2 sets of sextuplets born 10 hours apart

[Nocgirl]

Babies born at 22 weeks hardly ever survive. My cousin was born at 26 weeks weighing 1lb 14 oz 14 years ago and miraculously survived with no long term health problems. He was in the hospital 90 days and was sent home weighing less than 4 lbs. He is still behind physically...5 foot 2 95 lbs and turns 15 in Oct and has not gone through puberty yet. Apart from that, his chances of survivial with no long term problems was less than 10%.

It is such a huge risk to have 6 babies. Medical science should not allow this. Both of these women were obviosly over stimulated.

It's just sad.

 

[Amraann]

Utopia your story is lovely.

I would say there is a difference between your story and that of your neice born at 26 weeks and the case of parents planning this. 26 weeks is a far cry from 22.
These 22 week gestation babies have a 10% chance of even surviving according to an article on AOL that I read this morning.

 

[Amraann]

Utopia ....
We have a thread in the Jury Room forum titled "What is AUTISM"

Being that your working on your masters in disability studies ... we would love for your input on that thread

 

[Laneymae]

The StarTribune ran a great article in Sunday's paper talking about multiple births. They interviewed a doctor who said she has to break the news to 3 to 4 couples a month who have had fertility treatments and are carrying too many fetuses. Since we don't hear of sextuplets too often, it seems most of the couples are doing selective reduction.

http://www.startribune.com/1244/story/1250470.html

The article indicates it costs about a million dollars per baby.

 

[JBean]

Gosh I just realized how young one of these couples was.
Does anyone know why doctors would take this route with such young people? Is that the norm?

 

[Utopia]

Hi Amraann,

ITA, not the same situation - though my niece was born at 24 weeks, not 26. As I have said before, very few things are black and white, lots of shades of grey, and that applies here as well I think. Personally I think I would chose to adopt or get myself a kitten before putting myself through it.

The main point of my story however, and I don't think I made it clear, is that you can't predict a person's quality of life based on a diagnosis at birth, disability or not. There are just so many other factors that have an impact, including family resources (both external and internal), how the parents have been socialized in terms of their exposure to disability, innate nature of the child, external support, etc. etc. But Amraan, I have read many of your posts and you are obviously a very together mom (mine was not) so I'm sure you are aware of this.

I know lots of people who would be considered "severely disabled" who have very good quality lives and contribute to society in many ways. On the other hand, how many screwed up people are there in the world that were born perfectly "normal" and have a terrible quality of life? (or turn out to be rapists, murderers etc. - we sure read enough about them here!)

I guess the other thing I wanted to say is that I perhaps painted too rosy a picture. It hasn't always been an easy road. My parents had little in the way of resources or support and my mother was young and very ill prepared to cope with me. Thankfully my dad was an allstar and made up for it. But its the bumps that make life an interesting ride and I would never say I was sorry I was born!

Also, doctors wield an incredible amount of power and carry much of the responsibility in cases of multiple births resulting from IVF, IMO - not to mention pharmaceutical companies and related vested interests in the "birth industry". I don't know enough about the in and outs of IVF to say anymore about it but I think the issues are very complex.

Regarding the autism thread, I'd love to join you over there at some point when I get some more time. You have no idea how much I wanted to jump in on the Travolta thread! I was practically vibrating reading some of those posts but I wanted to think it through some more, and then the action died down so I figured I missed the boat - but I see it keeps coming back to life. I've just been wrapped up in trying to get my final essays done before I head home to Canada next week. And I should not be spending so much time on WS, its so addicting! I'm going to do some traveling first with my hubby who arrives here tomorrow - whoohoo! I haven't seen him since April. Once I'm home I'll still have my dissertation to deal with so it will be a busy summer before I return to work in September. After tomorrow I won't be able to visit WS very much for a while but I will try to pop in a few times.

Oh man, this turned into another novel - sorry for the O/T parts. Now I really have to get back to this essay on Disability Culture.

Cheers, Utopia (heehee, I've turned into a real Brit the last 10 months)

Utopia your story is lovely.

I would say there is a difference between your story and that of your neice born at 26 weeks and the case of parents planning this. 26 weeks is a far cry from 22.
These 22 week gestation babies have a 10% chance of even surviving according to an article on AOL that I read this morning.

 

[Amraann]

Utopia, just reading your post made me tired!!

I hope you enjoy your travelling!! We will still be here when you get back!! (this place is damn addictive) LOL


Jbean the one couple is 24... I guess the Dr's simply looked at their ability to pay for the treatment which is not inexpensive. It has been reported that their Dr's strongly urged them to go for selective reduction.

From the article link by LanieMay
"Anything above three is going to be a disaster and should not be allowed to happen anymore," said Dr. Jacques Stassart, an infertility specialist with clinics in Woodbury and Edina. "And we have the tools to prevent that from happening."

Jbean I have never heard of a baby born at 22 weeks surviving and being ok. The youngest I have read is 24 weeks.
Does anyone know the longest gestation period that anyone has gone through and had 6?
What is really scarry is the mother who made it to 30 weeks and then had heart failure...
Those 6 babies could have potentially grown up without a mother.

 

[JBean]

Utopia, just reading your post made me tired!!

I hope you enjoy your travelling!! We will still be here when you get back!! (this place is damn addictive) LOL


Jbean the one couple is 24... I guess the Dr's simply looked at their ability to pay for the treatment which is not inexpensive. It has been reported that their Dr's strongly urged them to go for selective reduction.

From the article link by LanieMay
"Anything above three is going to be a disaster and should not be allowed to happen anymore," said Dr. Jacques Stassart, an infertility specialist with clinics in Woodbury and Edina. "And we have the tools to prevent that from happening."

Jbean I have never heard of a baby born at 22 weeks surviving and being ok. The youngest I have read is 24 weeks.
Does anyone know the longest gestation period that anyone has gone through and had 6?
What is really scarry is the mother who made it to 30 weeks and then had heart failure...
Those 6 babies could have potentially grown up without a mother.

Thank you.
Here's a link again:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8ND737G0&show_article=1

I could not have opted for selective reduction either Amraan, but I never would have been in a position to have to choose.

 

[Amraann]

Thank you.
Here's a link again:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8ND737G0&show_article=1

I could not have opted for selective reduction either Amraan, but I never would have been in a position to have to choose.

TY for the link I missed it the first time..
I dispute the Dr's claim that she will have no long term affects.
I suppose that will remain to be seen but I don't know how they can say that with any sense of certainty. Having a preemie neice, I learned that they really cannot say that until the child is around age 2.

Although I am not opposed to a womens right to choose an abortion I personally would not make that choice and like you Jbean I would not put myself in the position to do so.
These women knowing their own beliefs could have simply elected for invitro which would have almost eliminated this situation from happening.


I am still a little stunned at the number of times the fertility Dr's encounter this... (based on the previous article posted by LanieMae)
If one Dr at one clinic is claiming to deal with this 3-4 times a month??
Imagine how often it occurs throughout the country?

I think that most parents opt for the reduction I also think that not everyoone who has multiples permits publicity.
There were many cases on the multiples website (posted somewhere on this thread) that I had never heard of.

 

[JBean]

TY for the link I missed it the first time..
I dispute the Dr's claim that she will have no long term affects.
I suppose that will remain to be seen but I don't know how they can say that with any sense of certainty. Having a preemie neice, I learned that they really cannot say that until the child is around age 2.

Although I am not opposed to a womens right to choose an abortion I personally would not make that choice and like you Jbean I would not put myself in the position to do so.
These women knowing their own beliefs could have simply elected for invitro which would have almost eliminated this situation from happening.


I am still a little stunned at the number of times the fertility Dr's encounter this... (based on the previous article posted by LanieMae)
If one Dr at one clinic is claiming to deal with this 3-4 times a month??
Imagine how often it occurs throughout the country?

I think that most parents opt for the reduction I also think that not everyoone who has multiples permits publicity.
There were many cases on the multiples website (posted somewhere on this thread) that I had never heard of.

I know that IVF is very expnesive and so not an option for many. I am guessing using fertility drugs is much more affordable and why it is an option for childless couples.
It is a tough situation and I have no answers except I could not go there in the first place. but then again, that is so easy for me to say as I have 5 children.

 

[Amraann]

I know that IVF is very expnesive and so not an option for many. I am guessing using fertility drugs is much more affordable and why it is an option for childless couples.
It is a tough situation and I have no answers except I could not go there in the first place. but then again, that is so easy for me to say as I have 5 children.

Your right it is easy to say.... I have 4 so clearly fertility was not a problem either of us had! LOL

 

[JBean]

Your right it is easy to say.... I have 4 so clearly fertility was not a problem either of us had! LOL

I did try for over a year with the first and was charting for the last month before fertility drugs. I got pregnant and once the seal was broken, I was good to go lol.
But I do recall the feeling of desperation I felt for that year thinking I could not have children; it was pretty overwhelming. I hadn't gotten far enough into the fertility info to know what my options were.

 

[2luvmy]

Coworker has a grandson born right at 23 weeks. After 5 months in the NICU he is home! So far no serious complications.

 

[JBean]

Coworker has a grandson born right at 23 weeks. After 5 months in the NICU he is home! So far no serious complications.

Oh cool. This is great news! The differnce beetween 22 weeks 1 day and 22 weeks 6 days can be everything. Both may be referred to as 22 weeks, but they really aren't the same thing.

 

[Amraann]

Oh cool. This is great news! The differnce beetween 22 weeks 1 day and 22 weeks 6 days can be everything. Both may be referred to as 22 weeks, but they really aren't the same thing.

It also should be noted that often unless someone is going through Fertility treatments the exact date of conception is only accurate within a week or two...
It is very likely that many of these babies are gestationally older.
At that critical stage as Jbean points out 6 days really does make a difference.

 

[JBean]

It also should be noted that often unless someone is going through Fertility treatments the exact date of conception is only accurate within a week or two...
It is very likely that many of these babies are gestationally older.
At that critical stage as Jbean points out 6 days really does make a difference.

or gestationally younger.

 

[Nocgirl]

I am 35 and have been trying to get prego with #2 for about 5-6 months. My husband is a pharmaceutical rep and works out of town alot so its been tough this time around.

If I am not prego in 2 or 3 months I'll have to resort to fertility treatments, although I ovulate just fine, I hope I do not need the injectables that these women took.

I did find out that my insurance through my husband does cover injectable fertility treatments, 3 cycles in a lifetime. I am really hesitant to go this route. Since I ovulate fine I am hoping I do not need that. So why I am not getting pregnant is unknown but my husbby travelling alot does not help.

 

[CarpeDiem]

nocgirl, we will think fertile thoughts for you! Since you know the problem isn't ovulation, has hubby been checked??

 

[Amraann]

or gestationally younger.

I believe those that are younger would not survive.

 

[JBean]

I believe those that are younger would not survive.

Yes maybe some of the ones that do not survive are actually younger than we think.