Two moms who welcomed triplets at the same hospital within a day of each other have now become close friends.
Amber Rodriguez gave birth to her triplets on Sept. 26, 2022 at Resolute Baptist Hospital in New Braunfels, Texas. The following day, at the same hospital, Mandi Oldani delivered her triplets.
The odds of having a triplet are low. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that only about 80 out of every 100,000 live births are of triplets.
It wasn't till after Rodriguez and Oldani both gave birth that they met for the first time after their postpartum nurses asked each of them if they wanted to meet in person.
"We knew each other existed because we went to the same obstetricians' office. We had two different doctors and we kind of heard through the nurses and the doctors that there was another triplet mom," Rodriguez explained to "Good Morning America."
Oldani recalled their initial meeting postpartum as "so much fun" and the two moms, who live about 20 minutes apart from each other, quickly hit it off.
Today, Oldani and Rodriguez, both 34, share a unique bond, one Rodriguez said feels "like it was meant to be." Their triplets are now 18 months old and they have playdates with each other but just as importantly, the two are getting to know each other "more on a personal level, not just like on a mom level," as Oldani put it.
"Amber and I's friendship is super close, considering we've only known each other for a year and a half," Oldani said. "We always say we're kind of like sisters."
For Rodriguez, having Oldani and her family nearby is "very special." She and her husband Esteban Rodriguez are first-time parents of their triplets after struggling with unexplained infertility and getting to be parents together with another local family who knows what it's like with triplets has been invaluable.
"Once we finally did get pregnant with the triplets, we were so excited but also very scared because we basically were jumping from one extreme to the next," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez calls Oldani, who also has 4-year-old twins with husband Daniel Oldani, as her "mom guru" now, someone she can trust and turn to with questions, concerns or simply, a venting session.
"We each kind of met a special need in each other's lives that we really had wanted and needed and then it was even more crazy that our triplets ended up being born 24 hours apart," Rodriguez said.
The feeling is mutual and Oldani said they're both like "open books with one another."
"Getting to raise our kids with Amber and her family has truly been such a blessing," she said, adding that she and Rodriguez not only share their kids' experiences but also make time for each other as well.
"We know it's important for us to spend time together alone, like as friends, not just as moms that are friends," Oldani said. "So we definitely try to work that in too, even though we both have really hectic lives."
Oldani and Rodriguez have also teamed up to share their "sweet friendship" and their triplets' bond on Instagram.
"That's been a really fun way for us to share our families, but also kind of have treasured memories just for ourselves," Rodriguez said.
"I personally am excited about the future to watch our triplets love on each other and kind of have their own special little friendships as children," she added.
