Premature triplets home for first Christmas

But Kai, Callum and Sophie Farmer and their delighted parents have enjoyed a wonderful first Christmas at home together after years of trying for a family.

The triplets were born 14 weeks prematurely and weighed less than 6lbs between them.

Parents Matthew and Stacey spent five years trying to have children but after one course of IVF at St Jude's Hospital in Wolverhampton found they were expecting three.

Their joy at giving birth earlier this year was tempered with worry over the health of their three new arrivals.

The triplets all suffered health complications as a result of their premature birth and Callum still needs oxygen treatment.

But the beaming parents had the joy of spending their first Christmas with their new family of five.

Matthew admitted it had been a tough year but that having his children home for Christmas was the only present he needed.

The 32-year-old, who works at DHL in Castle Bromwich on the supply chain for Jaguar, said: "It's been amazing having all three of them home together.

"We couldn't cuddle Kai and Sophie for the first few weeks because they were too fragile, and then Callum was even longer at three months.

"It was so hard not being able to do that, especially when we could hold the other two but not Callum, we felt like we were neglecting him but he was just still too ill.

"We've made up for it since then though."

Mr Farmer and his 28-year-old wife, of York Road in Cannock, finally had their three youngsters home together in September, after they had been born via caesarean section at Birmingham Women's Hospital on March 18.

The triplets were soon transferred to New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton where they spent months under observation.

Mr Farmer said: "We bought them so many presents for Christmas.

"They'll not want for anything, our relatives have all spoiled them too."

And he added of his wife: "Stacey's a rock. Without her I don't know where we'd be."