Thanks to the advancements of medicine, giving birth to twins or triplets isn’t life-threatening or that much of a shock to society, while yes it is quite some work for the parents, it is no cause for headlines.
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But what happens when you find out you’ll soon be welcoming seven babies into the world? A young couple, Kenny and Bobbi Mccaughey had to digest this news which even shocked their doctor.
1. How To Started
Iowa couple Kenny and Bobbi McCaughey were expecting to expand their family by one when they went to the doctor for a routine checkup on the progress of the fertility treatment they had recently started.
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It wasn’t just one embryo that showed up on the ultrasound, but SEVEN! While twins and other forms of multiple births are quite common for those undergoing fertility treatments, septuplets are remarkably unusual.
2. The Shock of Seven
Amid the rush of so many emotions, Kenny McCaughey could hardly believe the shocking news at first. “I said, ‘how many?” he recalled of that moment. “She goes, ‘Seven,’ and I go, ‘Arrrggghhh!’ Then I go, ‘No, no, no, no. Are you Serious?’”
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Initially, the couple admitted that they had experienced “sheer terror” at the prospect of septuplets, however, it didn’t take long for them to be grateful for being challenged in such away. This was especially a relief after they had struggled with infertility after the birth of their firstborn daughter, Mikayla
3. Watching and Waiting
With the shock wearing off, it was time to prepare the family for the arrival of seven little ones. Bobbi could feel herself growing faster than she had in her previous pregnancy as she anticipated what would come next.
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She got so big, to the point that when she was sitting her pregnant belly nearly touched her knees. “It was scary, you know, watching the stretch marks go ever so higher and wider and just thinking, how much longer can this body keep going?”
4. High-Risk Pregnancy
Due to her unusual pregnancy, Bobbi McCaughey had to be carefully monitored by doctors throughout the process. As Bobbi and Kenny reviewed their options in such a high-risk pregnancy, doctors informed them early on of the controversial option of “selective reduction.”
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At this point, the couple had already gained media attention for the rare pregnancy and it seemed that everyone had an opinion on how they should approach the procedure that protects only the embryos that are most likely to survive.
5. In God’s Hand
Although Kenny and Bobbi McCaughey were bombarded with a range of opinions about their future family, the expectant parents privately discussed the matter and took into mind all the potential risks when they came to their decision about selective reduction.
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The McCaughey’s were devout Baptists and their decision wasn’t as hard as they’d expected. Ultimately, they decided to decline selective reduction. Bobbi’s maternal instinct told her that all would work out in the end, therefore the pair went forward with their faith “in God’s hands.”
6. Prenatal Debate
Although they were confident in their decision, they weren’t met with support across the board on their refusal to surgically elect to give fewer embryos a better chance. It seemed like the world was watching the couple’s every move and had something to say about it.
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“In the beginning, for every ten letters we would get that were happy for us, we’d get one letter accusing us of exploiting the kids and being selfish to waste the world’s resources on a family this big,” Bobbi explained.
7. Incredible Outpouring
As the strain and soreness grew, concerns about the financial toll such a large family would take also increased. Unsure of what the future would hold, the McCaughey’s took to prayer to guide them through their rare situation.
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To their complete surprise, people who they’d never met provided them thoughtful contributions, including diapers and a year’s worth of free macaroni and cheese from Kraft. Others offered their nannying service and some very generous donors contributed a large van and even a 5,000-square foot house!
8. Rushed to the Hospital
As the septuplets’ due date approached, Kenny and Bobbi McCaughey spoke with doctors about the best way to move forward and what they should expect during birth. Apprehension mounted as the weeks passed. Bobbi felt relatively fine up until now.
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On November 19, 1997, Bobbi was already 30 weeks into her extraordinary pregnancy with septuplets. She was 55 inches around the waist (about twice the average size for a full 40-week term) when she was suddenly rushed to the hospital.
9. Going into Labor
Nine weeks before her due date, Bobbi was rushed to the hospital anticipating her labour. A 40-member team of medical specialists was in the delivery room to assist in the meticulously planned birth. But no one expected just how the process would unfold.
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The delivery went smoothly and all seven of the babies were born within a mere six minutes of each other. The seven newborns were delicately delivered via C-section but they weren’t out of danger just yet. The next few hours and days would be crucial for the survival of the newborn septuplets.
10. Seven Little Bundles of Joy
Of the seven newborns, four were boys and three were girls. Not ready for any more last-minute surprises, the couple had already chosen names for each child, based on the order of birth, they were named: Kenny Jr., Alexis, Natalie, Kelsey, Nathan, Brandon and Joel.
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As is common in pregnancies with more than one baby, the tiny newborns were premature and ranged in weight from 3 lbs 4 oz to 2 lbs 5 oz. Needing special medical attention, they were placed in the neonatal intensive care unit and it would be months before they could all go home.
11. Heading Home
True to their word, the hospital staff allowed the septuplets to leave after a long three months and 10 days after their birth. The seven babies had made it through their first critical months and the McCaughey were ecstatic when they could finally pack all seven babies into the family van and start their life together.
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Although the babies had surprised everyone and survived the risky birth, both Alexis and Nathan were born with cerebral palsy. The two-faced muscular disorders, which would later make it hard to walk unaided but incredibly, all seven babies were otherwise healthy in every other way.
12. Making History
McCaughey babies made history as the first set of septuplets to survive infancy. With this in mind, they gained even more media attention and were featured on prominent magazine covers including Time and Newsweek.
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To the family’s complete surprise, Then-President Bill Clinton personally called to congratulate the family, and they later met George W. Bush. To mark their first birthday, the septuplets appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
13. Taking A Toll
Despite being famous and adored by thousands, the septuplets were a challenge, every day. According to the couple, they were going through 52 diapers a day! Not only that, but the growing babies would chug through an astronomical 42 bottles a day.
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With around the clock feedings, diaper changing and crying, caring for the septuplets was not only time consuming but expensive and taking a huge toll on the McCaughey but they had an ingenious plan for the future to fix all that.
13. Feeding the Family
With a family of 10, the McCaughey’s figured they’d need to be smart about finances once the initial donations started running thin. Incredibly, with their careful money management, the family was able to spend only about $300 on groceries each month.
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Just for comparison, that is about the same monthly average for an American family of four at the time. It seemed like if anyone could handle the seven babies at the same time, it was to be the McCaughey’s.
14. Resourceful Remedies
Another big hill for the couple to climb was keeping up with the general taking care of the children and as any parent knows, just one child can be a full-time job, let alone 7 babies and a toddler.
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Thankfully, Kenny and Bobbi asked their local community to help and they pinched in by providing 35 volunteer helpers, throughout the septuplets’ infancy. The volunteers helped with taking care of the children, while the couple focused on errands, cleaning and sleeping all had to be fit in among other hectic activities.
15. Rejecting Reality-TV
By the time the septuplets had reached the age of 10, the family decided to turn down most of the media’s interview requests. And while other big families had elected to open their homes to the reality TV route like Jon and Kate Gosselin, the McCaughey’s didn’t want to share their lives with strangers.
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As the initial media frenzy with the septuplets ensued, the McCaughey’s had received a letter from the famous Dionne quintuplets, who urged the parents to avoid the pitfalls of fame that they had experienced in the public eye.
16. Keeping Up With the McCaughey’s
While trying to protect their famous septuplets as best as they could, the McCaughey did allow cameras into their homes, from time to time. Every year the family allowed for a Dateline birthday special that provided a brief glimpse into their extraordinary lives.
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It’s safe to say that there was never a dull moment in McCaughey abode. There was always someone to play with and something to do, but when the septuplets turned 13 in 2010, they faced a new venture – making a documentary.
17. Strength Beyond Years
Two of the septuplets, Alexis and Nathan, had dealt with the challenges of cerebral palsy throughout the lives so far. They had to depend on the use of walkers but they remained defiant and their spirits were never dampened.
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Nathan took it upon himself to improve his motor abilities. “I taught myself how to walk because I really wanted to learn. It’s just been getting better and better,” he said. It seemed like, the two kids were not going to let their diagnosis stop them from experiencing life.
18. Pageant Winner
On the other hand, his sister Alexis McCaughey was just as resilient. She even started participating in beauty pageants specifically made for children with special needs. Of course, her large family was there to cheer her on as she bravely took the stage.
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In 2013, Alexis won the Teen Miss Dream Made True contest held in Carroll, Iowa. She’d also go on to graduate in the top 15% of her high school class. While Alexis was making strides and serving as a motivational leader, she along with her other siblings also continued to make history as the world’s first surviving septuplets.
19. Becoming Individuals
The McCaughey’s had homeschool the septuplets in kindergarten. he septuplets went to school and were even placed in different classes, where they made their friends and developed individually.
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Although they had always be defined as septuplets, they grew to hone their personalities and interests. This was especially special for the parents since they worried that the children wouldn’t be able to enjoy a full and normal life.
20. Independent Aspirations
While Alexis is known as studious, Kenny Jr. was usually recognized as the class clown. Meanwhile, Kelsey and Brandon were also known to make their family laugh and thrived in athletics. Brandon, for his part, was seen as the most stubborn and fearless of the seven.
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While the septuplets kept busy with their own hobbies, there was one thing they all adorably did together, the school band. The septuplets could all be seen playing at halftime events of school sporting games.
21. How Many Candles?
All eyes were on the septuplets again when they reached another milestone in their lives and became the first set of septuplets to reach age 16 and blew out 112 candles, collectively. Of course at that age, every teenager a lot going on in their lives.
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As the septuplets learned to drive, found first love and dealt with the highlights and heartbreaks of teenage life, Kenny and Bobbi McCaughey never seemed to unravel in the stress of things. They always seemed to overcome any struggles and keep a tight-knit bond between all of their family members.
22. Worth it!
The parents were proud to see what had become of the septuplets. “It’s fun to see the work pay off,’ Bobbi said of her always-active children. And while there had been a lot of focus on the history-making septuplets over the years, the question loomed of what had become of the older sister, Mikayla?
Facebook / Bobbi Hepworth McCaughey
She went to Arizona State University before she got married and had her first child. She also managed to stay close to her siblings over the years even as they approached adulthood and came to another turning point.
23. College
Another generous offer the family received was a free college education for the seven siblings at various universities. Hannibal-LaGrange University in Missouri offered free secondary educations to the septuplets and the State of Iowa offered scholarships to any state university of their choice.
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Gracefully accepting full-ride scholarships, Natalie, Nathan, Kelsey and Joel went to study at Hannibal-LaGrange University. Meanwhile, Kenny Jr. and Alexis stayed closer to home and decided to further their education at Des Moines Area Community College. One septuplet, Brandon, chose to join the U.S Army.
24. Different Directions
With all the kids grown away and moving into new careers and states, everyone wondered how the seven McCaughey siblings would feel to see each other go off on their own. And their answer might surprise some people.
Facebook / Bobbi Hepworth McCaughey
While the septuplets understandable said they’d miss each other, they also weren’t too distraught by the prospect of getting to explore their own paths. It seemed like adulthood was a time when each septuplet longed to find themselves and build families of their own.
25. Love Everywhere
The now 20-year-old septuplets can look back and say they were grateful for their family life and all the sacrifices of their parents and contribution from complete strangers, who helped the family not just survive but thrives.
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“You’re never alone,” Kenny Jr. told Today. “There’s always someone to talk to and hang out with. That’s what I think is best.” Meanwhile, Kelsey had similar sentiments. “I’ve enjoyed it all.”
Sources: Washington Post, The Today Show, TIME