A mum-of-four who had decided she didn’t want any more children and was ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ʜᴇʀ ꜰᴀʟʟᴏᴘɪᴀɴ ᴛᴜʙᴇs ‘ᴛɪᴇᴅ’ was sʜᴏᴄᴋᴇᴅ to discover she was ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ again just one year after ɢɪᴠɪɴɢ ʙɪʀᴛʜ to her youngest. And this time it was ᴛʀɪᴘʟᴇᴛs.

Bobbie Rutland, 31, said she laughed when she first heard the news, then started ᴄʀʏɪɴɢ. She said: “And then I laughed some more, and then I ᴄʀɪᴇᴅ some more.” The mum is unable to use most forms of contraception so was considering a ᴘᴇʀᴍᴀɴᴇɴᴛ ᴘʀᴏᴄᴇᴅᴜʀᴇ called “ᴛᴜʙᴀʟ ʟɪɢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ”, in which a doctor sᴇᴀʟs ᴏꜰꜰ ʙᴏᴛʜ ꜰᴀʟʟᴏᴘɪᴀɴ ᴛᴜʙᴇs by ᴄᴜᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴏʀ ᴄʟᴀᴍᴘɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇᴍ sᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴛɴᴇʀ’s sᴘᴇʀᴍ can’t meet up with the woman’s eggs.

Bobbie, from Wᴇsᴛᴇʀɴ Aᴜsᴛʀᴀʟɪᴀ, had been ɴᴇʀᴠᴏᴜs when she first found out she was ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ, but was ᴇxᴄɪᴛᴇᴅ to have another child so close in age to her one-year-old son as her other children are aged 11, nine and eight. She became ᴠɪᴏʟᴇɴᴛʟʏ sɪᴄᴋ during the first 12 weeks of her ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ and husband, Shane, joked that she might be having ᴛᴡɪɴs. The couple were ʙʟᴏᴡɴ ᴀᴡᴀʏ when they went to the ᴜʟᴛʀᴀsᴏᴜɴᴅ sᴄᴀɴ and heard ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ sᴇᴘᴀʀᴀᴛᴇ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙᴇᴀᴛs – and couldn’t help feeling a little sᴄᴀʀᴇᴅ.

Then, at just 28 weeks ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ, the mum began having ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs. She was ordered to stay in hospital on bed rest for two weeks but, just a day after she was finally able to go home, the ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs began again. Twenty minutes after going into ʟᴀʙᴏᴜʀ, Bobbie was ɢɪᴠɪɴɢ ʙɪʀᴛʜ to her first ᴛʀɪᴘʟᴇᴛ 10 weeks early. The tiny babies, a boy who she named Cooper and two girls, Emma and Charlie, all weighed between 2.6lbs and 3lbs. Her ᴛʀɪᴘʟᴇᴛs, who were kept in the N.I.C.U in hospital to be ᴍᴏɴɪᴛᴏʀᴇᴅ, are all doing ‘fantastic’ and have all gained weight since their ʙɪʀᴛʜ.

She said: “They’re all above their ʙɪʀᴛʜ weight and just came out of their ɪɴᴄᴜʙᴀᴛᴏʀs yesterday and are in the little cots.They’re doing absolutely fabulous.” The trio will remain in hospital until they ᴡᴇɪɢʜ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ to be ᴅɪsᴄʜᴀʀɢᴇᴅ to join their sister, 11, and three brothers (aged nine, eight and one).

The Rutlands now can’t wait to get their little ones home and have all their family together. Bobbie said : “I’m sᴄᴀʀᴇᴅ, obviously, bringing three babies home instead of one, but I’m ᴇxᴄɪᴛᴇᴅ.” She has now decided she is ᴅᴇꜰɪɴɪᴛᴇʟʏ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ʜᴇʀ ᴛᴜʙᴇs ᴛɪᴇᴅ ᴏɴᴄᴇ she has recovered from having the ᴛʀɪᴘʟᴇᴛs and has already booked an appointment. “I do not intend on having any more children. Seven is more than enough!”