Woman expecting triplets reveals her thoughts about pregnancy

Mother expecting triples shows off her huge baby bump

Expectant moms are always very proud of their lovely baby bumps, but Maria, 36, is three times as proud.

Maria and her husband Anders wanted to give their 2-year-old son Mikael a little sister or brother, but they got a lot more than what they bargained for.

Maria discovered she was pregnant with not one but three babies. The triplets are fraternal, which means 3 eggs and 3 placentas and a huge baby bump.

The triplets were conceived naturally, a rare occurrence and Maria is carrying one boy and two girls. She has shared the experience of her unusual pregnancy on Instagram.

"It’s strange to have ended up with such a big belly and it’s even stranger that it can stand out like that without falling down!"

A triple dose of baby blues

She has been showing photos of her baby bump as it grows and can hardly believe herself how big it has grown.

Maria quips that she can't believe it doesn't "fall down," and judging by the latest photos, her doubts are justified. That baby bump is trully monumental.

Read more baby stories on our Twitter account @amomama_usa.

Soon they will be a family of 6

Maria confesses that getting the news that she and husband Anders were expecting triplets had been quite a shock, but that now her excitement is at fever pitch and she can't wait for the birth.

Their family will be doubling overnight, growing from 3 to 6.

A history of the bump in pictures!

Maria and Anders took photos of every stage of the pregnancy and created a week by week collage that shows the astonishing growth of her tummy.

A high-risk pregnancy with painful contractions

A triplet pregnancy isn't easy, however, and Maria has had to deal with several challenges.

Triplet pregnancies are considered high risk, and Maria shared her experience with having Braxton Hicks contractions.

These are irregular contractions that can start at the sixth week of gestation and usually don't hurt, though they may be uncomfortable and are occasionally strong and painful.

Triplet pregnancies have increased due to fertility treatments

Maria has also suffered from rashes and the skin on her tummy is sore, and very fragile due to being stretched to such an unusual extent.

Maria will be giving birth this week and promises to keep her 40.000 followers on social media updated on her condition.

Triplets that are conceived naturally are rare. Only one in about 8,100 natural pregnancies results in triplets. The advent of fertility treatments has increased the number of multiple births.

This is due to the fact that 2 to 3 embryos resulting from in vitro fertilization are implanted to maximize the possibility of a successful outcome.

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