Fairbanks family welcomes triplets to go with their twins
Published Sunday, July 13, 2008
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FAIRBANKS — In one fell swoop, the kid count at the Stephanie and Miguel Borges household took a triple leap June 10 with the birth of Alina Angelica, Bryce Miguel and Camron Miguel Borges.
The triplets join twin brothers, Jace and Jadon, who turned 2 in March.
If that leaves you breathless, hold on.
• The fraternal triplets arrived prematurely — 7 weeks before their July 31 due date.
• A week after the Caesarean birth, Stephanie landed in intensive care with congestive heart failure for four days because of the stress on her heart and body from carrying three babies and the fluids she received during delivery.
• The triplets were doing so well, they were sent home much earlier than expected.
• Stephanie is nursing all three babies — a girl and two boys.
Take a breath now.
Before she became pregnant, Stephanie, 27, knew having another multiple birth was a possibility. She again was taking a low dosage of the fertility drug Clomid, which resulted in fraternal twin boys the first time around.
Remarkably, she wasn’t mentally stressed by the prospect of a second multiple birth.
“I don’t know the difference, I never had a singleton. I have nothing to compare it to,” she said, adding, “I’d rather have multiples than go through pregnancy after pregnancy after pregnancy.”
Miguel, 31, also took the triple addition in stride when he learned three babies were on the way.
His first concern, Stephanie said, was about how they were going to get five kids on two four-wheelers.
Coping
The babies’ staggered homecomings from Fairbanks Memorial Hospital helped the Borges develop a round-the-clock care routine with the help of supportive family and friends.
Alina, the first born, beat her brothers home, arriving June 25. She was followed by Camron on June 27 and Bryce on June 29.
“All my family helps,” Stephanie said.
Stephanie’s mother, Jennifer Walker-Mang, lives downstairs in the Borges’ University West home, and is on call around the clock.
The babies’ great-grandmother, Charlotte Lefferson, and Stephanie’s sister-in-law, Lois Walker, also help out frequently with the infants and twin boys.
And Stephanie’s best friend, Cara Deviny of Spokane, is in town for a month lending support.
In addition, dinner is being delivered frequently by members of MOPS — Mothers of Preschoolers — and Door of Hope Church.
Stephanie said she is grateful for all of the help.
“I didn’t take help with my boys, but the problem now is having toddlers and newborns. They have different needs,” she said.
“The twins were really easy until they hit 14 months and began climbing on the TV and the stove, and running out into the street,” she explained. “Now, they are much better. Now they actually listen.”
Miguel, a sheet metal worker at Holaday Parks, is working four 10-hour days and helps with caring for and feeding all five children on his three days off.
The family recently bought a nine-seat Suburban. The two extra seats will be filled when Miguel’s 9-year-old twin daughters from a previous marriage visit. The family plans to purchase a trailer for camping excursions.
“We love doing things outside,” Stephanie said. “We take our kids everywhere — four-wheeling, jet-skiing, camping.”
The twins’ favorite activity is riding with dad on the four-wheeler.
“They’re little adrenaline junkies and not afraid of anything,” Stephanie said.
Jace and Jadon also are getting used to the newcomers.
“Jadon really likes the babies, and Jace is much more reserved. He’s jealous (of the attention given them),” Stephanie said.
Daily schedule
Baby items spill into the Borges’ living and dining room area, lining the walls between furniture — two baby swings, a motion glider, a portacrib, a changing table stocked with diapers and a basket half-filled with tiny infant clothing.
“We have three of everything,” Stephanie said.
The triplets arrived home from the hospital on a three- to four-hour schedule of eating and sleeping, and the Borges are sticking to that schedule.
“They usually wake up at the same time, and if not, they are woken up so they all are on the same schedule,” Stephanie said.
The infants receive six to eight feedings in a 24-hour period, consuming 2-3 ounces of breast milk and occasionally formula each feeding, which means 24 bottles per day.
For Stephanie, a typical day with the triplets begins around 7 a.m. when she gets up, pumps milk and makes three bottles.
“I lay them out and give them bottles, all at the same time,” she explained.
Holding and burping come next, then changing diapers.
“I am constantly going, 7 a.m. to midnight, and up around three in the morning for a feeding,” she said. “The days sort of flow from one day to the next.”
Heart history
Upbeat and organized, Stephanie appears to be recovering rapidly from her recent hospitalization for congestive heart failure, which she said occurs approximately once in every 10,000 pregnancies.
“I don’t have time for heart failure,” she said.
Her mother shakes her head in frustration when it comes to keeping her daughter from overdoing.
The post-birth complication is not the first time Stephanie has fallen seriously ill. Heart problems run in her family. Her father and brother died of sudden heart failure at ages 36 and 24, respectively.
Stephanie had open heart surgery when she was 4 years old, but it wasn’t until she was pregnant with Jace and Jadon that she found out that her family has a genetic heart condition called Long QT Syndrome, a delayed heartbeat response.
Five weeks after the twins were born, she had an internal cardioverter defibrillator installed in her chest.
Jadon was born with a hole in his heart and a double chamber right ventricle was repaired during open-heart surgery when he was 10 months old.
Newborn Bryce was found to have a small hole in his heart, which is being carefully monitored.
“It’s not unusual for preemies, and often it will heal over,” Stephanie said.
The family is now undergoing genetic testing through the Mayo Clinic to find the gene responsible for the Long QT Syndrome. If the gene is found, a simple blood test will identify the condition.
As she recovers, Stephanie takes one day at time. She makes time for herself by integrating children activities, like taking 45 minutes to walk to the park so the boys can play and she can get some exercise at the same time.
“Balancing everything from twins to triplets and being a wife, that is the hardest thing. It’s hard to be fair and spend time for everybody,” she said.
Not surprisingly, the Borges feel their family is now complete.
The mother of five said she had a feeling for years that she would bear twins and triplets.
“In 2004, I had a vision, and I could see us walking into church all together,” she said.
Stephanie’s vision will be realized at some later date when the triplets are little older and ready for a Sunday morning family outing.
Community Discussion
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congrats
WOW. Triplets, twins, AND twin girls from a previous marriage, I think she could have had multiples without clomid, lol. Thats really awesome, my congrats as well. I want twins:)
Hi Stephanie,
Loved the story. . .I am Kristy's Mother-in Law in Pa and I go on the Newsminer site a couple of times a day to keep up with Fairbanks news. . .How wonderful with all those blessings you have. . .glad Jaiya is around to add to the girl count. . .you have been in my prayers. . .Hello to everyone in your famly. . .
God Bless,
Lynda Kapec-Bortz
good story. I also had a feeling about carrying twins since I was a kid. But I gave birth to 1.
lol I thought I had it hard ;) Congratulations.
Hooray! I can't wait to meet my new cousins on the 18th! :) I know they are in a house full of love and they'll be taken GREAT care of. :)
Congratulations again to you, Miguel, and the family... I love you guys!
"Little Stef"
Someone should explain to these people what is causing these pregnancies and also about the genetics of heart disease.
AkRascal, I imagine they KNOW what causes pregnancy. Generally if someone is taking Clomid, they are trying to conceive...
Congrats Borges family!
better them than me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i wont even baby sit grandkids much less want to go through something like that.
i dont guess i will understand why people in this era want so many kids when everything costs so much. used to be that there were big families because there were farms to work and logs to cut but now kids seem more like expensive pets or something.
while im on the subject, those of you that let your kids run wild in the stores and let them run out in front of my truck in the parking lot, how about cleaning up your act, put those little crumb snatchers on a leash. they are only cute when they belong to you, and for that crazy woman who changed that crappy diaper in a shopping cart and left it there, you really got some issues! i got 2 kids but thank God they are grown!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't understand why, knowing you have a genetic heart condition and one of your children already had heart issues, you would take fertility drugs to get pregnant again. It's not fair to gamble a child's health like that just because you want more kids.
i think people have mixed emotions..... those who want to have kids some cant and the ones who do wonder about how there parenting skills will be....it is fair to wonder how you can afford so many kids or why in theese times people have so many.... if you are religious you do not question why but if there is no religion then may wonder how the hell....congrats to you and best of luck to you and your family.more to love and to cherish
Long QT and heart disease are two different things. Long QT is an electrical problem, where are what is traditionally known as "heart disease" is usually disease of the arteries.
Two year-olds on 4-wheelers!!! I don't think that is very safe. Four-wheelers are for only adult riders, alone.
GOOD FOR YOU che, well written. I agree 100%!!!!
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