Aug. 6, 2007
Record-Breaking Quintuplets Born
Rachelle Wilkinson Gave Birth To Five Healthy (And Heavy) Babies
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Play CBS Video Video Heaviest U.S. Quintuplets Jayson and Rachelle Wilkinson are the proud parents of the heaviest set of quintuplets born in the U.S., adding them to the two children they already have. Julie Chen reports.
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On Monday's The Early Show Rachelle and Jayson Wilkinson spoke with Julie Chen about their historic birth of quintuplets. (CBS/The Early Show)
The five children combined to weigh 21 pounds 7.2 ounces, a new U.S. record for quintuplets.
On Monday's The Early Show, Rachelle and Jayson, along with Kassidy, Kaydence, Rustin, Kyndall and Ryder, spoke with co-anchor Julie Chen about this historic birth.
In 2005, Rachelle and Jayson turned to fertility treatments when they were having difficulty conceiving their third child. Rachelle went on hormone treatments to stimulate egg production and also underwent intrauterine insemination. While multiple births are common for women who undergo fertility treatments, quintuplets are rare.
Doctors encouraged her to reduce her pregnancy, but she and her husband decided to keep all five children. And she is thrilled that she did now that she has five healthy new babies.
When confronted with the decision of whether or not to keep all five babies — and go against her doctors' advice — Rachelle said that it would've been impossible to decide which babies to eliminate.
"How do you choose?" she said. "Which ones would I have chosen to eliminate? I don't think I could have done that. When you look on the ultrasound monitor and you see, even at 10 weeks, they all have fingers and toes and all their little body parts."
At only 5 feet 2 inches, Rachelle described the process of carrying three girls and two boys for 34 weeks as challenging.
"It was a crowded house. By the end, it was definitely uncomfortable. By the end, there (was) no room for bending or sitting or anything else," she said.
But the pain and discomfort paid large dividends. She said, "When (the quintuplets) were born at 34 weeks, it was worth every minute.
In addition to the five babies, Rachelle and Jayson have a 7 year-old son and a 4 year-old daughter. While the children were initially excited, they are ready for their parents to return home. "They thought it was really great at first. Now they have been asking me if it's OK for us to go home," Jayson said.
The Wilkinson's hope to leave the hospital and return home in one to two weeks.
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See all 26 CommentsI did read your post. I understand what you are saying.
As everyone in the Pro-life movement says - children are born to many circumstances and it is up to the family to deal with the results...
I still believe there is abuse of the media attention. It does not matter to me if it is the sister, the brother-in-law, or any other family member of friend who created the website.
It is still a .org domain and the appearance of it being a valid tax-exempt organization is wrong.
It also is greedy. It is as though they want the rest of the world to support their family as though this blessed event has a different meaning than any other blessed event that happens in the world.
The story was newsworthy (I do not deny that)...
It is encouraging to others given this challenge.
The fact is that when a family (especially of decent means) - decides to capitalize on it by requesting "donations" - an online "baby shower" with expensive items that any other family needs to figure out how to afford - is shameful to me.
As you point out - they have a wonderful extended family with wonderful family support. So much more than so many others...
Give to the more needy and let this family enjoy the celebrity they have acquired by this "historic" blessed event on their own (and of course with all of the "gifts" sure to come as companies and competetive media coverage promises to provide them (over the life of the kids).
These people would have had no way of knowing that all of the implants would live.. yes they would have been told that even up to four MIGHT live but mostly they are lucky to have one or two or maybe even three MIGHT take..
Some people have gone through a few IVF programs and still haven't ended up with a baby.. and wasn't it the sister who created the web site.. what a wonderful sister..
Hermit22 -"Old Scrooge" wants only the best for this family.
What appalled me is that they are asking for donations...
I wish only the best for them. They should have factored the financial consequensces when they chose IVF and the # of $$ spent to add to the 2 children they already had.
The use of TV celebrity to add to their purse is shameful IMHO.
I am not against IVF - I believe when people use "un-natural" methods to conceive - they need to consider the $$ the future $$ resources to care for multipe Preemies with special needs thru college.
Parents are better situated than so many of greater need. I am not "scroogey".
It is insulting for them to use their story to request for donation as we know they will have so much more in gifts, and paid interviews from their media attention.
The world is overwhelmed with "just causes" and there are so many very needy families who do not have the advantages this family has. Those who need more lose out when another cause is added.
Last, the fact that they created a .org web address makes one think they have created a "tax-exempt" organization...
What family that you know - no matter what size - has the capacity to do such a thing?
http://www.wilkinsonquints.org/blog/2007/08/update-for-august-2-and-really-long.html
Perhaps from the nasty comments on here, people don't understand IVF.. It is not normal for more than two or at the most three babies to survive the implant.
Normally they implant a few in the hope that one or two will take, and on very rare occasions three might take. I know of people who have had a couple implanted and non have taken so this is why they implant a few in the hopes that one or two will take...
I don't blame them for looking at these tiny little things who were ALL determined to survive and decide that they couldn't kill any of them..how could anyone see these little arms and legs kicking about and then say, "yep, don't want that one, destroy it... and get rid of that one too... They would never have been able to live with themselves if they had of done that..
It would have been a massive shock for them in the beginning but with a sister like Tobikay they will survive ..
and don't worry about old scrooge!
Tobikay -
I had to know that you were related...
I understand that you said only "IF" - but what about saying "IF" for those who do not even have the families to help them???
By the way - are there taxes being paid on these gifts - or have you figured out a way to make them tax-exempt?
Just curious...
Okay... my last comment on this...
Tobikay and your 2 posts...
Are you a relative or one of the parents???
You sure are promoting this "worthy cause"...
I don't normally get this irate over a story - but I am really appalled by this greed and disregard for people who truly need peoples' charitable contributions...
Oh.. just in case there is a question about it...
You can count my donation a little tip...
If you can't handle it ... don't do it!!!
For crying out loud... (no pun intended) ... quit while you are ahead... It is one thing for you to become an instant super star... I have no ill-will toward your family and the great success as your children have great chances to live very healthy lives ... much healthier than most premies that do not get the great attention you are getting...
Celebrities (and yes ... you are having your 5 minutes of "celebritism") have really lost all of their appeal as they continue to sell their souls for the little person's few dollars...
I need to make a correction to an earlier post that I made...
Duh... I did not mean to say "Pro-Choice" - I meant the Pro-Lifers... ;-o "My Bad!!!"
The fact is that if you do not believe a woman has a right to choose and that all forms of life from the moment of conception should be brought into this world - no matter what the conditions they may face - this is of course - what I meant to communicate...
I think it is clear that the Pro-Choice philosophy would clearly be against this...
My main point is - Shame on anyone for asking for money as a charity for this "Blessed Event"...
The parents are clearly capable of taking care of what they need... On their website they ask for a 12 passenger van?!? What on earth do they need a 12 passenger van for??? I guess maybe that is the only choice for a family of 9? I don't know... but I also wonder if this is all tax free???
I noticed they have a .org domain ...
I can only think what a SHAME!!!
They asked for the challenge - they should be able to deal with this "normal life event" as everyone else does.
Save the donations for causes that are truly WORTHY!!!!
Kaydence is 3 lbs 6 oz (Baby B)
Rustin is 4 lbs 15 oz (Baby C)
Kyndall is 4 lbs 2 oz (Baby D)
Ryder is 3 lbs 15 oz (Baby E)
I have they can handle that many.
I agree with 2 posts... one is that I was very surprised that they did not report the individual weights of each child. I was very interested in reading that - and it was not there.
I also do not believe in soliciting funds for this couple to raise their 7 children. First, they had to have a tremendous amount of initial financial outlay to go through the fertility treatments. They were well aware of the potential for a multiple birth and should have pre-planned for this "blessed" event.
There are many causes out there that should be considered long before this situation. These children will do quite well as it is clear they are super-stars already!!!
If people want to give to needy children - there are a lot more with rare diseases as well as educational challenges - so many more "needy" than this family.
We know they will have magazines offering them money for their story as well as other freebies that quints receive.
Since the Pro-Choice people are so determined that these children were meant to be no matter what the situation of the family - let them demonstrate that they can raise these children in "whatever" situation it is...
Prove it - don't keep saying it and then begging for peoples' money who could donate their money to causes that do not get such popularity.
I think they should have been happy with 2 if they could not have done it the "way God planned it"...
That's my $.02
Was it too much trouble to list the individual weights of the babies? The collective weight is interesting but most newborns are introduced with weight information.
Posted by salty1954 at 03:02 PM : Aug 06, 2007
The Wilkinson's web site has the birth weights of each baby.
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