Couple Conceives Two Sets of Triplets Naturally

CINCINNATI – Victoria Lasita and her husband Tim had decided not to stop at three children.

But they weren't thinking about a second set of triplets when they said they wanted to have "one more."

"I guess we should have been more specific and said one more child, not one more set," said Victoria, 39, who delivered the couple's second set of triplets Wednesday at Good Samaritan Hospital.

The Lasitas conceived both sets of triplets naturally, without fertility treatments.

"Holy smokes. Do you know what the odds of that are?" said Dr. Glen E. Hofmann, medical director of the Bethesda Center for Reproductive Health and Fertility.

The odds of a woman having triplets naturally are about one in 8,000, he said. The odds for having triplets twice are astronomical.

A New Brunswick, N.J., woman gave birth to her second set of triplets in May 2006. Sharon and Rich Fontana also said both sets of their triplets were conceived naturally.

The Lasitas welcomed 4-pound, 2 1/2-ounce Casey Alexander into the world at 1:57 p.m. Wednesday, followed seconds later by 4-pound, 13 1/2-ounce Caden Bradley, and 2 minutes later by 4-pound, 9 1/2-ounce Carson Charles. All were between 17 1/2 and 18 inches long.

"Everybody seems to be doing well," said Tim, who watched the Caesarean-section births in a delivery room filled with 18 medical personnel.

It's still unclear when the triplets will go home, where Jessica, Jillian and Brian, who will turn 4 in December, await.

The first set of triplets was born at 28 weeks. All weighed less than 3 pounds at birth. Lung problems contributed to "a little rocky start," Victoria said, but overall, they're healthy.

The Lasitas said the new triplets will mean about 300 diaper changes a week, and about 168 bottles.

"You take what God gives you," Victoria said. "And this is what he's decided we can handle."

The Lasitas have been married six years. Both Victoria, a stay-at-home-mom, and Tim, a graphics company billing and shipping coordinator, have grown children from previous marriages. Victoria has two older sons; Tim one.