Rare identical triplet boys born in Texas hospital

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Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Rare identical triplet boys born in Texas hospital
Yolanda and Arturo Ontiveros welcomed three bundles of joy last month: identical triplet sons. Doctors say the odds of that happening are extremely unlikely.(KVII)

AMARILLO, Texas -- Yolanda and Arturo Ontiveros welcomed three bundles of joy last month: Abe, Max and Lex. What makes them even more special, though, is that the boys are identical.

When the couple learned that they would be having three babies, they had mixed emotions, Yolanda said.

"I cried, I'm not going to lie," she told ABC affiliate KVII. "I was very terrified."

At the same time, though, the new mother said she was grateful for the unusual birth.

"Every pain and everything that I've dealt with, it's definitely worth it," she said.

The babies were born prematurely and haven't been able to leave the hospital yet, KVII reports.

"Coming home to an empty house, an empty nursery, and dealing with that emotion is very difficult," Yolanda said.

Nurses told KVII that all three are growing nicely, and if they continue like this they should be home in a matter of weeks.

The couple already has a 2-year-old, and Arturo said he can't wait for the babies to join their big brother at home.

"I'm excited about having three more boys to add to my one boy that I already have," Arturo said. "I'm a big sports buff, so I'm already thinking that I almost have a basketball team between these three and my boy."

The Ontiveros did not use fertility drugs, making the birth even more rare. Doctors told KVII that the odds of having triplets naturally could be as high as one in a million.