‘We wanted to have one baby, then doctors told us we were having quintuplets’

“I’ve always wanted a large family, but I could have never imagined it would happen all at once,” Mum Stephanie says. 

Stephanie and Graham were trying to start a family for five years before becoming pregnant with quintuplets. Source: Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Centre

It’s been Graham and Stephanie’s dream to have kids since they were married in 2017, but were facing fertility issues. 

However, a series of hormone changes and persistent headaches prompted Stephanie to visit the doctors, where they discovered she had a pituitary cyst, possibly contributing to their fertility struggles. 

The cyst was removed, but Stephanie still couldn't fall pregnant.  

It wasn’t for another five years that the Washington-based couple learned they were expecting a baby. 

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Stephanie and Graham were trying to start a family for five years before becoming pregnant with quintuplets. Source: Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Centre

Couple discovers they are having quintuplets

“It was a pretty incredible morning for us,” Stephanie told Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital. 

Stephanie was no stranger to hormone fluctuation, but doctors became concerned when her results were off the charts. Doctors informed them there was a chance they may welcome more than one child. 

It wasn’t until their first ultrasound that the doctor’s hypothesis proved correct - they were, in fact, having more than one baby. 

They were having five. 

“It was one of the craziest moments of our lives,” Stephanie recalled. “We were so excited and confident that God had purposefully entrusted us with these five precious babies. However, we also knew there were serious risks to carrying quintuplets.” 

Stephanie wasn’t wrong; there are many health risks involved with having quintuplets, including the chance of babies born with underdeveloped lungs, sight and hearing problems, and in some cases, cerebral palsy. 

The chances of having quintuplets are also extremely rare. Of the 3.6 million births recorded in the US in 2020, only 29 were quintuplets or higher. 

But the couple were ready for anything. “For years, we had prayed that God would bless us with children, and now it was finally coming true!” the American woman said. “I’ve always wanted a large family, but I could have never imagined it would happen all at once.” 

RELATED: Mum who wanted to try for a girl welcomes quintuplets

Stephanie welcomed five babies to the world via emergency C-section. Source: Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Centre

“One of the best memories is holding all five of my babies for the first time”

The moment Stephanie and Graham found out they were having five bundles of joy, she took to YouTube to begin her research to find the “right doctor and hospital to deliver our babies.” 

She knew that carrying quintuplets would come with its challenges, including the likelihood of giving birth prematurely. 

She aimed to carry the babies until 34 weeks, but as her pregnancy developed, she began to feel immense pain. At only 27 weeks gestation, she was six centimetres dilated and ready to welcome the babies to the world. 

In the early hours of 4 June 2022, Stephanie welcomed Adelyn, Eliana, Linnea, Fisher and Harper via emergency C-section, each baby weighing no more than a kilogram. 

“I was absolutely terrified, but God was with our family through it all as St. Joseph’s amazing medical team cared for Stephanie and helped us welcome our five beautiful children,” said husband Graham. 

Their five blessings remained in the hospital for 11 weeks, improving each day and achieving new milestones. It was 76 days after their birth that they could finally come home. 

“One of the best moments of our NyICU journey was being able to hold all five of my babies for the first time,” Stephanie said. “I was so emotional leading up to the moment I could finally hold all of them in my arms after carrying them in my belly. It was a moment I will forever cherish.”

Originally published as ‘We wanted to have one baby, then doctors told us we were having quintuplets’