Mom Recalls Her 'Frightening' Experience Navigating the NICU with Her Triplets: 'I Was Grateful They Were Alive'

Now, at nine months old, Louise describes her triplets in her personal essay as “loud, squirmy and full of personality"

NEED TO KNOW

• Louise Shaw discovered she was pregnant with triplets in January 2025 after experiencing extreme nausea
• Her youngest daughter Maggie was diagnosed with cerebral palsy after birth
• Louise shares her journey on Instagram and credits a supportive community for helping her family navigate challenges

One Australian mom is recounting her journey welcoming her triplets. 

Back in January 2025, Louise Shaw, a 39-year-old mom, found out that she was pregnant after feeling extreme nausea and having a late period. When she took a pregnancy test, the doting mom wrote in a personal essay for that’s life!, that she had “almost fallen over when I saw the two lines on the stick.”

She admitted that she and her husband, Steve, 37, weren’t trying for a baby, but were excited for the new addition. When she was eight weeks pregnant, the married couple went to their first ultrasound and were shocked when the technician identified three heartbeats. 

“That night, we told our family,” she recalled. “They were stunned, but thrilled, and before long our shock turned into excitement too.”

Due to the high-risk nature of being pregnant with triplets, Louise had to transfer care teams and be monitored closely. By her 11-week appointment, the then-expectant mother was hit with more unexpected news.

“‘Baby three has signs of genetic malformation,’ the nurse said,” she wrote. “‘There is fluid behind the neck, which is a high indicator of Down syndrome. It also looks like there might be heart issues.’ We were devastated, but we loved these babies already and weren’t giving up.”

The proud parents decided to test the fluid around baby three’s sac to gain more information about the situation. Shortly after, Lousie shared that the test results came back clear, noting how she and her husband “were so relieved” to hear the news. 

“We were elated, but the pregnancy was still stressful,” she explained. “Every two weeks, I returned for scans to check the babies’ growth and health.”

When Lousie was 29 weeks pregnant, she was admitted to the hospital and placed on bed rest. Then, at 34 weeks and four days, she welcomed her triplets — Ada, Lillie and Maggie — listening to a playlist filled with encouraging “girl-power songs.” Ada was born first at 11:16 a.m., weighing 5 lbs., quickly followed by her identical twin Lillie, who weighed 4.6 lbs. Finally, at 11:17 a.m. Maggie entered the world weighing 4.1 lbs.

All the girls were quickly transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) after their birth. An hour later, the mom of four recalls seeing her daughters in the NICU for the first time. 

“Seeing the girls’ tiny bodies on oxygen support was frightening, but I was grateful they were alive,” she wrote. “Only Lillie was well enough for a cuddle. Holding her against my chest felt like heaven.”

On day two, Louise’s daughter Maggie had a seizure, and an MRI exam revealed brain damage. Doctors later determined that the youngest of the bunch had cerebral palsy, which is a group of conditions that affect movement, balance and posture. 

After three months, Ada and Lillie were well enough to come home. However, their sister Maggie had to stay in the NICU as she continued to develop. 

“Maggie’s health was a roller-coaster. Just when she seemed stable, she’d suffer another seizure or, terrifyingly, a cardiac arrest,” Lousie explained. “She needed resuscitation more than once. Yet every time, our mighty Maggie fought back.”

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Now, at nine months old, Louise describes her triplets as “loud, squirmy and full of personality.”

While Maggie still needs ongoing care, physical therapy and more, she says they’ve had an incredible support system to help them through it all. Her sister Ally even set up a GoFundMe for the family, which she says has helped pay for in-home care.

“When I learned I was having triplets, I created an Instagram account, @shaw_triplet_glam_squad, and discovered a community of families who truly understand. Some have become real-life friends,” she wrote. “When I’ve needed a break, friends from that community have even come to the hospital to sit with Maggie, cuddling her and loving her when we can’t be there.”

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