Dannette Giltz, 30, is the Sturgis, South Dakota, mother who did not know she was pregnant before going into labor with her triplets.
The babies, two girls and a boy, were born on August 10, 2019. Giltz and her husband, Austin, have two older children. But Giltz said she thought she was merely suffering from kidney stones.
The babies were born healthy at 34 weeks.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Dannette Giltz Went to Urgent Care After Suffering Pain In Her Side & Back
Isabella Kimberly Marie Moelte, a friend of Dannette Giltz, has been running a Facebook fundraiser to help the family cover baby expenses. On the page, she included the story of what happened as told by Giltz.
Giltz explained that she began to suffer intense pain in her back and side. She said she was under the impression that the pain was likely caused by “kidney stones cuz ive had them once before.” Giltz said the pain escalated until she could barely move and even struggled to breathe.
Giltz finally decided to go to urgent care after the pain did not ease. She assumed she would need surgery to remove the presumed kidney stones. But she and her husband, Austin, were very surprised when the doctor revealed the true cause of the pain.
2. Dannette Giltz Was Rushed to a Nearby Hospital & Told She Needed a Cesarean Section
Dannette Giltz supplied a urine sample at the urgent care. The doctor came back and informed her that she was pregnant. Giltz said the doctor did an ultrasound and found two fetal heartbeats.
Giltz was first taken to a hospital in Spearfish, South Dakota. Another doctor confirmed that not only was she pregnant with at least two babies, but that the pain she was experiencing was actually caused by contractions. Giltz was then rushed to another facility in Rapid City.
Another ultrasound revealed that one of the babies would be born feet first. The doctors decided the safest course of action was to perform a cesarean section.
3. The Doctors Didn’t Realize There Was a Third Baby Until the First Two Had Been Delivered
Dannette Giltz was indeed carrying more than one baby. But the ultrasounds were off by one. She was delivering triplets.
The first baby was a boy, followed by a sister. Giltz said she then heard the doctor yell out that another blanket was needed because a third baby was coming, another girl.
Giltz told ABC affiliate KOTA-TV that her husband, Austin, had a comical reaction to the news that there was a third baby. “He’s over there, kind of like rocking like, thinking of the names and then she’s like well we need another blanket and his reaction is like ‘excuse me, put it back, no, I was told I have twins, I’m not doing triplets.’ She’s like ‘no, there are three babies in here, there are triplets.'”
4. The Triplets Were Born Healthy & the Giltz’s Are Now a Family of Seven
Dannette Giltz knows what it feels like to be carrying a child. She and her husband already had two children. Their son, Ronnie, told KOTA-TV that he had actually been wishing for more siblings. He said he wanted a brother, and also wished for another girl so that his sister, Angelina, could have a baby sister.
The wish came true on all fronts. The three babies, a boy and two girls, were named Blaze Jackson, Nikki Marie, and Gypsy Zada. Blaze was the biggest at 4 pounds, 15 ounces. Nikki came in at 4 pounds, 6 ounces. Gypsy was the smallest at 4 pounds, 5 ounces.
Giltz wrote on Facebook that with the triplets, she never felt any movement and did not experience any morning sickness. The morning after the delivery, Giltz shared a photo of the three babies to Facebook with the caption, “well this was a huge shock.”
5. Dannette Giltz Was Originally From Colorado
Dannette Giltz listed her hometown as Denver, Colorado on Facebook. But her family appears to have moved around. She has three high schools listed: Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn; McCook Senior High School in Nebraska; and Dighton High in Kansas.
She and husband Austin Giltz have been together for more than 12 years. They got married in 2014. Giltz lists her occupation as Caregiver.
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