There was no convenient time to have car troubles, but when your wife was about to give birth to triplets? 

Really not ideal. 

Meanwhile, a team at the Mercy Hospital for Women in Melbourne was preparing Karen Higgins for a c-section.

But they encountered issues, and the delivery was delayed by 20 minutes. 

The eldest of the triplets, Aubrey Sage, was born within minutes of her father’s arrival from Epsom. 

Her sister, Matisse Avery, followed a minute later. Rounding off the trio was their brother Jamison Scott.

But the drama didn’t end there. The triplets entered the world on February 17, almost four months premature.

If they had been carried to full term, they would have been born on Wednesday. 

Instead, the Higgins family welcomed the final triplet home from hospital on Monday – just in time for Mother’s Day. 

“They are so sleepy, so it’s not too chaotic at the moment,” Mrs Higgins said.

The triplets have doubled in size since they were born. 

They were able to come home once their weight exceeded two kilograms. 

For six weeks after they were born, the family was split between Melbourne and Bendigo.

Mrs Higgins lived in a house provided by the Lions Club in Melbourne, while Mr Higgins visited as often as he could with the pair’s eldest child Alexys, aged 3. 

The babies were later transferred to Bendigo Health, from where they were gradually discharged. 

Mrs Higgins said the triplets had a special transport vehicle for the trip from Melbourne to Bendigo, complete with three high-tech isolette incubators. 

Jamison was the first to come home, followed by Aubrey, and most recently by Matisse. 

Mrs Higgins said Alexys was thrilled to be a big sister. 

“She has been a big help,” she said.

“She has her dolls and she gives them a bath and changes their nappies and gives them a bottle just like we do.”

KAREN Higgins suspected something might be different about her second pregnancy eight weeks in.

“I thought I might be having twins because I was so big,” she said.

She went for an ultrasound shortly afterwards, which revealed the triplets. But if she was surprised, her husband must have been floored. 

“I was at the ultrasound by myself – Matt was playing golf – so I just sent him a photo of the ultrasound and didn’t tell him,” Mrs Higgins said.

She asked him what he saw in the image, and after some doubt, he realised there were three babies.

The triplets continued to surprise their father.

Mr Higgins said his wife’s waters broke while he was at work, just before his morning coffee.

The couple drove to Melbourne, only to find there was no space for three premature babies at the Royal Women’s Hospital that day. 

The team at the Mercy hoped to delay the birth by a few weeks, so Mr Higgins drove back to Bendigo. He got home at 10pm – the same time Mrs Higgins said contractions started.