In a remarkable turn of events, a young couple in Laurel, Mississippi in the United States recently welcomed rare quintuplets through natural conception, comprising two boys and three girls. The odds of conceiving quintuplets naturally for humans are reported to be only one in sixty million.
On July 5th, Ashley and Tyler Meyers greeted their five babies at the Wiser Hospital for Women and Infants at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) in a swift 11-minute sequence of emergency cesarean deliveries. The quintuplets – Franklin Walker, Carter James, Saylor Kate, Allie Ray, and Nova Mae – made their entrances into the world at 27 weeks gestation.
Following their safe arrival, the premature quintuplets were immediately taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Wiser Hospital for specialized care.
“I feel like I’m living in a dream with these babies right in front of me,” expressed Mrs. Meyers, 26, in a statement. “When we found out that we were expecting five babies at once, it was overwhelming, and we were unsure how to navigate this journey. But their arrival has been like a breath of fresh air, injecting vitality and energy into our lives.”
The arrival of these five newborns has transformed the Meyers family from a household of four to a bustling family of nine. Prior to the quintuplets, the couple already had two daughters, three-year-old Paisleigh and two-year-old Westlynn.
Having been married for seven years, Mrs. Meyers discovered her unexpected pregnancy in January of this year.
After the initial positive result on a home pregnancy test, she underwent a simple blood test at a local non-medical facility, indicating a possible twin pregnancy. Therefore, when she had her first ultrasound at the hospital and saw two sacs on the screen, she was not surprised.
“My first thought was, ‘Okay, we can handle two babies,'” recounted Mrs. Meyers, a phlebotomist, to American morning news and talk show “Today”.
However, two weeks later, her obstetrician revealed that she was actually carrying three more fetuses.
“I was completely shocked,” Mrs. Meyers shared. Her husband, Mr. Meyers, a mechanical engineer, was also taken aback.
“I thought, ‘What do we do now?'” said Mr. Meyers, 28. “But then I realized, you just have to surrender everything to God. He won’t let you be in a situation you can’t handle.”
Dr. Rachael Morris, an associate professor of obstetrics at UMMC, expressed that the likelihood of naturally conceiving quintuplets is approximately one in sixty million. She remarked, “While carrying five babies simultaneously poses a tremendous challenge, Mrs. Meyers exhibited incredible strength and determination throughout the entire pregnancy.”
A 30-member care team, comprising neonatal doctors, specialists in neonatal care, as well as experts in obstetrics, gynecology, hematology, respiratory therapy, anesthesiology, and surgery, was assembled at Wiser Hospital for this extraordinary delivery.
Sharing an update on the newborns, Mrs. Meyers stated, “They are doing well health-wise. We are immensely grateful for everything everyone has done for us throughout this entire process.”