No one really plans to have multiple births. Usually, difficulty getting or staying pregnant causes a couple to consider fertility drugs. I believe this was the case with this family. According to some "authority" whom I heard on the Today Show earlier, multiple embryos were implanted in this woman's uterus, but usually "survival of the fittest" prevails and only one or two survive. Apparently 8 were implanted and 8 survived!
“They are doing amazingly well at this time,” said Dr. Mandhir Gupta, a neonatologist who was part of the team of 46 doctors, nurses and others who took part in the cesarean section delivery. But he added: “I won’t be able to comment on chances of survival because we’ve never had eight babies born at 30 weeks before.”
Obstacles aheadThe odds of survival drop off dramatically in multiple births, particularly if there are more than three babies. The risks include breathing and eating difficulties and growth problems because their lungs and other systems are often underdeveloped. They also may have hearing or vision problems and learning disabilities as they mature.
In fact, the risks in multiple births are so high that when a woman is pregnant with more than three babies, doctors routinely recommend “selective reduction,” or aborting some of them. But Dr. Harold M. Henry, director of maternal-fetal medicine for the hospital, would not discuss what took place in this case.
The babies were still in incubators and their mother had not been able to hold them yet. Three had oxygen tubes up their noses to help them breathe.
"All babies seem to be stable," Maples told NBC's TODAY. "All of them are now breathing on their own and are no longer requiring ventilators."
Obstacles aheadThe odds of survival drop off dramatically in multiple births, particularly if there are more than three babies. The risks include breathing and eating difficulties and growth problems because their lungs and other systems are often underdeveloped. They also may have hearing or vision problems and learning disabilities as they mature.
In fact, the risks in multiple births are so high that when a woman is pregnant with more than three babies, doctors routinely recommend “selective reduction,” or aborting some of them. But Dr. Harold M. Henry, director of maternal-fetal medicine for the hospital, would not discuss what took place in this case.
The babies were still in incubators and their mother had not been able to hold them yet. Three had oxygen tubes up their noses to help them breathe.
"All babies seem to be stable," Maples told NBC's TODAY. "All of them are now breathing on their own and are no longer requiring ventilators."
The first four were expected to begin taking milk sometime Tuesday, with the others shortly after that.
“That’s the biggest test,” Gupta said. “We want to make sure that they start tolerating and digesting the milk.”
The mother plans to nurse the babies herself, which are now being fed pumped breast milk, Gupta told TODAY.
"Right now, we are really encouraging her," Gupta said. "She is going to breast-feed the babies.
A little surpriseThe woman and her doctors were actually expecting seven children, not eight. The delivery team was thinking the hard work was over after that seventh baby was removed from the womb, when another physician spotted another little hand, Maples said.
The mother reacted calmly to the news, said Dr. Jalil Riazi, an anesthesiologist. “Her question was, ‘Really, an eighth baby? How did we miss that baby?”’ he said.
"There are multiple spines and heads and shoulders, with movement of the babies during the ultrasounds," Maples told TODAY. "So, it's not unusual at some times, especially during these high order multiples, that you can miss another baby."
List of octuplets born
The eight children, in the order of their appearance, born at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center.
— Baby A, a boy, weighing 2 pounds, 11 ounces, born at 10:43 a.m.
— Baby B, a girl, weighing 2 pounds, 12 ounces, born at 10:44 a.m.
— Baby C, a boy, weighing 3 pounds, 4 ounces, born at 10:45 a.m.
— Baby D, a girl, weighing 2 pounds, 8 ounces, born at 10:45 a.m.
— Baby E, a boy, weighing 1 pound, 8 ounces, born at 10:46 a.m.
— Baby F, a boy, weighing 2 pounds, 12 ounces, born at 10:47 a.m.
— Baby G, a boy, weighing 1 pound, 15 ounces, born 10:47 a.m.
— Baby H, a boy, weighing 2 pounds, 11 ounces, born at 10:48 a.m.
Baby H was a surprise to the delivery room team, doctors said they repeatedly conducted practice sessions in anticipation of the deliveries and were well prepared.
The mother had checked into the hospital in her 23rd week and spent nearly two months working with doctors in preparation for the big day. Mainly she got a lot of bed rest, Maples said, while the medical team repeatedly conducted practice sessions.
“That’s the biggest test,” Gupta said. “We want to make sure that they start tolerating and digesting the milk.”
The mother plans to nurse the babies herself, which are now being fed pumped breast milk, Gupta told TODAY.
"Right now, we are really encouraging her," Gupta said. "She is going to breast-feed the babies.
A little surpriseThe woman and her doctors were actually expecting seven children, not eight. The delivery team was thinking the hard work was over after that seventh baby was removed from the womb, when another physician spotted another little hand, Maples said.
The mother reacted calmly to the news, said Dr. Jalil Riazi, an anesthesiologist. “Her question was, ‘Really, an eighth baby? How did we miss that baby?”’ he said.
"There are multiple spines and heads and shoulders, with movement of the babies during the ultrasounds," Maples told TODAY. "So, it's not unusual at some times, especially during these high order multiples, that you can miss another baby."
List of octuplets born
The eight children, in the order of their appearance, born at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center.
— Baby A, a boy, weighing 2 pounds, 11 ounces, born at 10:43 a.m.
— Baby B, a girl, weighing 2 pounds, 12 ounces, born at 10:44 a.m.
— Baby C, a boy, weighing 3 pounds, 4 ounces, born at 10:45 a.m.
— Baby D, a girl, weighing 2 pounds, 8 ounces, born at 10:45 a.m.
— Baby E, a boy, weighing 1 pound, 8 ounces, born at 10:46 a.m.
— Baby F, a boy, weighing 2 pounds, 12 ounces, born at 10:47 a.m.
— Baby G, a boy, weighing 1 pound, 15 ounces, born 10:47 a.m.
— Baby H, a boy, weighing 2 pounds, 11 ounces, born at 10:48 a.m.
Baby H was a surprise to the delivery room team, doctors said they repeatedly conducted practice sessions in anticipation of the deliveries and were well prepared.
The mother had checked into the hospital in her 23rd week and spent nearly two months working with doctors in preparation for the big day. Mainly she got a lot of bed rest, Maples said, while the medical team repeatedly conducted practice sessions.
1 comment:
Beautiful Story Alice!
Thank you for sharing this so quickly with us!
Donna Pikula
www.books2helpyou.com
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