This Couple Thought They Were Expecting A Child, The Man Fainted When He Learned The Truth

By: Carol Kingston | Last updated: Jul 19, 2021

Nia and Robert Tolbert were the perfect little family when they had their first bundle of joy in 2011 – Shai, their son. Little did they know that a series of staggering surprises would soon disrupt their nice, quiet, and neat life. In just a few years, the Tolbert’s were already in their second and third pregnancies, with each posing new surprises and new challenges. Perhaps, the most hilarious of all reactions was Robert Tolbert’s fainting on receiving the shocking details of their third pregnancy.

The subsequent series of events shocked this young couple and saw their experiences broadcast on major news channels worldwide. Barely in their late twenties and early thirties, Nia and Robert had no clue how they would handle this short turn of events.

Meeting and Falling in Love

Nia and Robert met back in 2007 through mutual friends and fell in love just like any other normal couple. They started dating and eventually became devoted to each other. Four years later, the couple received some fascinating news – they were pregnant with their first child. In 2011, these new parents held their baby boy in their loving arms.

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Although still very young, the couple handled their new responsibility as parents with ease. Little did they know that fate had something entirely different in store for their future.

They Finally Get Married - Officially

Even though they were already living happily together with their baby boy, Nia, and Robert to make it official in 2014, their main objective was celebrating their undying love for each other surrounded by friends and loved ones. And indeed, their love was growing since Nia was pregnant with their second child.

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The lovers were pleasantly surprised and excited to discover the baby’s gender in their next ultrasound visit. But it was a shocker!

Pregnancy No. 2

Months passed by, and it was time to know whether Shai would have a little brother or sister. Buzzing with excitement, Nia went for the ultrasound to learn the gender of the family’s newest member. However, the sonogram showed different results from what she was expecting.

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Although shocking, Nia and Robert were thrilled to learn that they would not have one child, but two bouncing baby boys. They would be having twins.

The Birth of the Twins

One year into their official marriage, the couple welcomed two handsome identical twins – Riley and Alexander. Bringing up Shai was challenging enough; what now with twins thrown into the equation? Nonetheless, the couple worked in harmony to make their marriage and parenthood work in the long run.

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The twins’ birth brought the Tolbert family to a total of five members, and Nia and Tolbert decided that their family was now complete, and there would be no more additions. Regrettably, things don’t always work out as planned, and fate had more in store for the Tolbert’s.

An Unexpected Pregnancy No. 3

In 2017, Nia discovered that a new life was growing in her womb for the third time, but of course, it wasn’t planned. Nia kept hope alive and saw it as God’s plan for their family, and Tolbert hopped on the bandwagon, although it wasn’t easy for either of them. They shared the good news with their young family, and everyone did what they had to do to prepare for the arrival of the sixth member of the family.

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Then came finding out the gender of the baby. Everyone in the family was excited about this part of the process, and while the couple was open for any gender, the three little boys wanted a new brother.

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Something was Out of the Norm

From the beginning of this third pregnancy, Nia knew that something was out of the norm. After all, she had already been through two pregnancies before and knew what to expect. The difference showed glaringly in both her emotional and physical states. This mother of three noticed that she was more emotional than in her previous pregnancies. Also, she was growing bigger at an alarming rate when compared to prior pregnancies. While she did everything normally as directed by the doctor, Nia couldn’t stop worrying that something might be wrong.

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On the other hand, her maternal instincts couldn’t stop her from hoping that whatever she was experiencing were symptoms of having a girl growing in her, a welcome relief from the three little handfuls she already had. Nonetheless, she would soon find out what was happening…

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Then Came the Real Shocker

Nia was understandably uneasy and desperate during her first sonogram for the third pregnancy. She had no idea what kind of news she would receive, which made her edgy. Little did she know that something extraordinary was happening inside and that it would change her family’s life for the best. When talking to reporters, Nia said that they had always joked about having a big family, but they didn’t expect more children after the twins.

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During the previous pregnancy, they were asked whether there was a history of multiples in their families. Thus, when she was asked the same question during the third pregnancy, Nia thought she would still have twins this time.

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The Confirmation

The sonogram confirmed that, indeed, Nia was having twins. She did not doubt that they could handle the situation, given that they had been in a similar situation before. Albeit surprised, the young mother took the news in stride and excused herself to go to the bathroom. On coming back, the technician requested that they recheck just to be specific, and Nia agreed. The technician did a thorough job the second time and discovered something that he’d missed. Nia was not only expecting more than one child but triplets.

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Later, Nia admitted to being utterly dazed by the news and doubting whether she could manage to bring up half a dozen children alone with her husband. Everything spiraled out of control; however, her reaction was nothing compared to her husband.

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A Very Rare Occurrence

Nia’s doctor, Dr. Rami Tabbarah, who also happened to deliver her previous pregnancy, said that giving birth in the sequence that his patient had was rare. He said that such cases had a probability of happening less than once in every 1000 births. According to doctors, people who are more likely to experience multiple births get pregnant through artificial means, while breastfeeding, or are taller than usual.

However, since both Nia and Robert’s families had a history of multiple births occurring, their chances got augmented. But it still was unusual. At this point, it’s only Nia knew, and she was obligated to tell her husband.

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Breaking the News to Her Husband

Nia wasn’t sure how to break the news to her husband, and the father would be six children. Then came the trip to Tampa, Florida, with her girlfriends – it presented the perfect opportunity. And a surprise gift which he would discover after she was gone.

Nia took the sonogram, clearly marked the babies as 1, 2, and 3, picked three onesies, and wrote a message on a piece of paper that read, “Please accept this gift from God and me.” She put everything in an envelope and left it for Robert to find.

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Robert’s Shock and Fainting

Robert narrated to reporters how he opened the package and came face to face with a very long sonogram, three onesies, and his wife’s short note. When he realized what it was all about, HE FAINTED.

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Upon coming to, Robert recalled being too stunned to do anything and just going to bed.

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Acceptance and Moving On

When the news finally sank in, Robert shared with reporters that he had deep fears over how everything would work out. He didn’t know how everyone would adjust to the addition of three newborns into the family since they had only been expecting one. Hilariously though, he admitted that he had been expecting Fitbit in the gift box given he had hinted about wanting one for some time.

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Instead, he got the shocker of a lifetime. Eventually, after accepting the outcome, he called his wife and congratulated her. He then went straight to work on what mattered then – getting ready for the triplets since work from the initial preparations had just tripled.

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The Sex Disclosure Party

For their third pregnancy, Nia and Robert decided against discovering the gender of their babies at some closed room in a hospital. They were going to throw a gender reveal party with their other children, loved ones, and friends present.

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Every attendee was throbbing with anticipation as the Tolbert’s getting ready to pop the three balloons that would reveal the sex of their unborn children. What would it be this time?

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Gender Equality Realized in the Family

One after the other, the balloons popped, revealing pink confetti. There would be three girls born into the Tolbert family in a few months. The discovery created unexpected gender equality in the family.

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While everyone was excited, the three boys were not excited about the news since they had been expecting three brothers. However, they would soon get used to the idea.

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The Uncertainty

Nia and Tolbert were happy about the newest challenge in their lives, but they also knew that raising girls was a whole unique experience as compared to boys. Robert was excited that he would have his entourage like their boys stuck to their mother like glue.

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However, they were worried about how the whole equation would change the household’s dynamics in the end. Nia was mainly “worried” about combing the girls’ hair every day, among other concerns raised by nearly all parents.

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Approaching the Due Date

Nia was expected to give birth to her three girls on 9th February 2018, but given their history, they should have expected the unexpected. The contractions began weeks before the due date, but Tolbert’s didn’t think much about them. As the contractions became more frequent, Nia decided to call her mom.

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They recalled not wanting to go to the hospital only to get sent home. She started feeling contractions at intervals of 5 minutes. They went to the hospital knowing that it was just a phase, and they would be back home shortly. But the unexpected happened – the babies were indeed coming!

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The Third Delivery

The doctor always sent Nia home from her previous pregnancies when she came to the hospital due to contractions before the due date. She didn’t expect anything less this third time, but she couldn’t have been more wrong. Upon examination, the doctor surprised her even further by telling her that they would have the babies that day. And as if on cue, her water broke when her doctor arrived. The Tolbert’s then braced themselves for arduous labor. On January 30, 2018, the three healthy Tolbert princesses were born by cesarean section.

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Nia had carried her precious gifts for 34 weeks and five days, and she could now hold them in her arms and even share them physically with the rest of the family. When the doctor asked her how she was feeling, Nia cheekily replied, “Finally alone.”

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Were the Twins Identical or Fraternal?

While Nia went into labor earlier than expected, her three girls made it out of the surgical room in excellent shape. The three weighed between 4 and 4.6 pounds.

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The parents had long decided on the names even before arrival: Mackenzie, and Zuri, the identical set, and Bailey, the fraternal twin.

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Living Each Day at a Time

When the couple was asked about their plans, they didn’t have any. Understandably, they don’t know how everything will turn out, so they decided to live each day at a time. According to Robert, when they got married, they had made plans and didn’t see themselves in the situation they were currently in then.

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However, they’ve decided to embrace and love their children while making the most of what they have because it’s all God’s plan for their life.

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A Few Adjustments towards the Big Day

While the couple had planned on making the normal adjustments before the arrival of their newborns, they now hard thrice the amount of work to do. They even came up with a few child-care logistics to allow the family’s smooth running even after delivery. Nia would look after the children while Robert was at work during the day, while Robert would take over in the evening as she worked on her Yoga business.

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They would also seek additional reinforcements from close family members. For instance, Robert’s mother was scheduled to babysit on some weekends.

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Grateful for Support from Friends and Well-Wishers

Nia and Robert were honest enough and revealed that they couldn’t have done it on their own. They are grateful for the support of friends, family, and well-wishers around the world. Bringing up a child takes a village, but the Tolbert’s now have six, and they’ve handled it gracefully. Nia quelled all fears when she said they knew it wouldn’t be easy, especially for the first few years, but she was convinced that they would eventually make it.

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They went ahead and set up a fundraiser on Fundly towards a bigger vehicle for their now extra-large family and appealed to well-wishers to chip-in towards the cause.

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The 1-2-3 Mom

Nia has come to be popularly recognized as the “1-2-3 mom”, which is an allusion to the babies she had during her pregnancies. First pregnancy – one child, second pregnancy – twins, and the third pregnancy – triplets.

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Now that she had put all this behind her, Mrs. Tolbert was asked if they would have any more kids. You’ll be shocked at what she said.

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Coping with It All

Even with six kids who were less than six years turning their worlds upside down, Nia and Tolbert embraced the pandemonium and banked on the good that came from it all. From their infancy, the Tolbert children continue to take the world by storm, from starring in movies such as Harriet to their content being watched by thousands on social media.

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These children continue to bring unmatched joy and happiness in their parents’ lives each day that goes by.

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Will You Have Any Other Children?

With her extraordinary story out in the open, many people couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if Nia was to get pregnant a fourth time. Would the fourth pregnancy’s outcome be quadruplets? With six children already filling their worlds, it’s hard envisioning additional family members for the Tolbert’s.

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When the question came up during the interview, Nia didn’t even hesitate, “Absolutely not.” They were 100% sure that they would not be having any more children. Still, you wouldn’t know what Mother Nature has in store for them.

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Creating a Brand Name for Her Children

Given all the publicity they had received, Nia and Robert, decided to create a brand name, “Totally Tolbert,” for their family of 8. Nia Tolbert continues to share her little army’s life with the world through her Facebook and Instagram accounts.

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So far, so good, and even if other children are not in any of their plans, they have other projects to take care of.

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