'One in 100,000 chance': Miracle triplets born to Melbourne parents

A young Melbourne couple is celebrating a rare fertility phenomenon after giving birth to spontaneous identical triplet girls.

Renee Albert, 26, and husband Shaun were hoping for a second child when a scan unexpectedly revealed Ms Albert was actually carrying three babies.

“It (was) exciting but we also knew there was a lot of risk involved, it’s an emotional rollercoaster,” Mr Albert told 9News.

Equally astonished were doctors at Monash Medical Centre, who said the chances of having spontaneous identical triplets is similar to winning the lottery.

“The estimated incidence is about one in 100,000,” Dr Daniel Rolnik, Monash Health obstetrician, said.

Ms Albert’s pregnancy was complicated, with the three sisters sharing one placenta.

“Sophia was always the smallest, Ellexia was always the biggest and Aurora was just in the middle,” she explained.

Despite the physical challenge, the triplets were successfully delivered by cesarean on December 10.

Weighing in at 1.7kg, or 3.5 pounds, Aurora was the smallest of the trio.

The girls have been at Casey Hospital’s Special Care Nursery since last week, and are thriving, their proud mother said.

“It’s such a relief knowing that they are okay,” Ms Albert said.

Mr Albert added that it was comforting knowing his little girls were in excellent care.

“With such great staff it makes it a lot easier.”

The three-week-old girls are expected to go home to join elder sister, Jayda, once they are big enough, which won’t be long, Dr Rolnik said.

“They’re all above two kilos… they are feeding well.”