But their doting family and friends made sure the identical baby girls' first Christmas Day was filled with love, cuddles and presents.
Haylee, Charlotte and Olivia, who were born at Dunedin Hospital on October 31, more than six weeks' prematurely, spent the morning at home in Kaitangata with proud parents Michelle and Stuart Kelly, grandparents Joanne and Stewart Bayne, uncle Nick Bayne, and eight of 10 Labrador puppies born a day after them.
In the afternoon, they visited their Kelly relatives, including their great grandmother, Jean Kelly, also of Kaitangata.
Among their Christmas presents were identical dresses, leggings and pyjamas, sewn by an aunt, and some welcome disposable nappies, delivered by a friend.
Santa did not pay a visit.
Mrs Bayne joked that was because the girls were awake most of Christmas Eve and Santa did not want to be seen.
"They are not usually too unsettled, but they were last night. As soon as one went to sleep another one woke up," she said.
While the rest of the family tucked into their Christmas fare, the triplets' diet was just the same as any other day - baby formula.
They are fed every four hours and consume about 2.7kg of formula every week.
All three were healthy and had doubled their birth weights, Mrs Kelly said.
Charlotte now weighed 4.14kg, Haylee 4.08kg and Olivia 3.68kg.
Looking after the girls - the Kellys' only children - means a busy time for Mrs and Mrs Kelly and their helpers.
Mrs Kelly said it could take up to 90 minutes to feed and change the babies if she was alone.
The girls went through an average of 20 nappies daily.
Mr and Mrs Kelly said they had received wonderful support from friends and family.
"We've got a nanny who comes during the day, and Mum [Mrs Bayne] is down every weekend. Three babies are more work, but we have more help, as well," Mrs Kelly said.
