Nia and Robert Tolbert and their son were like any other loving family. That was until Nia got pregnant for the second and then a third time. In fact, the type of pregnancies the Tolberts experienced were so rare that they shocked experts worldwide and made national news. Why you ask? Well, you’ll have to read the story to find out.
Nia and Robert had no idea what would happen in each of their pregnancies but they definitely did not expect all this.
Nia & Robert
Nia and Robert first met back in 2007 through mutual friends and to them, it was love at first sight. They quickly started dating and things just took off from there. The happy couple was devoted to one another.
As the years went by, things just kept getting better and better for the couple. Their relationship had its ups and downs, just like any other, but one thing was clear: their love was built to last. After a few years of dating, they received some exciting news.
Read on to find out why Nia Tolbert's pregnancies have been so special:
An Amazing Addition
That amazing news was finding out that Nia was pregnant. It was her very first pregnancy and the couple couldn’t have been happier finding out the news. The loving couple from Waldorf, Maryland knew that raising a family was the natural next step in their relationship.
Nia gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Shai in 2011. The pregnancy went smoothly and the couple couldn’t have been happier. But little did Shai know that he was destined to be the first of many more children to come in the Tolbert household.
Tying the Knot
In 2014, Nia and Robert decided to finally tie the knot, though they were already a family long before that. Nia, Robert and little Shai were a picture perfect family, but it wasn’t going to be just them for long.
By the time Nia and Robert were married, something else was already brewing that would change the Tolbert family forever. Another addition! Nia was pregnant again. The Tolberts were ecstatic to find out whether their new addition would be a boy or a girl. But what happened next surprised them.
A Second Pregnancy
As the months of the second pregnancy went by, the entire Tolbert family was abuzz, excited to find out the gender of the new baby. But when Nia went to the doctor’s office to get her sonogram done, she received surprising news.
Nia and Robert Tolbert found out that not only were they having one baby, but they would also be having two! What wonderful news for the couple. And as far as the genders go, they were expected to both be boys.
The Birth
Nia Tolbert gave birth to a beautiful set of identical twins in 2015, named Riley and Alexander. If you’re keeping count, the Tolbert’s were now a family of five. Both Nia and Robert agreed that their family was large enough.
The household became very hectic with three little boys running around and destroying everything in their path. But Nia and Robert were the perfect team and managed to keep things in order and love all of their children equally.
Enough
The Tolberts, now a family of five, had a full house with their beautiful sons around. According to Nia and Robert, they felt their family was big enough and weren’t planning on having any more children.
The couple worked like clockwork taking care of their three beautiful children. If they had thought raising one child was hard enough, they soon learned that having twins was double-trouble. But that wasn’t all that was in store for the Tolberts…
Surprise
In a surprise turn of events in 2017, Nia found out that she was pregnant for the third time. The pregnancy wasn’t planned but both Nia and Robert said that it must have been God’s plan.
Still, despite not having planned it, the family was excited to welcome a new member. The household was abuzz again, this time hoping that they would be welcoming a little girl (at least the parents were hoping so. The little boys wanted another brother).
Oddities
Straight off the bat, Nia knew that something was different about this pregnancy. Having already gone through two pregnancies, she could feel that something was not the same. She felt it physically, as well as emotionally.
Nia prayed that what she was feeling meant that she was going to have a girl. It would be nice to have a daughter in the family after all those sons. But that wasn’t quite the case…
Something Different
Nia Tolbert noticed that with this pregnancy she was having a lot more emotional reactions and the pregnancy hormones were surging like she had never felt before. She was also getting bigger much faster than with her previous pregnancies.
Nia didn’t quite understand what was going on because she was doing everything the same. She was staying fit doing yoga and eating all the right nutritious foods, taking her neonatal vitamins as instructed. It wasn’t until she went to have her first sonogram that she began to understand just what was so different this time around.
The First Sonogram
When Nia went for her first sonogram she was both nervous and excited, knowing that something was different with this pregnancy. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was exactly. But it was something.
“Robert and I have always joked about having a large family, but we did not plan to have any more pregnancies after the twins. But we were in for a surprise.” More and more surprises were on the way as soon as Nia had an ultrasound done.
Surprising Ultrasound
At the doctor’s office, Nia prepared herself for the ultrasound, still knowing that something was different about this pregnancy. She prepared herself for any surprises and just prayed to God that there was nothing wrong with the baby she was carrying.
“When we were expecting twins, our technician that was doing the ultrasound asked if multiples ran in our family. So this time around, the technician asked the same thing and I thought, ‘Oh, we must be having twins again,’” Nia said.
A Double Check
The ultrasound technician eventually confirmed Nia’s suspicion that she was having another set of twins. At first, the news was a shock for Nia. But she came around quickly, viewing it as a blessing instead and a gift from God.
That’s when Nia went to the bathroom, and when she came back the technician told her that she wanted to do another check, just to make sure. Feeling that there it was best to be certain, Nia agreed that it was better safe than sorry.
The Sonogram
The second ultrasound was more thorough, not wanting to miss anything out of the ordinary. And sure enough, there it was: Nia was carrying not two, but three babies. According to Nia, once she received the news “everything kind of spiraled out of control.”
Twins, she knew how to deal with, but triplets was another ballgame completely. At first, she had fears of whether she and husband Robert would be able to handle the big increase in their family. But then she eventually came to terms with the idea.
Extremely Rare
The same doctor that delivered Nia’s twins was scheduled to deliver her triplets, and he said that getting pregnant with one child, then two, then three is “extremely rare.” Dr. Rami Tabbarah added that Nia’s pregnancies defied all odds when it came to the numbers.
“We’re talking less than one in 1,000 . That’s a very low chance for it happening to anyone in general,” Dr. Tabbarah said. “It’s very rare to have to twins then triplets in the same lifetime.”
Increased Odds
Both Nia and Robert’s sides of the family have a history of multiple births, giving Nia an increased chance of having multiple-birth pregnancies. Still, her births were far beyond the scope of probability and unique for the entire extended family.
Some indicators of an increased likelihood of multiple-birth pregnancies are being overweight, being taller than average, being African-American, getting pregnant through fertility treatments, and getting pregnant while breastfeeding. For now, only Nia knew the news, and it was time to reveal it to her husband.
Devising A Plan
Nia wondered how she would share the exciting news to her husband, Robert. She was leaving Maryland for the weekend to Tampa, Florida and decided that she would leave Robert with a goodbye gift that he would only find after she left.
The gift consisted of her sonogram, which was quite long and clearly marked babies A, B and C. She also included three onesies and a note, asking Robert to “please accept this gift from her and God.”
The Gift
“I opened the bag and I saw a very, very long sonogram,” Robert Tolbert stated. “Then I saw three onesies in the bag … and they were numbered 1, 2, and 3.” Upon receiving the gift and finally understanding what it all meant… Robert fainted.
“I was just shocked,” he said. “I just went straight to bed.” Nia in the meantime was wondering why it was taking so long to hear back from her dear husband. Who could blame his reaction to the beautiful but surprising news?
The Call
When Robert finally regained consciousness, the realization that his wife was having triplets really set in. He called his wife and congratulated her, despite his fears of the challenges that would come from adding three more children to the Tobert family.
He laughingly admitted later on that he honestly thought his wife had bought him a Fitbit as a gift before she left because he had been hinting that he wanted one. Instead, he got the shock of his life finding out that they were going to be having triplets.
The Aftershock
“Once I arrived in Tampa later that day for a girls trip, I was finally able to get in touch with him and he shared that he was happy, but he’d ‘fainted!” Nia recalled. Robert thankfully got over the initial shock of having triplets and got right to work.
He said at the time that the couple had “been making adjustments and space for our three little blessings arriving soon!” The two had a lot of work to do seeing as how they were only expecting one additional child. Three children are three times the work!
Gender Reveal
The happy couple decided that they didn’t want to know the genders of their triplets right away. Instead, they opted to have a gender reveal party where they would pop balloons and the color of the confetti would indicate the gender.
At the party, when the time finally came to pop the balloons there was excitement in the air. The first balloon was popped- a girl. The second balloon was popped- a girl. Then finally the third balloon was popped- a girl.
Read on to find out just how awesome the Tolberts really are.
Balance
Nia and Robert were thrilled that they were going to have three baby girls. Finally, their household would be balanced with three boys and three girls. But some people didn’t take the news as well as expected. Can you guess who?
The boys were disappointed that they weren’t going to be having more brothers. According to Nia, it’s because they want the whole house to be full of Ninja Turtle and superhero toys. But they eventually came around to the idea of little sisters.
Anticipation
“We are both excited about this new experience of parenting girls,” Nia told Us. “Rob is enthused about having his own entourage, as the boys stick to me like glue! I’m curious . . . How will it change the dynamic of our household?”
“Will it be like it is in the movies? Who’s going to comb all that hair? It’s going to be eventful, we know it. But we’re leaning on God and Pinterest until we find our flow!” Nia added.
Due Date Approaching
Nia and Robert’s triplets were due on February 9th but with triplets, none of them knew what could happen. Weeks before the due date Nia started having contractions. They came and went, so Nia didn’t think anything of it. Then, one day…
“They were about five minutes apart and started getting closer, so I decided to call my mom,” Nia said. According to her, she thought she would be “going to go to the hospital and they’ll probably send me home. It happens every pregnancy.”
A Trip To The Hospital
Nia and Robert were at the hospital, expecting to be sent home when they heard the surprising news. “We’re going to have the babies today,” one of the doctors announced. Nia, still in a bit of a shock, frantically asked where her doctor was.
Then, as if it were meant to be, the moment her doctor entered the room, Nia’s water broke. The triplets were coming! Everyone braced themselves for a long night, and prayed that everything would be ok and the triplets would be in good health.
The Birth
Nia gave birth to all three babies via cesarean section on January 30th, 2018. All the babies were healthy, including the mother. When the birth was over, the doctor asked Nia how she was feeling, her only response was “finally alone.”
“They’re so cute. Oh my gosh,” Nia said with a huge smile on her face when she held her babies for the very first time. After 34 weeks and five days of being pregnant, Nia and Robert’s new little angels had finally arrived.
The Triplets
All of the babies were in between 4 to 4.6 pounds and in good health despite being born early. Two of the triplets are identical, the third is fraternal. Now all Nia and Robert had to do was decide what to name their three gorgeous daughters.
Nia and Robert named the fraternal girl Mackenzie, and the identical twins Zuri and Bailey. After the birth of Nia’s triplets, she became known as the 1-2-3 mom, for the number of babies she has had in each of her pregnancies: a single, twins, then triplets.
Day By Day
When asked what her game plan was Nia replied, “There is no real plan. We have no idea how it’s going to go.” The couple resolved to take things day by day, and trust that everything will work out in the best way.
“God chose us,” Robert said. “We didn’t know this would be our lives, but we’re embracing it wholeheartedly, and we’re going to do the necessary things to make sure our kids are equally loved.” Read on to find out just what the happy couple did to make it all work.
It Takes A Village
Nia and Robert say that they couldn’t raise their children without the support of their family, friends and neighbors. After all, it does take a village to raise children. And Nia and Robert have more than just a few children; now they have half a dozen.
“But we’re not too concerned,” Nia explained. “I know we’re not going to sleep for a couple years, our grocery bill is going to go up, and our house is not going to be quiet and that’s OK.”
Help Needed
The Tolberts certainly need all the help they can get raising their large family. While they have the support of their friends and family, every little bit helps. They have also opened a crowdfunding campaign on Fundly to raise money to buy a new car.
We can certainly understand why they would need a new car now that they need to fit eight people in at once! The Tolbert family says they will find a way to manage with having an even larger family and that they are excited about what the future holds for them.
More Children?
Many people are wondering what would happen if Nia and Robert decide to have more children, and whether or not she would keep having multiples. Or maybe even become the 1-2-3-4 mom. Who knows? She has already broken records for her rare births.
That question may never be answered. When asked if she would be having any more children, or at least considering the possibility, Nia said, “Absolutely not. I am confident we are not having any more children.” As for other questions about the Tolberts, Nia and Robert have come up with the coolest ideas to keep the world updated about their beautiful children.
Taking Action
The Fundly page they created is called Totally Tolbert, a branded nickname Nia and Robert have created for their family. Nia and Robert added a summary of their beautiful love story and how they came about creating the page. They set a goal of $40,000 to purchase the new family car, and so far they’ve raised $940.
Hopefully, their goal will be met soon because there is no family more deserving of some help than the Tolberts. What’s more, Nia is involved with other ventures to help keep her active, as well as to help provide for her family in every way possible.
Fit & Fab
It’s no surprise that all of Nia’s pregnancies took a toll on her body, but that hasn’t stopped her from keeping fit and looking lean. She’s a private yoga instructor and wellness coach, and launched her brand MOTHERLOVINGYOGA™ in May, 2017.
Her brand is dedicated to promoting the practice of yoga on and off the mat for men and women of all ages. She believes that the art of yoga can both empower and invigorate people from all walks of life. But that’s not the only social media page Nia has created.
The Power of Sharing
Nia not only uses her new brand MOTHERLOVINGYOGA™ to encourage others to keep fit and healthy through movement, yoga, and meditation, she also shares her own journey, thoughts, and experiences on birth, motherhood, and everything that comes with it.
She’s also brutally honest and doesn’t sugar coat anything. In her one Facebook post she writes about how grateful and happy she feels, but she also mentions the challenges that come with raising six small kids.
“Everyday has its stream of ‘wtf, leave mommy alone,’ ‘I can’t do this anymore,’ ‘why would you do that?!’ and a few shed tears. But I seem to keep making it to the next day and through the next adventure.”
Keeping It Herbal
When Nia Tolbert isn’t busying herself with her own brand and raising half a dozen little babies, she’s also an international wellness and empowerment coach at Herbalife Nutrition. The company manufactures nutrition products to support a balanced diet and active lifestyle.
Nia believes in the global brand and agreed to be a spokeswoman for the company because they encourage a healthy and active lifestyle without any quick fixes. Their innovative products such as their vitamins, shakes, and supplements are developed by the best doctors and scientist in the medical industry to complement and encourage a healthy and active life.
Totally Tolbert™
Besides for creating her own yoga and wellness brand, Nia and Robert Tolbert decided to create a Facebook and Instagram page called Totally Tolbert™ to share the family’s everyday experiences with the world. In fact, they created the social media accounts because of the sheer public demand.
So many people were fascinated by their story and begged them to keep posting updates and pictures of the boys and their new beautiful triplets, so the Tolberts delivered. Now everyone can keep up to date on the happenings and adventures of Robert and Nia, the “1-2-3 Mom,”or what she called “our Kru.”
Bros And Bows
The Tolberts introduced the family Instagram account with the caption: “We are the Totally Tolbert™ Kru 3 Bros 3 Bows SINGLE (boy) ~TWIN (boys) ~TRIPLET (girls) Follow Our Adventures!!” and provided their email for any suggestions, compliments, and special requests.
Anyone interested can browse the adorable pictures and videos of Shai, the twins Riley and Alexander, and the triplets Mackenzie, Zuri, and Bailey. They certainly know how to capture the special moments and you can see how much love and attention Robert and Nia invest in each one of their kids without any reservations.
The Little Milestones
To celebrate the triplets’ eight-week mark, Nia added a picture with three pairs of adorable pink moccasin shoes with black and white stripes along with the caption: “The cuteness strikes again. Happy 8 weeks Baby Dolls.”
Their page has a considerable following at around 4k, so they receive many comments and likes for each post. People were gushing all over the picture and lots of comments poured in like: “When can I virtually babysit?” and “They are so adorable! Love the little shoes.”
The Tolbert Boys
Before the girls were born, Shai and the twins liked to cling to Nia. After all, boys always love their mommies. However, since the triplets came along, Robert and the boys spend lots of quality boy time together getting up to mischief.
Nia posted a picture of her four guys taking a break from the girls writing, “The Tolbert boys!!!!!! One half of the crew taking a break from the girls!! Xander with the mischief, Riley with the attitude, Shai with the cuteness, and Rob with the Dad Swag.”
A Cute Photo Shoot
To track the growth of the triplets, Nia makes sure she does a little photo shoot every few weeks. This one of the girls at almost 12 weeks was just so adorable that we had to share. She took a snap of each girl and then all three of them together wearing the cuties onesies that read “I’m adorable; Mom’s beautiful; Daddy did good.”
Everyone loved the photo shoot, and the Tolberts received lots of loving and supportive comments. No one can believe how quickly the kids are growing and how much they look like Nia and Robert. One of their Facebook fans said the girls look like Robert, while the boys look like Nia.
Picture Perfect
The Tolberts can’t be sure about what more life has in store for them, but they’re extremely grateful for the six little blessings they received and get to raise. Their children couldn’t have asked for a better set of parents, that’s for sure.
