One young couple became parents to four children under the age of two after having identical triplets.

The three boys – Archie, Albie and Arthur – were born 12 weeks early, and parents Ellie Dudfield, 21, and Billy Revell, 20, were told they had only a 40% chance of survival.

“Albie contracted meningitis of the brain and needed a long course of antibiotics.

“Archie had a pulmonary haemorrhage and we were told that the outcome would probably not be very good.

“But fortunately, the next day he was much better.

Arthur was diagnosed with a grade 4 brain haemorrhage at two weeks old and the doctors were unable to determine his quality of life.

She added: “The worst outcome for Arthur could be cerebral haemorrhage: “The worst outcome for Arthur could be cerebral palsy, but it could also be as minor as needing glasses or having concentration problems.

“We’ll know more as he begins to achieve his planned milestones.

“The triplets had a difficult start to life, but Billy, who is a versatile operator, stayed strong, which helped me a lot. He was so positive.

“Lola hated it because we’d never been separated before.

After 12 weeks in hospital, the family returned home in September.

Ellie says: “It’s hard having four babies under the age of two, but routine is essential.

“Fortunately, the hospital gave the triplets a good routine and fed them every four hours.

“Now they only wake up once a night.

“Lola is just getting over the terrible two years, which is the hardest part.

“We have to balance our time to make sure everyone gets their fair share of attention.

The couple converted their five-seater car into a seven-seater before the arrival of the triplets.

The family uses around 25 diapers a day and 18 bottles.

Busy mom Ellie added: “Luckily, we bought a three-bedroom house in 2019, so we didn’t have to expand.

“Having triplets and a toddler means lots of diapers and bottles.

“We consume a jar of formula a day.

“But I wouldn’t want it to be any other day, because it’s so rewarding to watch them grow.

“Billy and I love it, but we have no intention of having another baby!

But the triplets – who shared the same placenta – defied the odds and are now at home with their parents and older sister Lola, aged two.

Ellie, who works as an administrative assistant for the NHS, admits that being a mom to four children under the age of two can be tough, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

The proud mom from Kettering, Northampton, said, “We obviously don’t have the typical life of people our age.

“It’s hard, but we’ve always been family-oriented, so we’ve made it work.

Ellie added: “We started saving and sacrificing: “We started saving and sacrificing everything, like going out, weekends and buying new clothes, when I found out I was pregnant with Lola.

“Fortunately, we were both still living at home, rent-free, so we were able to save as much as we could.

“We budgeted for everything, even food.

“It took us a year to save a 10% deposit and we bought a property through the Help to Buy scheme.

“The nurses were impressed by our maturity when we were in the NICU with the boys.

“Strangers always stop us on the street to look at the boys and they always say ‘well done’ when they realize how young we are.”

The triplets, who represent a one-in-200-million chance, were born earlier this year, on June 30, at 28 weeks and two days, following a miscarriage in November 2020.

They arrived at Kettering General Hospital by caesarean section – Archie weighed 2lb 6oz, Albie, 2lb 2oz and Arthur, 2lb 4oz.

And as if triplets weren’t rare enough already, Arthur was born in his amniotic sac, which occurs in less than one in 80,000 births.

They were transported directly to the newborn intensive care unit, and it was there that their fight for survival really began.

Ellie recounts, “It was an emotional rollercoaster, as they had their ups and downs.

“Archie and Albie had very high blood pressure and needed extra ventilation. So they were transferred to Coventry University Hospital after two days.

“It was very difficult having them in separate hospitals and having Lola at home with our parents.

“They were all suffering from sepsis and jaundice.