A British woman who was told she may never get pregnant has given birth to three sons, who all share the same summer birthday. Emma Smith, 42, had three “rainbow babies” after suffering with endometriosis since she was 18 and having a miscarriage.
Painful fertility struggles end with a rainbow
Smith was diagnosed with endometriosis when she was 18. She reports that doctors at the time advised her to try for a baby as soon as possible so that she had the best chance of having a healthy pregnancy. Endometriosis is a condition that can make it difficult to get pregnant and can even mean someone cannot get pregnant at all.
Despite having 10 operations to try to treat the condition, Smith said that she started thinking she would never be able to have children. “I suffered the heartache of watching friends and family members having children, adamant that it would never be my turn”, she shared.
“I was always the ‘Bridget Jones’ of the group, watching them having their children and families and everything and genuinely never thought it would happen for me”.
Things changed for her in 2016 when Emma and her partner, Dave Mycock, welcomed their first son.
Birth of boys beats staggering odds
Their first son, Alfie James, was born on 20 June 2016. His mum called his arrival a “miracle”. And yet, there was more staggering news to come.
Against odds of 133,000/1, Emma and Dave welcomed a further two sons, Jesse Joe in 2019, and Arley Jay in 2023. What did Alfie James, Jesse Joe, and Arley Jay all have in common? They were all born on 20 June.
The boys are also all “rainbow babies”, a term used to describe children born after their mother has suffered baby loss.
Referring to these staggering odds, the mother of three said “It’s a complete miracle, it’s magical, and we just feel completely and utterly blessed”.
Recognising the loss of tiny lives
Right To Life UK spokesperson Catherine Robinson said “The pain Emma shared from her experience of miscarriage is a testament to the value of babies in the womb, even at a very early stage of development”.
“Her story of her rainbow babies is so heartening and we offer many congratulations to her and her family. Life really is precious at all stages and should be cherished and protected”.
