Maggie Shumate loves working with new moms as a Labor & Delivery nurse at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. She has always strived to bring empathy and compassion to the bedside while helping laboring mothers, but it wasn’t until her own pregnancy turned high-risk that she gained a new understanding of the strength of her patients.
Maggie and her husband Trent were thrilled to be welcoming their first child when they went for a confirmation ultrasound. Then came the first surprise: the sonographer informed them they were having twins! A couple weeks later at a follow-up scan, an even bigger shock: there weren’t just two babies, but three. Maggie was carrying a rare set of mixed triplets, a set of identical girls and their fraternal brother. The odds of their combination is about 1 in 800,000.
The triplets – Paisley, Margot, and Callum – were born at 32 weeks in February. Maggie was admitted to the hospital immediately following the baby shower her fellow L&D nurses threw for her. They remained by her side through delivery, helping to safely bring her babies into the world, and to provide comfort and reassurance to their friend. Maggie says it was incredible to be cared for by her own colleagues, while Trent jokes he “felt like a mob wife” with the endless attention and care they received.
After a few weeks in the NICU, the triplets made their way home in waves, eventually all joining each other at home in April. Maggie and Trent are excited to move in next door to Maggie’s parents this month and have the support they need. But first, they’ll be celebrating Mother’s Day with a special photoshoot. There is certainly no shortage of smiles among this happy family of five.
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