Gran gives birth to identical triplets
24Jun08A 46-YEAR-OLD grandmother says she was ``dumbfounded'' when told she had naturally conceived identical triplets in a ``one-in-10-million'' event.
Janelle Perry and husband Robert welcomed their three sons - Cooper, Kyle and Jordan - at Brisbane's Mater Mother's Hospital last Thursday.
Mrs Perry, of Logan, south of Brisbane, is now a mother-of-eight. She has four children in their 20s from another marriage, while she and Robert also have a four-year-old daughter, Rebecca.
She also is a grandmother of two children.
Mrs Perry, who turns 47 next week, said she had given up on having another child after doctors gave her a five per cent chance of conceiving naturally following two years of trying with no luck.
But in a unusual conversation, daughter Rebecca predicted the triplet pregnancy a month before doctors broke the news to the new parents, telling her mother she had three babies in her tummy - one for mummy, one for daddy and one for her.
``I said: No I haven't got three babies in there','' said Mrs Perry.
``She kept saying: `Yes you have, yes you have, there's one for all of us'.''
She said she and her husband were ``shocked'' to hear of her rare pregnancy.
``We were hoping for one and got blessed with three,'' she said.
'' ... I don't think it will sink in until they're actually home.
``I think it will be 24/7."
Crane operator Mr Perry has taken 12 months' paternity leave to help out at home.