Meet The Parents
In 1996 Bobbi and Kenny McCaughey were blessed with the arrival of a healthy baby girl.
They believed their new daughter to be a miracle as Bobbi suffered from issues with her pituitary gland which can cause problems with fertility. They gave their beautiful daughter the name of Mikayla Marie and thought ahead to their next child.
Fertility Treatment
Having had difficulties conceiving Mikayla they decided for their next child they would pursue some fertility treatment.
Their doctor prescribed a medication called Metrodin which is known to help with ovulation, which is required for a woman to conceive a child. Bobbi started to take the medication, and they made plans for their second baby.
One Isn't Enough
Bobbi went in for a scan at her doctors practice but the day turned out to be totally life-changing. The scan revealed that she was, in fact, pregnant with seven babies.
This was not only massive news that they would be growing from a family of 3 to a family of 10, but this pregnancy also posed a level of danger to Bobbi.
Taking The Risk
Despite fully understanding the risks involved in such a complicated pregnancy, and having a healthy daughter in Mikayla, Bobby and Kenny decided they didn't want to choose one of their babies above another and wanted to proceed with the pregnancy as naturally as possible.
There have been only around 40-50 births in the world that have resulted from a pregnancy involving 7 babies. Although many septuplets have not survived birth or infancy, at least 3 sets of septuplets, and survived beyond infancy.
Lots Of Attention
Once their decision had been made, to keep all seven babies, news started to spread of this unusual pregnancy. People in the media and across the country found the story of this small family and their septuplets fascinating.
Not all people who heard the news were supportive of keeping all seven babies, but Bobby and Kenny were confident in their decision that everything would work out for the best.