Almost four million babies are born every year and only about .1 percent of them are triplets. Claire, Sam and I were part of that very small percentage in 1999. We are the only triplets in New Ulm High School, as well as one of the few sets of triplets in New Ulm. We often hear that “Being a triplet must be so cool,” or “Can you read each others’ minds?” from peers and new acquaintances. While human telepathy would be an absolutely amazing super power, I can guarantee that most sets of multiples do not have it, and for certain we do not. And while I know I will always have an easy conversation starter, being a triplet is not like having two best friends around all of the time. It is more like having two super annoying siblings that are the same age as you.

One advantage that has been gained because we are triplets is that we have learned to share. Of course, there are the “occasional” fights over clothes or food, but I like to think that’s a little bit different. Teamwork is also another advantage we have gained. When our parents retell stories, they always talk about how we would team up together to cause mischief. Usually I was the brains, and Claire and Sam did all of the dirty work. I sat down with my parents and my mom said, “You guys kind of self-guided each other; you competed with each other.”

In 1999 we were featured on the cover of a magazine at the Mayo Clinic, which is where we were born. While this made us look a little bit more famous, there are other sets of triplets who have accomplished great things. For example, this summer the Luik triplets from Estonia made headlines. They were the first set of triplets to all three qualify for an event at the Olympics. They all three qualified for the marathon, which you need a time below 2:45:00. Lily took 97th, Leila took 114th, and Liina was unable to compete on race day. This set of identical triplets is a great example to look up to try and reach for the stars. While we may not have aspirations to be olympic athletes, we have our own dreams as a trio. When I talked to Sam he said he wants us to be the “oldest living triplets on the planet.” Claire has a slightly lower, and hopefully more reachable goal to “get along, period.”

Overall, triplets have high survival rates from birth, even though the average gestation period is only 32 weeks. We were even earlier, only being in the womb for 29 weeks. We were put in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for five weeks, and then finally allowed to go home with our parents. There are other possible complications with a multiple pregnancy, such as: low birth rate, intrauterine growth restriction, preeclampsia, premature birth, gestational diabetes, placental abruption, and fetal demise or loss. Premature birth can be a risk factor to Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), which is where there is a hole in the heart which cause the mixing of oxygenated blood and poor blood. PDA is a condition I had until five and a half years ago. It took a very quick surgery to fix it, leaving me out of full contact activity for only two weeks. Besides premature birth, this was one of the few complications, which is actually pretty good considering how far technology has come in 18 years. The only other complication in my moms pregnancy was with high blood pressure to the end, which put her on bed rest. For such a high risk pregnancy, being triplets and my mom being 38 years old, these complications are barely anything.

One up side to being a triplet is that there is never a shortage of things to do. From sporting activities, band and choir concerts, or whatever other activity we have been involved in. My dad said, “We are not at a loss for planning things to do. You guys always keep us busy.” As well as having someone there to talk with, in my case, in the bedroom right across the hall. While this is nice, it also has it’s down side. As Claire said, “I have to share a car, so I have to coordinate rides and what not.” We also share the same friends for the most part, so we are practically together all of the time, with out much of a break.

As we near graduation, it’s becoming more of reality that we’re going to have to split up next year. Although, we aren’t splitting up that much. Claire and I are attending North Dakota State University in Fargo, while Sam is going to Concordia College in Moorhead. The two campuses are about ten minutes away from each other. While we may not be able to fight with each other every day, we will still be able to see each other on a somewhat regular basis. I know that I’ll always have two best friends to confide in, as well as be the best siblings ever.