Couple Thought They Were Having a Baby. But When The Husband Finds Out What it is, He Faints

Sparks flew when Nia and Robert Tolbert first laid eyes on each other. They couldn’t help but feel like they’d won the jackpot. After a while, they realized they were destined to be together, so they decided to start a family. But what they discovered when they went to the doctor’s office was so shocking that it caused the father to faint and reconsider his entire life.

Love at First Sight

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Nia and Robert Tolbert realized they were meant to be when their friends first introduced them in 2007. So, naturally, they started dating and things progressed pretty quickly. They were so happy to have each other that they felt like they’ finally found “the one”. Over the years, their bond got stronger and stronger. But they had a few hiccups now and then just like any other couple. And yet, their love never wavered. Then, after being together for so many years, they got the best news ever.

A New Addition

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Tolbert had discovered she was pregnant. This was their first child ever, so the news had them over the moon. The couple from Waldorf, Maryland, realized that raising this baby was the next step in the evolution of their relationship. In 2011, Tolbert gave birth to a boy named Shai, and he was such a beautiful baby. There were no complications during labor, and the couple’s hearts were filled with joy. But Shai was too young to realize that he was going to be a big brother very soon.

They Got Hitched

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Although the Tolberts had been a family for a while now, they made it official in 2014 when they walked down the aisle. The Tolberts and their son, Shai were the epitome of a happy family, but it wouldn’t be the three of them forever. The couple hadn’t realized that a new family member was on its way, and it would completely change their lives. It turns out that Tolbert was pregnant for the second time. The couple was elated to add another little boy or little girl to their nest. But then they discovered something about the pregnancy that left them shocked.

Another Pregnancy

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As the second pregnancy progressed, the Tolberts were looking forward to learning whether they were having a boy or a girl. But when Tolbert went to the doctor’s office and got a sonogram, she received some alarming news. The doctors told the Tolberts that they weren’t having one baby. They were having two! The news was wonderful! And better yet, they also learned that the twins were going to be boys.

The Babies Were Born

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In 2015, Tolbert gave birth to identical twins. The couple named them Riley and Alexander. The family was officially a party of five. But after doing some talking, the grown-ups agreed that they had made enough babies. Their home had become pretty chaotic at this point with three boys running around and wrecking everything that got in their way. But the Tolberts managed to add order to chaos. They also made sure that all of their kids received the same amount of love and attention.

Plans Were Ruined

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The Tolberts had three gorgeous sons who made their lives richer. But they had already decided that they wouldn’t have any more children and took precautions to ensure that nothing unexpected happened. But life can be pretty unpredictable. The Tolberts worked around the clock to look after their three children. It was a full-time job when they had one child. Then they had twins which really tested their limits. But soon, life would give the Tolberts more plates to juggle.

The Bombshell

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In 2017, Tolbert discovered that she was pregnant yet again. The pregnancy was unexpected to say the least. But the couple felt that a higher power had put this new baby in their path, so instead of questioning it, they began preparing for the new arrival. Although they hadn’t planned for more babies, the Tolberts were looking forward to this new addition. This time, they were keeping their fingers crossed that it would be a girl. But their boys really wanted a little brother.

Something Was Off

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As the months went by, Tolbert realized that something about this pregnancy was off. She had already been pregnant twice before, but it felt different this time. She didn’t just sense it physically, but on an emotional level as well. Tolbert hoped that this unusual feeling was a sign that she was having a girl. After having so many sons, she was looking forward to raising a daughter. But soon, the couple realized that they weren’t getting what they wanted. Well, not exactly.

The Pregnancy Was Different

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Tolbert’s pregnancy hormones were raging and so were her emotional outbursts. She had never experienced these feelings so strongly before. She also realized her baby bump was growing bigger and faster. She worried that there was something wrong with the baby. She didn’t know what could have gone wrong because she had followed the exact same routine as her previous pregnancies. She ate healthy, took neonatal vitamins and did yoga to stay fit. But then she went to the doctors to get her first sonogram. That’s when she finally realized why this pregnancy felt so different.

The Sonogram Revealed Everything

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Tolbert was scared but excited when she went to get her first sonogram. She didn’t know what was happening to her, but she knew that it was going to change her life, and the lives of her husband and her three boys. “Robert and I have always joked about having a large family, but we did not plan to have any more pregnancies after the twins. But we were in for a surprise,” she explained. Once the ultrasound was done, the technician gave her the shocking news.

The Big Reveal

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Tolbert braced herself as the doctor conducted the ultrasound. She knew that this latest pregnancy was unlike anything she had experienced before. But she hoped that the child she was carrying was alive and healthy. “When we were expecting twins, our technician that was doing the ultrasound asked if multiples ran in our family. So this time around, the technician asked the same thing and I thought, ‘Oh, we must be having twins again,’” Tolbert said.

They Did a Double Take

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The ultrasound technician confirmed that Tolbert’s pregnancy was, as she suspected, anything but normal. She was having twins, and the news left her shaken. But once she recovered, she began to see this as a gift from a higher power. Then Tolbert went to the restroom, and when she got back, the technician told her she wanted to do another sonogram to be sure. Tolbert felt that it was important to go through with it before celebrating or telling her husband, so she allowed the technician to double check and hoped that nothing was wrong.

Shocking Second Sonogram

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The technician was more thorough during the second ultrasound, which confirmed that Tolbert wasn’t carrying twins. She was carrying triplets. Once Tolbert got the news, “everything kind of spiraled out of control,” according to her. Tolbert could handle twins, but triplets were a whole different story. Initially, she was concerned that she and her husband wouldn’t be able to cope with three new additions. But after she calmed down, she faced facts and dealt with the surprising news.

A Rare Situation

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Dr. Rami Tabbarah was the same doctor who had delivered Tolbert’s twins. He claimed that it was extremely rare to have one child, then twins, and then triplets. As far as he was concerned, Tolbert’s pregnancies had beaten all the odds. “We’re talking less than one in 1,000 [births]. That’s a very low chance for it happening to anyone in general,” Dr. Tabbarah told news reporters. “It’s very rare to have to twins then triplets [naturally] in the same lifetime.” But a look into their families’ history made everything clear.

Family History

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There was a history of multiple births in both Tolbert and her husband’s side of the family, which increased her odds of having multiple pregnancies. But her pregnancies had seemingly defined the odds of probability for the family. The chances of multiple-birth pregnancies are increased by certain indicators like being taller than normal, being African-American, being overweight, getting pregnant while breastfeeding, and getting pregnant through the help of fertility treatments. But now it was time for Tolbert to break the news to her husband.

Breaking the News

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Tolbert wasn’t sure how she was going to tell her husband. But she was leaving Maryland for a weekend trip to Tampa, Florida, and decided to leave him a parting gift for him to find after she had left. The gift contained a photo of her sonogram, which was marked babies A, B and C. She also included three onesies. There was a note, too, that read: “please accept this gift from her and God.” But would the news make him happy or send him into cardiac arrest?

Opening the Gift

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“I opened the bag and I saw a very, very long sonogram,” said Robert Tolbert. “Then I saw three onesies in the bag … and they were numbered 1, 2, and 3.” Once he processed what the gift truly meant, he practically passed out. “I was just shocked,” he added. “I just went straight to bed.” In the meantime, his wife was left wondering why she hadn’t heard from him. Then again, how else could he have reacted to this wonderful, but life-altering news?

He Called

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He was finally able to process his wife being pregnant with triplets shortly after he had woken up from his nap. Although he knew that having three more children would bring challenges to the Tolbert family, he decided to be a good husband and call his wife to congratulate her. He later admitted that when he found the gift, he had mistakenly assumed that she had bought him a Fitbit. It made sense to him because he had been hinting about wanting one. But instead, he discovered he was going to be a dad and this time, to triplets.

Her Gift’s Aftermath

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“Once I arrived in Tampa later that day for a girls trip, I was finally able to get in touch with him and he shared that he was happy, but he’d ‘fainted!” Tolbert recalled. Fortunately, her husband had gotten over the surprising news and got to work on prepping for the triplets’ arrival. He explained that he and his wife had “been making adjustments and space for our three little blessings arriving soon!” The two of them hadn’t anticipated having three more babies, and having triplets equaled triple the work!

Gender Reveal Party

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The Tolberts didn’t want to know the gender of the babies right off the bat. Instead, they decided to have a little fun by throwing a gender reveal party. Once they popped the balloons, the colors of the confetti would reveal the genders of the triplets. Everyone at the party got very excited when it came time to pop the balloons. The first popped balloon revealed that they were having a girl. The second balloon popped revealed yet another girl, and the third balloon showed the same result. The triplets were all going to be girls!

Gender Balance

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The Tolberts were excited they were having three girls. Now their household would have a healthy balance of three boys and three girls. But some family members weren’t too happy with the news. Care to guess? The triplets’ brothers were a little upset that their mom wasn’t having more boys. That’s because they wanted the house to be full of superhero and Ninja Turtle toys. But eventually, they warmed up to the fact that they’d be getting sisters.

Household Dynamic

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“We are both excited about this new experience of parenting girls,” she told Us magazine. “Rob is enthused about having his own entourage, as the boys stick to me like glue! I’m curious . . . How will it change the dynamic of our household?” she added. “Will it be like it is in the movies? Who’s going to comb all that hair? It’s going to be eventful, we know it. But we’re leaning on God and Pinterest until we find our flow!” she explained. Despite some doubts, she was certain that everything would be as it should be.

Ready to Pop

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The triplets were due on February 9th, but multiple pregnancies can be pretty unpredictable and no one was sure what would happen. She started having contractions weeks before the initial due date. But as quickly as they came, they went away. So, Tolbert brushed them off, and then…“They were about five minutes apart and started getting closer, so I decided to call my mom,” Tolbert said. She assumed she would be “going to go to the hospital and [that] they’ll probably send me home. It happens every pregnancy.” But once again, Tolbert defied all odds.

Triplets Were Coming

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The Tolberts were expecting the doctors to send them home from the hospital, but things were different this time. “We’re going to have the babies today,” they told them. Tolbert was in so much shock that she asked the staff for her doctor. Then, her water broke just as her doctor walked into the room. The babies were coming, and everyone prepared for the tough night ahead. They also hoped that everything would turn out okay and that the triplets would be healthy when they were born.

She Gave Birth

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On January 30th, 2018, Tolbert had a c-section and gave birth to triplets. The babies were in perfect health and so was their mother. Once it was all over, the doctor asked Tolbert how she felt. “Finally alone,” was her response. As she held the babies in her arm for the first time, she smiled and said, “They’re so cute. Oh my gosh.”  34 weeks and five days of being pregnant had paid off and now the Tolberts had three beautiful little girls to take home.

Healthy Triplets

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Despite being born premature, the babies were about 4 to 4.6 pounds each and in great health. But only two of them are identical. The third baby was fraternal. The only thing the Tolberts had left to do was figure out what to name them. They decided to name the fraternal twin Mackenzie, and the identical twins Zuri and Bailey. But Tolbert got a new name, too. She was dubbed the 1-2-3- mom because she had a single pregnancy, followed by twins, and finally triplets.

No Real Plan

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“There is no real plan. We have no idea how it’s going to go,” Tolbert replied when asked about what her plan was on juggling everything with the triplets. The Tolberts decided to handle things one day at a time and hoped that everything would work out in the end. “God chose us,” said Tolbert’s husband. “We didn’t know this would be our lives, but we’re embracing it wholeheartedly, and we’re going to do the necessary things to make sure our kids are equally loved.” But they didn’t do it alone.

Loved Ones Helped

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The Tolberts were pros at parenting, but even these experts needed a little help from their loved ones and friends. Their neighbors also lent a hand now and then, which was great because they had six children to raise. “But we’re not too concerned,” she said. “I know we’re not going to sleep for a couple years, our grocery bill is going to go up, and our house is not going to be quiet and that’s OK,” she added. But when money got tight, they turned to total strangers for help.

New Car Needed

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Although their family and friends were there to help, the Tolberts needed financial help, too. So, they created a crowdfunding campaign on Fundly to raise enough money to buy a car that could accommodate their large family. It made perfect sense that they needed a new car since they had to fit eight people inside one vehicle! The Tolberts claimed that they would figure out how to manage any obstacles that came with raising such a large family and they’re looking forward to what the future has in store for them. But are they done having children?

Kids in the Future

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Now that their story has gone viral, a lot of folks want to know if Tolbert would have another multiple pregnancy if the couple were to have more children. Would they have quadruplets? No one can say for sure. It’s certainly possible since she set the record for rare pregnancies. But when she was asked if she would consider having more children, Tolbert replied, “Absolutely not. I am confident we are not having any more children.” But for those who are wondering how this family is doing, the Tolberts have come up with a few brilliant ways to keep everyone in the loop.

Setting a Goal

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The Fundly page mentioned earlier is named Totally Tolbert, which the couple came up with themselves. On the page, the Tolberts wrote about how they fell in love and why they needed everyone’s help. They originally set a goal of $40,000 to buy a new car, and initially raised over $940 through various donors. If there’s anyone who deserves to reach their goal, it’s the Tolberts. But Fundly isn’t the only venture this family’s relying on. Tolbert has also come up with other ways to help bring in a little extra cash to help her family out.

Promoting Yoga

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Tolbert’s multiple pregnancies changed the way her body looked, but she quickly bounced back thanks to yoga. So she decided to share her secret of how she did it by becoming a wellness coach and private yoga instructor. She even launched her own brand in May 2017 called MOTHERLOVINGYOGA™. Her brand promotes yoga practices for people of all ages, regardless of gender. She is a firm believer that people can learn to empower and invigorate themselves through yoga. But Tolbert also uses social media to share and vent about her everyday challenges.

Sharing Life Challenges

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Tolbert uses MOTHERLOVINGYOGA™ to get people to incorporate meditation, yoga and movement into their lives so they can be healthy, fit and happy. But she also talks about her experience with her multiple births, and everything she’s had to deal with after becoming a mom. She doesn’t soft pedal the truth either. On Facebook, she wrote about how happy and grateful she is to have six children, but she also talks about the challenges of motherhood. “Everyday has its stream of ‘wtf, leave mommy alone,’ ‘I can’t do this anymore,’ ‘why would you do that?!’ and a few shed tears. But I seem to keep making it to the next day and through the next adventure.” To many folks, she’s more than just a mommy.

Going Herbal

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Tolbert is pretty busy raising six kids, but she also has an important job working for Herbalife Nutrition. The company produces various nutritional products that promote having a balanced diet and exercising, which is right up her alley. So, it’s not surprising that she’s their international wellness and empowerment coach. She chose to become the company’s spokesperson because they promote a lifestyle that is both healthy and active without any gimmicks. In fact, they used the medical industry’s most valuable scientists and doctors to develop their supplements, shakes and vitamins that help consumers maintain an active and healthy lifestyle. But Tolbert’s followers can also follow her family’s experiences in other ways, too.

Going Totally Tolbert

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The Tolberts created an Instagram and a Facebook page named Totally Tolbert™ so they could share what their family is up to with the rest of the world, not that they had much of a choice. Everyone’s interest in them was so high that they simply had to create these social media accounts. Everyone had fallen in love with the Tolberts’ life story and they kept on begging the couple to share photos of the family and post updates. Now the “1-2-3 Mom” makes sure that everyone stays up-to-date on what she affectionally refers to as “our Kru.”

Follow their Adventure

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The Tolberts introduced their family to the world on Instagram with the caption: “We are the Totally Tolbert™ Kru 3 Bros 3 Bows SINGLE (boy) ~TWIN (boys) ~TRIPLET (girls) Follow Our Adventures!!” They even provided their email so that their followers could send them special requests, compliments, or even suggestions. Anyone can scroll through and admire their beautiful photos and videos of Shai, the twins Riley and Alexander, and the triplets Mackenzie, Zuri, and Bailey. The family has captured some awesome moments and it’s clear to their followers that the couple love their kids very much and don’t hold back on the nurturing or the splurging.

Followers Were Gushing

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To commemorate the triplets’ eight-week milestone, Tolbert posted a photo of three pairs of pink shoes with black and white stripes. On the caption, she wrote: “The cuteness strikes again. Happy 8 weeks Baby Dolls.” And netizens fell in love! Their Instagram page has 29,000 followers and they’ve gotten plenty of likes and comments on their posts. They also received lots of compliments such as: “When can I virtually babysit?” and “They are so adorable! Love the little shoes.” But all this attention on the girls has really affected the Tolbert boys.

Daddy’s Boys

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Before the triplets came along, Shai and the twins clung to Tolbert, which made perfect sense since they loved their mother very much. But when their sisters arrived, they started spending a lot more time with their father, and getting into all sorts of adorable trouble. Tolbert even posted a photo of the men in her life and wrote on the caption: “The Tolbert boys!!!!!! One half of the crew taking a break from the girls!! Xander with the mischief, Riley with the attitude, Shai with the cuteness, and Rob with the Dad Swag.”