Scans Revealed Mom Was Pregnant With 5 Babies – Then Worryingly Her Belly Began To Bruise

For most families, the birth of a child is a happy and positive experience. But the addition of a newborn baby to a household may also in some ways decrease parental, physical, and psychological well-being.

There are many well-known factors that can increase pressure on a family when a newborn arrives, such as changes in the hours of unpaid and paid work and role adjustments. But some couples encounter other obstacles long before they come to think about this kind of problem. Guermina Garcia and her husband Fernando were keen to add to their family which initially consisted of the couple and their one daughter Juliet.

As a result then they opted to use fertility drugs to increase their chances of conceiving. In fact, more American women than ever are using fertility treatments to get pregnant.

However, there are possible repercussions in doing so, and some that even the most broody of moms might not be prepared for. One major consequence is an increased likelihood of more than one egg developing, otherwise known as multiple gestations. In the case of some types of fertility treatment, one out of every three of the women who successfully become pregnant may experience this.

So perhaps it didn’t come as a complete shock when Guiamina was told in an early prenatal appointment that she wasn’t carrying just one baby. However, the big surprise no doubt came shortly after when it was revealed she was in fact carrying no fewer than five little ones. Germina and Fernando live in Utah, some 1800 m from their birthplace in Mexico.

And it was at the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City where the expectant mother would undergo a cesarian section in the hopes that all five babies would be delivered successfully. Unsurprisingly, incidences of quintuplets are uncommon. In fact, in the United States, fewer than 10 sets of quintuplets are born annually. In 2014, moreover, only 47 life births were recorded in sets where there were five or more babies.

Quintuplets or quints are so rare furthermore that the University of Utah hospital had not encountered such a case before. But that didn’t stop a team of no fewer than eight doctors, an anesthesiologist and a legion of nurses from facing the challenge headon.

Still, mom and babies needed careful surveillance since Germina was suffering from something potentially very dangerous indeed. She had severe preeacclampsia which causes an expectant mother’s blood pressure to shoot up and her extremities to swell. Nevertheless, Germina never lost her cool even in the face of this adversity. Indeed, the University of Utah’s Tracy Monuk even remarked that despite her health concerns during the time, Germina was an extraordinary person who never complained, according to a CTV news report in May 2013. And considering how dangerous preeacclampsia can be, it’s hard to disagree with a physician. In fact, when left unchecked, severe preeacclampsia can cause a pregnant woman’s organs to fail. Sadly, unborn babies fare no better either. The condition stops blood flowing through the placenta, a fetus’s lifeline. In addition to preeacclamia, Germina suffered abdominal bruising caused by the number of babies jostling for space in her womb.

Thankfully, however, despite them making her look like she might have fallen down several flights of stairs, Germina’s blemishes were actually no real cause for alarm. And luck continued to be on the Garcia’s side. Germina managed to carry the Quint until 32 weeks, around 20 days longer than the average Quinn pregnancy in spite of needing to spend a large portion of her pregnancy in bed due to complications.

These extra weeks inside their mother’s belly were good news for the unborn babies. It gave their tiny lungs more time to develop, which would later mean spending less time in the neonatal intensive care unit or NICU. At last, then the big day arrived. Joining Guermina in the delivery room was Fernando dawning blue scrubs and holding his wife’s hand throughout the birth.

And against the odds, five babies were delivered without a hitch within just 2 minutes of one another. Eight physicians, an anesthetist, and 12 nurses helped ensure that things went smoothly for the GarcAs in their new additions. Three girls, Marica, Fatima, Esmeralda, and two boys, Jordan and Fernando, each made their way into the world, weighing between 2 and 3 lb a piece.

And as each arrived, they were handed to the waiting doctors and nurses.

“We feel like we’re dreaming,” Fernando said at a later news conference.

“It’s incredible that we have five, but how would the young couple manage with so many little ones all at once?”

“Now that they’re here, we’ll find a way,” Fernando said.

“We’ve got through the hardest part.”

Certainly, given the fears and worries that may have accompanied the pregnancy, the Quinn’s safe arrival must have been a relief. Fortunately too, the parents have a network of family members nearby to help with things like diaper changes and milk feeds.

Meanwhile, Fernando’s employer was generous with paternity leave upon baby’s births. Undoubtedly, however, the Garcia already possess one of the most important ingredients to raising healthy, happy babies, love. And with that, they’re against all odds kids will hopefully thrive well into the future.