Stephanie Hansen, a single mom in Washington state, Gᴀᴠᴇ Bɪʀᴛʜ to three baby girls in 2020. And they’re not Tʀɪᴘʟᴇᴛs. Daphne came first. She was ʙᴏʀɴ on Jan. 28. A little more than 10 months later, on Dec. 8, the infant was joined by ᴛᴡɪɴ sisters Rubie and Penelope. The second ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ came as a total sʜᴏᴄᴋ to Hansen, who was in a new relationship. “In order to get on ʙɪʀᴛʜ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴏʟ, I had to take a ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ test,” Hansen recalled. The rest is history.

Dr. Christine Greves, an OB-GYN at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies in Orlando, Florida said that ovulation can return as soon as six weeks after a baby is ʙᴏʀɴ. “After ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ, women aren’t necessarily cognizant of what their cycle is,” Greves explained. “But if you got ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ once, it’s possible to get ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇɪᴠᴇ again, even if you don’t think you’re ᴏᴠᴜʟᴀᴛɪɴɢ.” Hansen says that’s exactly what happened to her.“I was in a newʙᴏʀɴ fog, and then there was the excitement of this new relationship,” she said. “I was just adjusting to everything.”

Luckily, Hansen’s fears dissipated the day she brought Rubie and Penelope home from the hospital. At the time, Daphne wasn’t walking yet, but she knew how to give hugs. “All Daphne wanted to do was touch them,” Hansen said. Daphne is now 2, while Penelope and Rubie are 15 months old. The three siblings are inseparable.“They are the Three Musketeers,” Hansen said.They’re on the same schedule. They eat, bathe and play together. They share a room. Though Hansen is no longer romantically involved with Penelope and Rubie’s father, the two remain friends and co-parents. She said: “But I am the happiest because I’ve got the children. These kids are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”