A couple who lost four babies in two years have welcomed miracle triplets – after spending $6,000 on surgery to prevent premature labor.
Crystal Milutinovic, 29, from Ohio, is over the moon after giving birth to Malina, Kostadin and Aleksija, now two months, on September 10.
She and husband Marco, also 29, endured two years of devastating loss after Crystal gave birth to triplets at 24 weeks in August 2018.
Sadly two of the babies passed away – and the third, Lana, now two, required a 109-day stay in NICU.
Crystal and Marco Milutinovic, 29, from Ohio, are over the moon after giving birth to Malina, Kostadin and Aleksija, now two months on September 10 – completing their family (also pictured with Lana, two, and Demitirje, three, with their tributes to Milan and Katarina on the wall
Crystal gave birth at 36 weeks to Malina, 5lbs 9oz, Kostadin, 5lbs 10oz and Aleksija, 6lb – pictured now with their older siblings Lana and Demitirje
Having always dreamed of having a big family, Crystal and Marco, were delighted to fall pregnant again the following year.
But Crystal – who was pregnant with twins, despite neither of them having multiple births in their families – suffered a miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy.
The couples’ misery turned to joy as they fell pregnant with triplets again in January 2020.
To protect their babies, they paid over $6,000 for a transabdominal cerclage procedure which involves inserting a small, woven synthetic band high on the cervix. to support it and preventing it from opening, causing premature labor.
Crystal gave birth at 36 weeks to Malina, 5lbs 9oz, Kostadin, 5lbs 10oz and Aleksija, 6lb. She said: ‘I felt like our family was broken – but now it is complete.
Having always dreamed of having a big family, Crystal (pictured pregnant) and Marco were delighted when they first discovered they were expecting twins
‘We felt complete when we brought them home to meet the other kids.
‘I felt like we finally found what we were searching for. We’d like to think they had a little help from above.
‘We are so blessed and obsessed with the chaos. They are everything we have ever dreamed of.
‘Our rainbow babies don’t fix what happened. They give us extra love that we didn’t know we can contain or hold.’
The couple had a tough road to parenthood; they spent five years trying to conceive with their first born Demitirje, now three.
Crystal had an uneventful pregnancy with the triplets until 24 weeks, when they arrived early. Pictured with Marco and Lana in NICU
The couple were forced to make the ‘hardest decision’ of their lives which was to turn one of the babies’ life support machine off. Lana – pictured – was their only surviving triplet
During that time Crystal was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), putting her at higher risk of pregnancy complications.
She was elated to discover she was pregnant with spontaneous triplets in 2018.
Crystal recalled: ‘The pregnancy was uneventful and all the appointments were going really well.
‘But at 24 weeks and five days, it was all ripped away from us. Initially, they were doing really but after two days everything went really bad.’
The couple were forced to make the ‘hardest decision’ of their lives which was to turn one of the babies’ life support machine off.
Tiny Milan had an infection in his intestines that went septic. He was resuscitated three times but could not be saved.
During his final hour, things took a turn for the worst and baby Katarina’s heart rate rapidly dropped.
Crystal said: ‘Milan’s health declined rapidly and he also suffered a grade four brain bleed.
‘He was turning purple,’ Crystal recalled. ‘We were trying to hold on to him, more for us, but he was in so much pain.
‘We never thought we could turn the machine off but we couldn’t let him suffer any more.
‘It is the most selfless thing we ever did. We had to put Milan first.’
After losing Katarina and Milan, the couple spent an anxious 109 days with Lana while she built up strength in NICU. She was diagnosed with chronic lung disease and contracted E-coli which spread through her body and the couple prepared to say goodbye on more than one occasion
During their final moments with Milan, Crystal told how the doctor ran in and told them they needed to come to see Katarina.
‘Her heart rate dropped so low – it was beating at 46 beats per minute,’ Crystal said.
‘I fell to the floor as they began resuscitating her – I couldn’t believe what was happening. It was like a really bad dream.
‘They couldn’t save her so I held them both close to my chest. Waiting for them to pass in my arms was the most difficult and deep pain I’ve ever experienced. It was unimaginable.
‘I remember when I was holding my daughter, every single nurse and doctor were crying – just 12 hours before they were doing well.’
It was a bittersweet moment when the couple could finally take Lana home. Loading the family-sized car with just one baby was a ‘heartbreaking’ moment – one the couple will never forget. Pictured with Lana and their son while Crystal was pregnant with the latest triplets
Little Lana, who was born weighing just 1lbs 9oz, faced a lot of challenges during her NICU stay.
She was diagnosed with chronic lung disease and contracted E-coli which spread through her body.
The couple prepared to say goodbye on more than one occasion.
Crystal added: ‘We struggled to accept the thought of her coming home. I think she was resuscitated about 10 times – it was horrendous.
‘I spent every day by her side, I needed her more than she needed me. Every day was so special with her.’
Speaking about miscarrying her twins, Crystal (pictured with first born Demitirje in hospital) said she thought they’d survive because she found out she was pregnant on the anniversary of Katarina and Milan’s death
It was a bittersweet moment when they could finally take Lana home. Loading the family-sized car with just one baby was a ‘heartbreaking’ moment – one the couple will never forget.
The following year, on the first anniversary of Milan and Katarina’s death, Crystal discovered she was pregnant.
She felt like it was fate – but at eight weeks, she suffered a miscarriage.
Crystal said: ‘I had a feeling nothing would happen to them because they came on Milan and Katarina’s anniversary.
‘It was the first time I could look forward to the future.’
After taking some time out, in January this year the couple fell pregnant in their first month of trying – and were elated to discover it was triplets again (pictured in hospital after their birth)
The couple forked out $6000 for a transabdominal cerclage procedure to prevent a premature labour. Pictured: Crystal and her latest arrivals
Crystal said it was like having a flashback when the doctor said they were expecting triplets – especially as neither of them have multiple births in their family
When she began to suffer pain and cramping at eight weeks, Crystal went to her doctor, who gave them to devastating news there was no heartbeat.
‘I then found out there were two babies and I’d miscarried one naturally,’ she recalled.
‘The other was stuck in my Fallopian tube, but thankfully I didn’t have to have it removed.
‘It was the lowest point of my life – after losing Milan and Katarina, I never thought anything more could happen to us.’
The devastated couple took some time out and stopped trying for a baby.
But in January this year, they fell pregnant in their first month of trying – and were elated to discover it was triplets again.
Crystal said: ‘It was like having a flashback when the doctor said triplets.
‘Marco said, “That’s impossible!” – we couldn’t believe it as none of us have multiples in the family.’
The couple forked out $6000 for a transabdominal cerclage procedure to prevent a premature labor.
Medics in their hometown refused to carry out the operation so they traveled to Chicago.
Crystal said: ‘I was hesitant to get excited after all we had been through.
‘At 12 weeks, my cervix was shortening which was when I found out about the surgery.
‘We were willing to try anything! It basically closed my cervix so I couldn’t go into labor.’
Thankfully Crystal gave birth to three healthy babies and their family is now doing great.
The couple traveled to Chicago for the transabdominal cerclage procedure to ensure Crystal didn’t go into premature labour with the triplets (pictured)
Thankfully Crystal gave birth to three healthy babies (pictured with their siblings) and their family is now doing great