Identical Triplets Look So Alike, Parents Have To Colour-Code Them

One mum and dad from Wales were so stumped telling their baby triplets apart, they decided to make a plan to ensure the three little girls don't getting their names muddled up.

Karen and Ian Gilbert from PontyPool decided that their baby daughters Ffion, Maddison and Paige were just so similar - being identical twins after all - that they would have to colour-code them to tell each one apart.

So the pair hit on the idea of painting each of the tot's big toenails with a colour related to their name, to differentiate them.

Ffion has a fuchsia nail, Maddison has mint green and Paige gets purple - each colour beginning with the same letter as their name.

The couple also have an older daughter Faye, 4, who helps out with the nail painting.

Karen, 33, explains: "It's not a fashion statement we really struggle to tell them apart. We came up with the nail varnish idea and it works a treat.

"It makes life a lot easier when it comes to our daily routine of feeding, bathing and nappy changing. The colour coding helps us to know who has had what!"

The triplets have just celebrated their first birthday and their parents expect that soon they'll have developed such clear personalities and tastes that they won't need the nail-paint system to tell them apart.

The year's been quite a learning curve for the family, with all the usual baby needs and milestones happening in triplicate. And it's pricey too. The three get through 120 nappies and 84 bottles of formula milk a week.

But they're paying their way with appearances on TV in shows such as Casualty, where the three can take turns playing the same baby character, as they look so alike. Which means filming doesn't have to take a so many breaks for feeding and naptime as it would with a single baby actor.

Karen is currently a full-time mum with her hands full. She says: "They were all TV stars before they reached the age of one.

"They are lovely little girls who have already brought us so much joy - in triplicate."

Karen admits: "It has been a frantic but fun-filled year.

"Going out is a military operation which we call 'Operation Triplets'.

"We can't just think, 'Oh, shall we go out?' We need at least 24 hours notice. It's like packing to go on holiday every time we leave the house.

"We have a triple pushchair and we've had to get a bigger car, a seven seater Ford Galaxy."

The triplets were conceived naturally from a single egg - which is extremely rare.

Karen adds: "We have treble trouble - but we would not have it any other way."

[Delighted Mum Welcomes Triplets After SEVEN Miscarriages]
[Men Are Just As Good Mums As Women]