Monique Davaul assumed she'd have two children. But after her first baby, she welcomed twins. And then came the triplets.
"I don’t have a family history of multiples," Davaul, 30, of Virginia, tells TODAY.com, although her children's paternal grandfather is a twin. "All my kids were conceived naturally," she adds.
Davaul and her partner, Lamar Logan, share 8-year-old son, Messiah, 6-year-old twin sons, Nasir and Sincere, and 5-week old triplets, daughters Mielle and Noelle and son Jihad.
The mom says when learned she was carrying twins, "I cried and cried, asking, 'What will I do with two babies at once?'"
"I enjoy dressing them alike and watching them bond — they love being together," she says.
When the twins were 5 years old, Davaul took a positive pregnancy test, then went to the emergency room to have an ultrasound.
"They said, 'Ms. Davaul, you're pregnant with triplets' — they were really excited," she recalls. "They (asked if I) conceived naturally and I said, 'You think I will do something to have three kids at once? I already have three at home!' I had never seen a set of triplets until I had them."
Logan, she says, was “in shock.”
The fraternal triplets were born on April 12 at Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News, Virginia. A hospital spokesperson tells TODAY.com that conceiving twins naturally, then triplets naturally, is a phenomenon "so rare that it’s hard to find any statistics on the occurrence."
"We’re so proud to have been a part of this special moment for this family," reads a statement sent to TODAY.com on behalf of the hospital's nurses. "Moments like these are truly a reminder of why we love being nurses. It’s been 5 years since we’ve seen triplets. It’s an honor to be able to provide care and support to families during the most important times of their lives.
"The delivery is the first in the health system since 2018," the statement continues. "Fraternal Triplets Mielle, Jihad and Noelle were born ... with weights of 3 lbs, 11.3 oz; 3 lbs, 14.8 oz; and 3 lbs, 1.4 oz respectively."
Davaul describes Mielle as "sassy," Jihad as "calm" and Noelle as "sweet."
The family of eight is currently living in a two-bedroom house.
Davaul says she doesn't feel overwhelmed with six kids as she counts on her mother and sisters for additional help. "Messiah is helpful when getting the (older) kids ready for school and with the babies," she adds about her eldest.
"I don't have any complaints, but I'm surprised I am able to adapt," she says. "I guess God is looking over me. I just do what I got to do. It's my job as a mother to provide for my babies."
While Davaul has her hands full, could she potentially conceive multiples again?
"I haven't thought about that," she says. "Lord Jesus."