Triplets joy for former Miss SA

BUILDING a new home, buying a "mommy" car and getting everything in threes are part of former Miss South Africa Vanessa Carreira-Coutroulis's life these days.

On November 28, the 32-year-old gave birth to triplets - two girls, Sophia and Mila, and son Nikola - at the Sandton Medi-Clinic, north of Johannesburg.

In an exclusive interview at her rental home in Sandhurst, Johannesburg, Carreira-Coutroulis spoke for the first time about her journey to motherhood and having to endure seven rounds of in vitro fertilisation (IVF), a miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy.

"I have always known that my chances of having children were going to be difficult," she said.

Her doctors told her the reason for her infertility was unexplained.

"We first tried all the natural ways to have a child until we realised it wasn't happening and we decided to go for IVF," said Carreira -Coutroulis.

She and husband Chris had their son Leo, now three, after two fertility treatment s, but the triplets took longer to conceive.

The couple own several businesses, including Johannesburg nightclubs Taboo, Cocoon and VIP. They had tried for a second baby several times over two years. It was at the fifth attempt that they conceived.

"Leo was about a year old when we decided to try for our second child. We tried the natural way and nothing happened, and we finally went for our second IVF treatment," she said. But, she suffered a miscarriage, followed by a ectopic pregnancy. It was only at the fifth try that they conceived their triplets.

"It was emotionally draining and physically exhausting injecting myself with all sorts of drugs, and it was a daily thing."

Early last year the couple conceived and, within weeks, found out they were pregnant with triplets. "Chris and I both come from families of two children each and we both wanted a big family filled with chaos and laughter. We settled on having four children.

"After six weeks, when the doctor told us we were having triplets, we couldn't believe it. We laughed for about an hour and we actually still haven't wrapped our heads around this whole thing," she said.

An emotional Carreira-Coutroulis held back the tears as she spoke about her complicated pregnancy. She had to spend nearly two months resting in hospital before giving birth. She gained about 24kg and her iron levels dropped and she developed anaemia and had to get a blood transfusion at one stage.

"Turning over was a chore. Walking just 10 steps was a whole experience for me, so the doctors decided I should deliver the babies [early]."

Around the same time, she said, her liver "had given up", resulting in the delivery date of her babies being brought forward. The triplets were born by caesarian section at 33 weeks.

All three babies spent time in the intensive care unit. Sophia, the oldest, spent a month, Mila was there for five weeks and Nikola seven weeks. The younger two were also treated for jaundice. "Because they were born so early, they also needed extra care and got nasogastric [tube] feeding for a couple of weeks," she said.

Once discharged, Carreira-Coutroulis made daily trips to the hospital while running errands and taking care of Leo.

"It was sad because I didn't get to bond with and breastfeed them every day.

''But I would express milk and visit them at the hospital just to see them while recovering from the caesarian. It wasn't easy," she said.

On Friday, she was all smiles as she walked through the brightly coloured nursery where her three babies were having their afternoon nap in their one huge cot, which is separated by three dividers.

In the nursery was a cream-and-brown couch with a denim Ottoman, two vibrating baby rockers, two changing stations and a bar fridge filled with baby bottles. And hanging on the wall was a message: "Let him sleep, for when he wakes, he will move mountains."

Carreira-Coutroulis said she was grateful. "I was more aware of what could possibly happen, but I knew what a miraculous time and blessing I had been given. Every little twinge and ache made me paranoid and I am thankful every single day."

And how do they cope with three new babies?

"We have a night nurse who stays with the babies during the night. During the day, it's me and the day nanny who do all the pampering."

She has had to trade in her Porsche Cayenne for a more baby-friendly set of wheels - a Mercedes-Benz van that is big enough to fit four child seats.

The couple are building their new home down the road and Leo, Sophia, Mila and Nikola will have their own rooms.

For now Carreira-Coutroulis plans to keep her children out of the spotlight.

"I will still be out once in a while, but this is my full-time job for now and I love it. I am blessed to be able to choose this life for my children."