Did you see this on the Today Show?

crissrn27, RN · Apr 27, 2007

You would think she would have to be taking clomid or something, but I didn't see a mention of it, just the insemination. I wonder why they are planning on a 28 week delivery?

Jolie, BSN · Apr 28, 2007

This article makes my blood boil!

Doesn't she look WONDERFUL for a mother who is ENDURING bed rest with a very-high-risk pregnancy? Why down't we glamourize it just a little bit more? I certainly never had the luxury of standing at the bathroom mirror long enough to do hair and make-up when I was on bedrest for 14 weeks trying mightily to bring a singleton to term.

And since when is 34 weeks full term?

I pray that these babies will be born healthy and near-term, but this article will do NOTHING to discourage the infertility practices that lead to such high-order multiples. The article states that she underwent IU, but does not mention fertility drugs that she surely was taking. (No one who is having trouble conceiving suddenly ovulates 6 eggs at once!) It is unlikely that she was on Clomid either, as 80% of Clomid multiples are twins, and anything more than triplets is virtually unheard-of with Clomid. So chances are that she was taking one of the "big guns", and either was not monitored pre-insemination, or both she and her doctor KNEW that she was over-stimulated, and decided to proceed with the insemination anyway. This is the means by which most high-order multiples are conceived now, since docs who do in-vitro have largely stopped implanting more than 2-4 embryos, and it is nothing short of IRRESPONSIBLE. Will the photo of this couple with their severely premature and critically ill sextuplets be as appealing as this one? What about when one or more of the babies is diagnosed with CP, visual or hearing impairment, chronic lung disease, or some other lifelong complication of prematurity? Will that information be shared with the public? I bet not!

RainDreamer, BSN, RN · Apr 28, 2007

UGH!

I hate how the media does stuff like this. And yeah, they don't ever show what parents like this end up taking home. Like Jolie said, they never show the parents that take home the 5 month old chronic baby with shunts from grade III head bleeds, that are blind from ROP, and have chronic BPD. Ain't that glamorous?!?!

God bless those that work at Good Sam in Phx, where they get all these multiples. What hell.

And then you go to their website and they ask for donations. What the heck?? Ok I need to stop, I start sounding so heartless, but this stuff just irks me to no end.

dawngloves, BSN, RN · Apr 29, 2007

They have a web site asking for money??!! :trout: When I had a hard time conceiving my husband and I decided not to go the medical route because #1 We could not afford it, #2 We would not be able to afford multiples, #3 We would not be able to afford me to out on bedrest with multiples.

I honestly don't think fertility docs can stress enough the likelyhood of multiples and their being born premature and the outcome of that premature birth. :madface:

TexasPediRN · Apr 29, 2007

I wasnt going to respond until I saw their website..

I think that volunteering is one thing, but asking for donations is a whole other category. Yes, you are going to get many donations such as diapers and formula but still..

Go to the very end of donations - an SUV is on there - ugh! No comment..

I only did NICU for a clinical rotation, but I'm assuming at 28 weeks that most, if not all of these babies are going to be vented?? That presents problems that I'm sure these parents dont realize.

I do pedi private duty on the side, and we have many former preemies at home, such as the 26 weekers with BPD, ASD, brain bleeds, trachs, GBuons, etc. Plus the possibility of CP, ROP, numerous therapies in the home such as PT/OT/ST.. now times that by 6. The chances of them all being 100% healthy is slim IMO.

Just my thoughts...

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Apr 29, 2007

The article states that she underwent IU, but does not mention fertility drugs that she surely was taking. (No one who is having trouble conceiving suddenly ovulates 6 eggs at once!) It is unlikely that she was on Clomid either, as 80% of Clomid multiples are twins, and anything more than triplets is virtually unheard-of with Clomid. So chances are that she was taking one of the "big guns"...

Nobody would take the "big guns' and then only do IUI. The benefit of IUI is the cost, and clomid is almost always prescribed with that. The meds that super ovulate cost thousands of dollars, and you wouldn't waste that kind of money on a regular ol cheap insemination. Many, many women produce more than 2 follicles when on clomid...

What a shame for those babies... I hate to think of them in the NICU for months...

Jolie, BSN · Apr 29, 2007

Nobody would take the "big guns' and then only do IUI. The benefit of IUI is the cost, and clomid is almost always prescribed with that. The meds that super ovulate cost thousands of dollars, and you wouldn't waste that kind of money on a regular ol cheap insemination. Many, many women produce more than 2 follicles when on clomid...
Yes, they would. It is actually a common practice, when there is no evidence of tubal damage or sperm abnormality that would prevent union of sperm and egg. You are correct that Pergonal, Profasi, and the other
"big guns" are expensive, over $1000/month. But for some couples, they are the next, best hope after Clomid has failed, and before going the highly invasive, and even more expensive route of IVF. Conception rates with Pergonal and IUI are more favorable than those with IVF, and cost about 10-20% as much. Of course, this is not appropriate treatment for anyone with blocked tubes or sperm motility issues. It is also a technique which requires intense monitoring of the patient with labs and U/S to detect over-stimulation, which would place the patient at risk for high-order multiples (This is how the McCaughey septuplets were conceived.)
In the practice where I was treated, if more than 6 follicles were present, the IUI would be cancelled, and the patient re-monitored the next month. On my first (and only) cycle with Pergonal, I produced 12 follicles. My IUI was cancelled, and I was told to abstain from intercourse due to the high risk of conceiving multiples. A month later, when I was down to 3-4 follicles, I conceived a singleton.
You are also correct that many women on Clomid produce more than 2 follicles, but it is unusual for more than 2 embroys to implant following Clomid, and more than 3 is extremely rare. Of course, we are speculating, but I would bet my bottom dollar that she was not on Clomid, or if she was, she was not following the dosage and care instructions of her specialist.

Lorie P. · Apr 29, 2007

i am a mom to a former 23.6 weeker and after a very long 3.5 months in the nicu, it really burns me a good one when i see this happening. i had no control over having to deliver that early and to say she hopes to make it to 28 weeks, pleassssssseeeee!!! those poor babies didn't ask for this.

KellNY, RN · Apr 29, 2007

Am I reading a different article than you all? In the article I got when I clicked on the link provided in the OP, it stated that she spent years trying to become pregnant and then suffered 2 SABs.

It also said

24 weeks, and expect her to deliver at 28 weeks, based on the babies' development. (34 weeks is considered full-term.) Jenny Masche said she hopes to be able to hang on another seven or eight weeks before delivering the infants as the more time they spend in the womb the better.

It didn't say her goal was to deliver at 28 weeks, just that it was expected.

And regarding her hair an make up, I've had patients who stay with us for months, and sometimes they actually hire someone to come in and give them a mani/pedi, hair cut, hair style, etc. And many of them do their makeup daily. It lets them hang onto some sence of NORMAL and CONTROL in their lives. All the power to them.

We don't know the details--how could we? And to sit here and judge is wrong. I had a patient once pregnant with quads--one of our nurses was spouting off about how irresponsible she was. Turns out she had 2 embryos implanted which became 2 sets of identical twins. So it wasn't just the fertility stuff-nature helped out too.

RainDreamer, BSN, RN · Apr 29, 2007

Well I seriously doubt she's pregnant with 6 babies naturally, especially since they stated she used fertility drugs. I mean people can and will do what they want, but when you see this stuff all the time .... we just have to come here to vent. Again, what gets me is them asking for donations.

prowlingMA · Apr 29, 2007

I couldn't even stand to watch the whole interview. Just my opinion but ,she has sniffed way too much glue!!! For the babies I hope they are healthy, but she needs to come down off her magic cloud and get a grip.!