Five boys in three years: Long Grove mom delivers rare set of spontaneous triplets

Stephanie and Bryan Epstein were just hoping to add a third child to their young family. Instead, they got three more.

In January, the Long Grove couple welcomed a rare set of spontaneous triplets — three boys born without the help of fertility treatments. The odds of Stephanie’s particular type of pregnancy are about one in 80,000.

But the story goes beyond numbers. The triplets were delivered safely by a team of specialists from Advocate Children’s Hospital in Park Ridge — the same health system that saved the Epsteins’ first son, Asher, three years earlier.

Early challenges

The family’s journey started in 2021 when Asher was born with meconium aspiration syndrome. The condition happens when babies inhale a mix of amniotic fluid and their first stool into the lungs before or during birth. It can block airways, prevent the lungs from acquiring oxygen, and remove carbon dioxide, but it sometimes requires life support.

“We weren’t sure if he was gonna live or die,” Stephanie said. “We didn’t get to hold him for 10 days. He was on a ventilator and hooked up to so many wires and medications — probably 20 or more.”

Doctors used a life support system called ECMO to save Asher’s life. It temporarily takes over the job of the heart and lungs, helping a critically ill patient’s body rest and recover. Blood is pumped out of the baby’s body through one tube, cleaned and filled with oxygen and then returned to the baby through another tube.

With that roller coaster experience behind them, the couple welcomed their second child, Oliver, in 2023. Stephanie called the birth a huge blessing. And thankfully, it was uneventful, medically speaking.

With two healthy boys at home, Stephanie focused on growing her business, Ollie & Ash Co., which sells baby gear through her online store. Meanwhile, Bryan continued running his own marketing and graphic design company.

An unexpected ultrasound twist

In July, the couple was thrilled to learn they were expecting another baby. But during a routine ultrasound, the technician suddenly paused.

“The tech totally caught us off guard when she said, ‘Oh my God!’ and immediately added, ‘Don’t worry, nothing’s wrong — but I think I see three,’” Stephanie said.

Dr. Suwan Mehra, a maternal fetal medicine specialist at Advocate Children’s Hospital’s Center for Fetal Care in Park Ridge, led the team that successfully delivered the triplets — Levi, Jackson and Mason. He explained that two of the boys are identical twins, while the third is fraternal — a rare and more complex type of triplet pregnancy.

“Triplets can form in different ways. You can have three separate placentas and three separate sacs, which are the most common. But in this case, we had two babies sharing one placenta and the third having his own,” Mehra said. “Those types of pregnancies add layers of risk.”

A high-risk pregnancy

The situation required the Epsteins to visit weekly with Mehra and his team. Things were going smoothly until week 26 when she began having contractions.

“They told me I was in preterm labor,” Stephanie said. “Dr. Mehra and the whole team were amazing. They stopped the contractions, which was incredible.”

Delivery came at 34 weeks via planned C-section. With more than 25 people in the operating room, Stephanie said the atmosphere was almost festive.

“It felt like a party. I had my music blasting and was completely present for the whole thing,” she said. “When the doctors walked in, they were like, ‘It’s a party in here!’ And it was 7:30 in the morning, it was just so much fun.”

Mehra did his best to prepare the Epsteins on what to expect during the operation. He said safely delivering triplets is a major medical event filled with risks for both mom and the babies.

“I told her what you’re going to see is organized chaos,” he said. “We use a team-based approach, with people focused on mom and others focused on the babies. We wanted the family to be safe and enjoy the moment.”

A house full of boys — and bottles

Now, with everyone home and healthy, daily life for the family is far from typical.

Caring for three newborns, along with a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old, means the Epstein household runs on routine and teamwork. Stephanie estimates they go through 25 to 30 diapers daily — more than 175 a week — and wash about 20 bottles a day.

Bedtime in the Epstein household is carefully choreographed. The two older boys are bathed and in bed by 7:30 p.m. Once they’re asleep, the triplets get their final feeding of the day. The babies usually are bathed earlier in the day — giving five baths back-to-back is no small feat.

From Asher’s NICU stay to the safe arrival of the triplets, Stephanie said she and Bryan are immensely grateful for the lifesaving care they’ve received at Advocate Children’s Hospital.

“We love the doctors and nurses,” Stephanie said. “Everybody’s so amazing. Our boys are healthy, growing and thriving. It’s truly incredible.”