Did you see this on the Today Show?

Specialties NICU

Published

Cheaper by the half-dozen? Expecting sextuplets

A young Arizona couple is making room for six babies

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18353371/

Her goal is 28 weeks?? Because she's tired of being on bedrest???

And I'm no OB/GYN, but if she could get pregnant why was she doing AI? And am I wrong in assuming she was taking Clomid? :uhoh21:

Specializes in nursery, L and D.

Did anyone catch that this is a PA and a pharm rep? To be sure they know the risk! She really didn't act like it in the live interview. Coming from a mom that was on bedrest for 20 weeks r/t previa, I would have stayed an additions 20 weeks for my baby to be health, I know it is not comfy, but you have to do what is best. Her goal is 28 weeks and docs want to try for longer?.......ummm, there is a reason for that, honey. Doc wants them all to live.

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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

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.

If you watch the interview, she says she wants to make it to 28 weeks. The doc (and I'm paraphrasing here) wants her to make it another 8 weeks but she says they aren't the ones to have to be in bed all the time.

:uhoh21:

And it wasn't as if she had one, two or even three embryos split. You are correct that we don't know the details. That is why I am wondering why someone who could get pregnant was getting IUI and whatever she took to make her ovulate like crazy.

I don't think it is wrong for us to discuss and vent over this subject. The couple made their situation public,(and it looks like they did so for handouts). If this was a personal matter they should not have made the media aware and started a public web site.

We have to care for babies born prematurely for no apparent reason every day.When I see something unavoidable or hear someone who's goal isn't a term pregnancy I do get miffed. I would like to be put out of business. I would like every baby born at 37 weeks and up. I am tired of torturing one pound babies an I'm sure most of my fellow posters are too. That is why we come here and let go. Please allow us to do so without judging us.

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Specializes in NICU.
If you watch the interview, she says she wants to make it to 28 weeks. The doc (and I'm paraphrasing here) wants her to make it another 8 weeks but she says they aren't the ones to have to be in bed all the time.

:uhoh21:

And it wasn't as if she had one, two or even three embryos split. You are correct that we don't know the details. That is why I am wondering why someone who could get pregnant was getting IUI and whatever she took to make her ovulate like crazy.

I don't think it is wrong for us to discuss and vent over this subject. The couple made their situation public,(and it looks like they did so for handouts). If this was a personal matter they should not have made the media aware and started a public web site.

We have to care for babies born prematurely for no apparent reason every day.When I see something unavoidable or hear someone who's goal isn't a term pregnancy I do get miffed. I would like to be put out of business. I would like every baby born at 37 weeks and up. I am tired of torturing one pound babies an I'm sure most of my fellow posters are too. That is why we come here and let go. Please allow us to do so without judging us.

Well said.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

KellNY....many clients to what you say, but the thing is that it sounds like this lady in the article is a bit self centered....I'm sorry, but 28 week kiddos, and 6 of them at that, are in for a long haul in the NICU, most likely. I work with 3 nurses that had triplets from infertility workups and they would have given anything to take those kids to term, but they delivered early. I would hope that this supposedly educated couple would have spoken to a neonatologist, which I am sure they did, but also LISTENED to what they were told. You don't go public with saying things about only going to 28 weeks because you are tired of laying in the bed...you should be saying, gee I'll stand on my head, chant, and do anything to keep these kids in as long as I can.

I do have a problem with people that conceive that many kids, knowing it could happen and then advertising for handouts. Do you know how many multiples we get and they get nothing because they don't go to the media? Or even parents of devastated kids....don't they need help also, especially if they have insurance and can't get the free handouts that many of our government assisted clients get?

Yes, we do come on here and spout off because we see the after effects of this and it does make us upset when we see things like this in the news. They should do a huge special on these kids that don't turn out perfect, it might change the publics image of how wonderful it is to have 4 kids or more at one time!

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there are things that should not be done just because it is medically possible

6 babies is against nature and if you try and push it the babies will have to live for the rest of their lives with disabilities

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Specializes in Case Management.

Here is a link to their website:

http://www.maschemiracles.com/bryanandjenny.htm

They said here that they did not have embryos implanted. She did have fertility drugs and they used his sperm and a "turkey baster" and "God gave them 6 babies". They say there are 4 boys and 2 girls and there are no twins or triplets. Each baby has their own placenta and sac. Interesting, their website is really pushing for donations...

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Specializes in NICU- now learning OR!.

I saw this interview. Mom is a PA and Dad is a pharm rep. Babies were conceived after one attempt at In-vitro (picked that because it was cheaper, apparently)

The interview was when she reached a "milestone" of 24 weeks. Docs want her to go another 6-8 weeks which in the case of 6 babies, I think would be as "term" as you could reasonably get (30-32 weeks)

Mom did state she was "tired" of bedrest and that 4 more weeks was her personal goal. It is true that in some cases 28 weekers do incredibly well and do not even require a vent, being a PA I assume that Mom is aware of issues such as ROP, BPD, NEC, etc. but 6 babies will not be getting the same "nourishment" (if you will) in utero as singletons or twins would be getting...these babies will be a lot smaller, but may possibly do well R/T being stressed (ie: maturing lungs faster, etc.)

Yes, they did look well rested and almost "glamourous" but they are relatively young and were going on National TV...I can't fault them for trying to look nice, they are a nice looking couple to begin with.

I will watch this story closely, as I am interested! Off to their website where I will probably change my mind about them really quick! (I would never solicit for money!!!)

Jenny

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Here is a link to their website:

http://www.maschemiracles.com/bryanandjenny.htm

They said here that they did not have embryos implanted. She did have fertility drugs and they used his sperm and a "turkey baster" and "God gave them 6 babies".

God didn't give them 6 babies, the turkey baster did.

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Yes, they did look well rested and almost "glamourous" but they are relatively young and were going on National TV...I can't fault them for trying to look nice, they are a nice looking couple to begin with.

I will watch this story closely, as I am interested! Off to their website where I will probably change my mind about them really quick! (I would never solicit for money!!!)

Jenny

This is part of my beef. Show the pregnancy for what it is.Despite what people think, bedrest is not a vacation. It is physically and emotionally taxing.

She has U/S that last two hours. She is on a terbutaline pump. Those are no fun.

Show 28 weekers in the NICU. I'd say the majority are vented for at least a couple of days and then on CPAP forever, which is a form of ventilation. Just because she is a PA doesn't mean she knows what happens in the NICU. Heck I was a Critical Care RN and had no idea! It's a different world and you don't understand it until you visit for a while.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
God didn't give them 6 babies, the turkey baster did.

Or the injudicious use of fertility drugs did.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
Just because she is a PA doesn't mean she knows what happens in the NICU. Heck I was a Critical Care RN and had no idea! It's a different world and you don't understand it until you visit for a while.

I think this is an important point. I agree that just because mom is a PA and dad a pharm rep does not mean that they are well-versed in the realities of infertiity treatment and NICU care. But they were both certainly capable, based on their professional training and experience, of researching this information and making an effort to work with their physicians to minimize the risks of high-order multiples. I feel for patients who experience negative side-effects of drugs and treatments that were not fully explained to them. I doubt that is the case here.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

Well said, dawngloves & Jolie.

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