herself became "very poorly".

Ronnie, left, and Maddison, middle, were born two minutes after their sister Emilia

"I didn't see them for two days after they were born," said Mrs Steele.

"My husband was the first to see and cuddle them.

"Considering he missed out on the scans and coming to the hospital with me, he got to have a lot of firsts with the babies which was nice and almost poetic."

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The triplets were born at almost 33 weeks, Emilia first, with Maddison and Ronnie following two minutes later together.

They spent four weeks in hospital before, along with their mother, they were able to go home.

Mrs Steele shared a photo of her scan on Instagram

The triplets spent four weeks at Ipswich Hospital before they were able to go home

While Mr and Mrs Steele have been enjoying the early days of parenting and establishing a new routine, Mrs Steele said it had been hard for other family members who have not been able to be with them as coronavirus restrictions are still in place.

"There have been a lot of tears, especially from my mum and sister," she said.

"Not only did they want to see the babies but they wanted to be there to support me.

"It's been tough for everybody but the services at the hospital were fantastic and made it such a positive experience."

According to the NHS website, about one in 65 births in the UK are twins, triplets or more.

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