Triplets happen. But a naturally conceived set of mixed triplets featuring identical twins and a fraternal sibling, carrying a combined weight of over 19 pounds, basically stops medical professionals in their tracks.
When Nyla Craft of the Los Angeles South Bay area went to her doctor earlier this year, she expected twins. Instead, an ultrasound revealed three heartbeats. On August 18, Craft and her husband, Marco Bernal, welcomed three boys—Elio, Elias, and Enzo—growing their household from four family members to seven overnight. Read more on a connected subject: this related article.
The Math Behind a 1 in 10,000 Medical Event
Natural triplet pregnancies are already rare, occurring in roughly one out of every 10,000 pregnancies. But what made Craft's delivery stand out to doctors at Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center wasn't just the spontaneous conception.
Medical staff categorized the newborns as "mixed triplets." Within the trio, two of the boys are identical twins, while the third is a fraternal sibling. Dr. Quynh Vo-Hanser pointed out the extreme rarity of this specific configuration, noting she had never witnessed all these biological conditions combined within a single triplet set across three decades of practice. More analysis by World Health Organization delves into similar perspectives on this issue.
Out of roughly 3.5 million births recorded annually in the United States, only about 2,400 result in triplets. Add identical pairing into the mix, and you enter statistical anomalies that most OB-GYNs rarely see in a lifetime.
Nearing the Guinness World Record
Carrying multiple babies takes a massive physical toll, and Craft is no stranger to large infants. She previously delivered babies weighing over nine and ten pounds. Even so, managing three growing bodies at once pushed her endurance to the limit.
When the babies arrived via C-section on Bernal’s birthday, their combined weight hit 19.3 pounds, with each infant exceeding six pounds despite being carried for 36 full weeks. That impressive total weight brought them remarkably close to the Guinness World Record for the heaviest set of living triplets at birth, which stands at 22.7 pounds.
Knowing she carried nearly 20 pounds of baby mass provided instant clarity on why her pregnancy was so intensely painful.
Inside a 15-Person Delivery Room
Handling a high-risk delivery of this magnitude requires careful coordination. Standard births typically involve around five medical personnel in the room. For Craft's delivery, the hospital assembled a specialized team of about 15 professionals.
That lineup included three dedicated NICU nurses—one for each newborn—alongside two doctors focusing solely on the infants, plus attending physicians and nurses monitoring the mother. Medical leadership emphasized that exceptional pre-natal and acute care are vital for managing complex multiple births safely, particularly for mothers who face elevated statistical risks during pregnancy.
Adjusting to Five Children Under Five
The newborns join older sister Naya and older brother Maceo, meaning Craft and Bernal now navigate life with five children under the age of five.
Older sister Naya has jumped straight into her new role with eager enthusiasm, while Maceo remains largely indifferent to the newest additions. Meanwhile, the parents are trading normal sleep schedules for a heavy rotation of feedings and baby care, supported by a family history that occasionally throws multiples into the mix—though nothing quite on this scale.
If you are tracking family planning milestones or fascinated by rare human biology, take note of how quickly life can pivot. Review local health resources or consult specialized maternal care networks if you want to understand the modern protocols behind high-risk multiple pregnancies.
Rare triplets birth in Los Angeles
This video provides a quick look at the Los Angeles family welcoming their rare naturally conceived triplets.
