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 midwifery, 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.

:yeahthat: Totally!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.

I just wonder how they will fit 6 Peds teams in one del room! Yikes.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Telemetry, Nursery, Post-Partum.
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.

I got the same feeling you did, she doesn't want to deliver at 28 weeks, but she wants to make it to 28 weeks at least and anything past that is a bonus. I got that impression from the articles, their website and the video. And who wouldn't try to look nice for a Today Show interview? Save the more realistic stuff for their Discovery Channel special...I'm sure there will be one of those, right? She seems a little flighty maybe, and the request for an SUV donation is a little much, but I think they are just trying to do the best they can with a very overwhelming situation.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I got the same feeling you did, she doesn't want to deliver at 28 weeks, but she wants to make it to 28 weeks at least and anything past that is a bonus. I got that impression from the articles, their website and the video. And who wouldn't try to look nice for a Today Show interview? Save the more realistic stuff for their Discovery Channel special...I'm sure there will be one of those, right? She seems a little flighty maybe, and the request for an SUV donation is a little much, but I think they are just trying to do the best they can with a very overwhelming situation.

"They (doctors) have a really high goal for me. And I think it's easy for people who are not in the bed to hope you go that far. Because being in the bed is a little bit uncomfortable,but they say if I can get to 28 weeks it's great and every week after is icing on the cake. So that's my goal"

No one said she wanted to deliver at 28 weeks. A goal of 28 weeks for sextuplets is setting your bar low. Despite what the story said, 34 weeks isn't term so you can't expect 28 weekers to be feeder/growers.

At 28 weeks, sextuplets are hardly "cake".They will all need ventilation, central lines, phototherapy and whatever else will be thrown their way.

I don't know who told her 28 weeks was OK to deliver at, maybe she is ill advised, but she needs a trip to the unit to see some 28 weekers.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

wow... i am going through all of these posts. i have to say i am not "surprised" at the response but more than anything i am relieved. thankfully there are others out there that are disturbed by this situation. i am starting nursing school in the spring and even to a newbie to this area i can see the problems and issues revolving around this situation. she as a pa should know the risks and should want to carry the babies as long as she can for THE BABIES not because she is tired of laying in bed. being in bed won't be fun, but it will only be weeks in contrast to the childrens lives, if they are impacted with disablities from this stunt. and yes i call it a stunt because i am just appaulled by this woman and honestly i have to stop looking at the post and this ladies face because i am getting mad. and i wasn't mad until i watched the video. so i don't suggest it.

have a nice day!

Alicia :(

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiac.
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)

Nothing cheap about In vitro, did you mean IUI (insemination)?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Am I missing something here? Did she say she had IUI because she was having miscarriages???

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Telemetry, Nursery, Post-Partum.
Am I missing something here? Did she say she had IUI because she was having miscarriages???

I think so...I'm really not up on infertility treatment/issues, but I thought you needed to have more than a couple of miscarriages to get IUI,etc?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

IUI is often used relatively early in the treatment of infertility, especially when the cause is unclear. She had conceived twice, so apparently her tubes were in good working order, and hubby's sperm was of decent quality. IUI increases the odds of conception as compared to a "natural" cycle, and is relatively inexpensive and less invasive than other treatment methods. Her previous miscarriages probably did not impact the decision to try IUI.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiac.
I think so...I'm really not up on infertility treatment/issues, but I thought you needed to have more than a couple of miscarriages to get IUI,etc?

Actually, you can have IUI whenever you want. Fertility centers will never turn down a dollar.

Here IUI costs $400. IVF can cost $10,000-25,000.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Actually, you can have IUI whenever you want. Fertility centers will never turn down a dollar.

Here IUI costs $400. IVF can cost $10,000-25,000.

Or you can DIY for free :lol2:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiac.
Or you can DIY for free :lol2:

Well, semen if full of prostaglandins which cause incredible cramping once inside the uterus. Unless you can figure out a way to wash the semen to get only sperm, then I guess you can try this at home. In that case, it's no difference than regular old sex.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment