The triplets, who were born at just 22 weeks and 5 days, have already won two Guinness World Records.
Rubi-Rose, Payton Jane and Porscha-Mae Hopkins were born on February 14, 2021 with a combined weight of 1,284 grams (2 lbs and 13 oz).
One of their world records is for the lightest triplets combined, while another is for being the oldest triplets ever born.
Rubi-Rose was first born at 10.21am weighing just 467g (1lb), while Payton Jane and Porscha-Mae were born by C-section almost two hours later at 12pm and 12pm respectively. They weigh only 402 grams (0.89 lbs) and 415 grams (0.91 lbs).
Their mother Michaela White, 32, from Bristol, said she and her partner Jason Hopkins, 36, had been having sex in the two years since their birth “A lot of pressure”.
“The first year was very, very stressful [the triplets] Here we are,” Ms White said in a Guinness World Records video.
Mr Hopkins said the journey had been “spiritual”.
“I think the whole process from finding out you have triplets to actually being here is the fastest pregnancy I’ve ever known. It’s crazy,” he said.
Michaela White and Jason Hopkins with Porscha-Mae (left), Payton Jane and Rubi-Rose (right) Hopkins
‘Pretty painful’ birth
Ms White said she had “very painful birth day” after being transferred from Bristol’s St Michael’s Hospital to Southmead, where she gave birth.
“I don’t see any [the triplets] when they were born. “
All three babies were rushed into an incubator and wrapped in polyethylene, which acted as the mother’s womb to regulate body temperature.
The first 72 hours of a baby’s life are the most critical, with each baby needing to breathe independently for 10 seconds before doctors can intervene with oxygen.
Each child was taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and stayed there for 216 days.
“The NICU journey itself, any parent who goes through it, whether it’s two days or 216 days, it’s one of the toughest journeys you’ll ever go through,” Mr Hopkins said.
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Caring for disabled children ‘very, very hard’
The triplets were born with cerebral palsy.
Rubi-Rose has mild illness, while Payton Jane and Porscha-Mae have mobility issues and require tube feeding.
Ms White said caring for disabled children was “very, very hard”.
“Sometimes, all the dating is very challenging and people come into your house every day and do physical therapy with the girls,” she said.
“It’s been really challenging for anyone with a child with a disability, but my partner Jay and I will keep trying to do what we need to do for them.”
The couple used social media to document their journey, earning them over 10,000 followers on TikTok as @hopkinstribe.