Expectant Mother Goes Viral For Sharing Her Pregnancy Journey And Unique Baby Bump
No one ever said parenting was easy, but any woman could tell you that the nine months of pregnancy beforehand is no walk in the park either.
One expectant mother has gone viral for sharing her pregnancy journey of not carrying one baby—but carrying three. It's an intimate look at pregnancy and motherhood that's captivated people everywhere.
Meet Michella
This is Michella Meier-Morsi, also known as @filippaophelia on Instagram. The mommy influencer with 312,000 followers hails from Copenhagen, Denmark, and talks about motherhood, postpartum bodies, fertility, and sustainability.
Michella is a mother to twin girls Ophelia and Pippa, and recently, she's gone viral for sharing her story of being pregnant with triplets.
The TikTok
Her personal story gained popularity when TikTok account @universe_uol, which is a platform "for women who see the beauty of transforming the world" shared a now-viral TikTok of Michella caressing her unique baby bump.
From comments of "God is wonderful, her face of happiness is the best" and even "oh my god what agony," users were captivated by Michella's ever-growing baby bump.
A Possible Reduction
But the journey wasn't always easy for Michella and her husband Mark. When she was nine weeks along (and when this photo was taken) the recommendation was made to the couple that they get a pregnancy reduction due to the risk of health complications.
"But my heart was broken when I thought of having to reduce," Michella wrote on Instagram.
Difficult Decisions
When Michella was six weeks along in her pregnancy is when she and Mark learned they were expecting triplets. For the next six weeks, medical professionals continuously recommended a reduction procedure.
"I have never seen our family as clearly as I do right now. We are so lucky and we have so much to lose if this goes wrong," her husband Mark had said.
And Impossible Conversations
"But my heart was broken when I thought of having to reduce. I never got to a point where I could talk about the procedure," Michella wrote. "I broke down when Mark mentioned it."
Michella added, "So there we sat with our two amazing girls and the world's largest decision. Did we dare to bet the whole store and believe that I could hold on to the triplets until January?"
Michella And Mark's Choice
The couple eventually chose not to reduce. Michella explains that her candid post about the possibility of getting a reduction was not meant to shame anyone and that she empathizes with any mother who's had to make this "awful" decision.
Ultimately, she writes, "I am immensely grateful that we still have all our boys."
Physical Changes
Aside from her growing baby bump and social media smiles, Michella shed light on the less glamorous side of pregnancy.
From food cravings to dizziness, extreme nausea and vomiting, and having difficulty moving around, the final weeks of Michella's pregnancy were a rollercoaster. But, she notes that despite the extra baby, she gained less weight with her triplets than with her twins.
Counting Down The Days
As the days until delivery dwindled, Michella continued to regale followers with pregnancy updates. She shared photos and thoughts on her elation, vulnerability, and anxieties, including worries of premature birth and the overall physical and emotional toll.
But in the final sprint to the due date, Michella shared her gratitude at having her family by her side and how soon her family of four was about to become seven.
Having Second Thoughts
Near the end of the pregnancy, Michella even wondered whether she should close her Instagram account because she was afraid of having spectators during the most vulnerable moments of her life and because she had no control over her high-risk pregnancy.
"But most of all it has been absolutely insanely therapeutic for me," she writes. "I have met so much love, good advice and care."
The Tiniest Members Of The Family
The photos on the wall are sonograms of the triplets and Michella explains that for this pregnancy, she was very aware of it, and the framed photos are a reminder.
From kissing them goodnight to looking at their photos on the wall, to talking about their futures, Michella explains that the triplets are already beloved members of the family — even if they're still in utero.
The Babies Are Here!
On January 15, 2022, Michella gave birth to triplets via cesarean section. She explains that it had been a harrowing 36 hours to deliver, and while the birth was at times scary, it went better than the birth of her twins had three years prior.
"And then we became three amazing babies richer," she wrote. "The hearts are bursting with happiness and love."
What's In A Name?
In an Instagram post, Michella introduced the world to her newborn baby boys. From left to right, the babies' names are Charles, Theodore, and Gabriel.
The couple chose these names due to them working in Danish, English, and French, adding that the French influence was so the names could be pronounced by Mark's Egyptian family. Michella adds, "We have no doubt at all that these are the right names for our big lovely boys."
Heading Home
After 14 days in the hospital, Michella and Mark got to bring their babies home.
"Suddenly all the statistics came to my mind. All that could go wrong, the risk that we would not get all three home, all the potentially bleak future prospects," Michella wrote. "But here we are on the other side."
Settling Into Motherhood
Michella is settling into maternity leave with her three newborn sons. This includes breastfeeding sessions, getting into a routine, mother-baby bonding, and reflecting on her post-partum body. But, she is overjoyed.
"When breastfeeding the triplets works, it's the most magical thing in the whole world," she writes. "But it's still only a few times and small moments where it all plays out, everyone cooperates, and everyone is happy."
The Luckiest Woman In The World
Michella says that this time, she's going to focus less on when the triplets will hit their next milestone, and instead enjoy every moment. Calling herself the "luckiest woman in the world," Michella jokes that they "have gone from average family size to a clan."
She adds, "I am very proud, very happy and very excited about what our new everyday life at home will look like."
