This Pregnant Woman Broke All Records, Even Doctors Could Not Believe Their Eyes
What first was a normal ultrasound examination suddenly took a dramatic turn. The doctor noticed something worrying on the monitor. At first, he didn’t want to believe what he was seeing, but after a closer look, he had no choice.
Lauren and David Perkins were a happily married couple. After years of courtship and romance, they decided to tie the knot and unify their lives with the sacred vow of marriage. Like most married couples, the Perkins tried to conceive for years; unfortunately, all of their attempts failed. After losing hope in natural conception, they decided to opt for artificial insemination. Thankfully, this time their attempt worked. Lauren was finally pregnant, and their family was getting complete after they had almost lost hope.
The day of the first ultrasound was here, and the expectant parents were over the moon. They were finally going to hear their little baby’s heartbeat. It was all smiles and laughter until it was not. Lauren, in one of her interviews with Today magazine, shared her initial dreams:
“I had always wanted to have two children, preferably a boy and a girl. Ideally, they’d be about two to three years apart.”
As you will see for yourself, not everything went as planned. The Perkins, even after many months of attempts at pregnancy, were faced with nothing but negative tests. Eventually, they came to conclude that there was something wrong with them. To top it off, both their families were waiting for the grandchild who just couldn’t be conceived. After months of no pregnancy being recorded, they discussed whether it was time to let their families in on what they were going through or not. Since they weren’t even sure of what was going on, they decided not to initiate their family for the time being. Letting everyone know of their struggles would only mean more pressure than the one they’ve been crushed under. However, keeping their struggles secret only ate them up internally, eventually affecting their own relationship.
Despite their unsuccessful attempts at conceiving, they didn’t give up on starting a family of their own and decided to look for other options before they lost hope for good. The Perkins decided to seek help from a specialist, since despite their attempts, the use of home remedies and a change in diet did nothing. After quite an intensive search, the couple finally decided on a specialist in artificial insemination and booked an appointment. The doctor carried out a variety of tests on both of them and gave them the possible subsequent treatments. However, all of the new information they were showered with, in addition to the extremely high cost of the procedure, overwhelmed them. They decided to give it a thought before they proceeded further.
The other great decision the Perkins had to make was to let their family and friends know about their fertility issues. After a long wait, they finally told their family about their complicated situation. Once they clarified things with their loved ones, it was time to decide on which treatment they should go for. The couple wanted to take a little more time and thoroughly research the problem before moving on to any medical treatments and surgeries. Because of her difficult situation and the constant heartbreaks from receiving only negatives, Lauren ended up struggling with severe depression. Her days were all gloomy and dark, and she struggled to even get out of bed some days. Luckily for her, both her loving parents supported her in this difficult situation. David, her husband, was also a great supporter during her low times; he’d often make her breakfast in bed, prepare full buffets, and cook great meals to cheer his wife up a little.
Thankfully for them, things were soon going to take a turn—a good one. After struggling with infertility for over a year, Lauren and David were both in a dark period of their lives. To lighten things a little and change the weather, the couple decided to join a mission trip in Nicaragua. During the trip, a local priestess turned to them and offered a comforting message:
“God has a great plan for you. You just need to keep faith and wait for His surprise.”
Even though they didn’t take the priestess’s words to heart immediately, the couple saw a glimpse of hope in her words and decided to try again. The couple made their decision and opted to go further with artificial insemination. They were trying to conceive both naturally and via IUI treatment. When the doctor placed the needle in Lauren’s hip, David almost fainted; only when the doctor had finished the treatment did David breathe normally. However, the chance that the treatment would work was just 25%, so they knew that their dream of becoming parents was still fragile.
Luckily, this time life was on their good side. After a few weeks, Lauren took a pregnancy test and found out she was pregnant. It was the most beautiful moment in her life, and when David found out, he was over the moon.
However, things would soon take another turn. You see, Lauren’s hormone levels were unusually high, which could indicate an anomaly during pregnancy. Her unusual hormone levels could also point to a molar pregnancy, which is when a non-cancerous tumor spreads in the uterus. Unfortunately, they feared this was the case with Lauren. After numerous examinations, they immediately arranged an ultrasound appointment. Like all parents, Lauren and David got the fright of their lives when the doctor delivered the stunning news:
“You are expecting your first set of sextuplets.”
However, this wasn’t all good news. Due to a lack of space in the womb, the nutrient and blood supply for all the babies could not be guaranteed. The couple was presented with the possibility of aborting some fetuses in order to give the others a better chance of survival. It goes without saying that the couple refused the procedure. Despite all the risks involved, Lauren and David decided to keep all the babies.
The weight of Lauren’s abdomen increasingly caused her backache and foot pain. Walking long distances became more and more of a torment for her, and soon enough, just getting out of bed became a great struggle that she’d need help with every morning. The Perkins were preparing for the birth of their six babies when Lauren suddenly went into labor. Since she was going to deliver six babies, a c-section was needed. The delivery went smoothly, and the couple became parents of three beautiful boys and three adorable girls after a single pregnancy of 30 weeks. The newborns weighed between 737 and 1332 grams. Looking back on the whirlwind experience, Lauren reported:
“Even though the circumstances were quite special, the birth went smoothly.”
The Perkins were finally able to hold their six children for the first time. After four months, the siblings were finally able to go home, and the whole family was united. Leah, the last baby to be born, had to fight harder than her other siblings. She remained tough and persevered; thankfully, her operation went well, and soon Leah was on her way home. The Perkins were overwhelmed by the support they received during the entire process. Many also helped with the house preparations for the additional care of baby Leah. The first Christmas for the Perkins’ pack of sextuplets was spent with their parents in their warm and cozy home. The six siblings were healthy and all seemed to have a unique bond.
Lauren decided to share about her experience as a mother of multiples by opening a blog called Perkins Six-Pack. In her blog, she describes the special everyday life as a mom of six children—the hustle, the struggle, and the joy of having a house filled with children’s laughter. Today, the six siblings are seven years old, healthy, and happy. The names of the pack are Nathan, Brandon, Natalie, Alexis, Kelsey, and Levi. The Perkins pack do everything together, from playing games to singing loud to their favorite songs. They are a ball of energy that spreads joy wherever they go, and their parents are the most grateful for having such life-loving children. They waited for long months before they could have their dream made true—three times what they first asked for. So don’t lose hope. Your dream awaits you in the corner; just be a little patient.
