The Houston woman who gave 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 to 𝓈ℯ𝓍tuplets had taken to her website to inform people that five of her new𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧s were doing well – but one was 1struggling.
The 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren were 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 prematurely by scheduled C sᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ, at just over 30 weeks, and the heaviest of them weighed two pounds, 15 ounces. The lightest was one pounds, ten ounces. Neonatologists say such low 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡-weight babies are at ᴘᴀʀᴛɪᴄᴜʟᴀʀ ʀɪsᴋ ꜰᴏʀ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴs for weeks after delivery. The six babies were delivered between 10.26am and 10.30am and are still in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Lauren said her own progress was going well.
The mother added that the delivery of the six babies, named Andrew Noah, Benjamin Luke, Levi Thomas, Allison Kate, Caroline Grace and Leah Michelle, according to the Houston Chronicle, went well.
‘The delivery went very smoothly with approximately 35 people in the ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ room. Each 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 was immediately handed over to their own team and once they were cleaned up, the team brought each 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 over for Dave and I to see,’ Lauren said.
Dr Sean Blackwell, head of the maternal-fetal medicine division of obstetrics-gynecology at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, told the Houston Chronicle that Lauren’s longer-than-usual gestational period gives the 𝓈ℯ𝓍tuplets good chances of survival.
‘Giving 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 to three babies at 25 weeks is riskier than six babies at 30 weeks,Given today’s miracles of neonatal-intensive care, I’d say those 𝓈ℯ𝓍tuplets have a good chance of survival and survival without problems.” he said
The couple were offered the chance of ‘selective reduction’ at the early stages of the pregnancy, meaning they could abort some of the babies in order to increase the chances of survival for the others.
On her website The Perkins Pack, Lauren wrote: ‘We decided to go for all six and trust God with my health and the babies. We are completely trusting God throughout this adventure and we appreciate all the prayers and support from our family and friends!!’
With six babies to feed, bathe and clothe, Lauren developed a tight schedule. “I would make up bottles each night for the next 24 hours and set them in the fridge with labels on so everyone knew which 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 they were for and at what time.”
Because of the different nutritional needs of the 𝓈ℯ𝓍tuplets, the family were using four different types of formula milk at one point. She also developed a shift system so that those volunteering to help could have the biggest impact.
“Friends would sign up to come and do feeding shifts in the middle of the night, they would help with giving the babies baths and doing laundry. We wouldn’t have made it without that generosity”They brought us dinner for an entire year!” Lauren reflects
While the Perkins’ loved ones donated their time, many also donated essential supplies.
