How are the 7 twins whose parents decided not to listen to doctors 21 years ago today

The birth of a baby changes the life of any family. If they are twins or triplets, the situation is even more extreme. Now imagine seven children. That’s right, seven! On November 19, 1997, against medical advice, American Bobbi McCaughey had seven babies. This was the first case of septuplets that managed to survive. In November last year, they turned 21.

O awesome.club decided to research what their childhood was like and what situations Bobbi and her husband, Kenny McCaughey, had to face to see them grow up.

Kenny and Bobbi McCaughey. Scientists claimed that Bobbi was more likely to die from an asteroid strike than to be able to give birth to seven babies.

The parents of the seven twins were a couple like any other. Kenny, then 27, and Bobbi, 29, were raising daughter Mikayla and decided to undergo fertility treatment to have a second child. During the process, doctors warned that there was a possibility that she would have more than one baby. Bobbi prepared to have two children, but she was wrong…

Kenny remembers the day he called his wife to ask how the exam went and if they were going to have a child or two. His wife’s voice sounded a little strange and Kenny began to suspect that something had gone wrong. Suddenly, she said, “seven.” Kenny began to think about how he could feed seven children and how nearly impossible it would be to raise so many children.

Bobbi will never forget the day she found out she was going to be a mother of septuplets. “There were no cries of happiness, there were only questions.” The doctors did not know what to do and insisted that the best thing to do was to remove some fetuses and give the others a chance to survive. The mother-to-be declined the option and decided that she would have them all.

The McCaugheys at a press conference two days after the birth of their children, November 21, 1997

Even in cases of pregnancy with triplets, the probability that the babies will be healthy (without physical or neurological pathologies) is 50%. Almost half of the cases at the time ended in miscarriages.

The babies’ development was monitored by doctors specializing in complicated cases. Until the final stage of pregnancy, they were sure that something would go wrong. But they were wrong. The expectant mother continued to feel fine even though her belly weighed 9 kg.

The delivery took place at the Iowa Medical Center, where they live. More than 40 specialists participated, directly or indirectly, in the process, including doctors, nurses and anesthesiologists.

The children were born nine weeks early, but all survived: four boys and three girls. A cesarean section was necessary and the babies were observed in the hospital for approximately two months.

Bobbi’s sister locked out of university to help the family with the new babies

When the tired and surprised mother was discharged, the hard work inside the house began. The babies needed 42 bottles and 52 diapers a day. Bobbi said her family members were very helpful in the beginning and she always had someone to turn to.

The McCaugheys received a donation of enough diapers for two years, food, a big house, and a guarantee that their children could attend any university in Iowa.

Not everyone supported the couple. For every 10 letters they received, at least one said they were exploiting their children to be famous. Many unknown people came to the McCaughey house to ask to hold the babies. And, amid this whirlwind of interested parties, cameras and journalists, the family did their best to try to live a normal life.

Two children were born with cerebral palsy and, after some operations, can now walk without help. One of them is Alexis, who even participated in a beauty contest for children with special needs.

In the early years, the family received a lot of help from volunteers. As time passed and the babies grew older, the couple began to have more time. Kenny didn’t stop working and Bobbi started working part-time.

In the image, we see the six-year-old septuplets: Joel, Natalie, Alexis, Kelsey, Nathan, Kenneth and Brandon. The eldest child is Mikayla.

As the children grew older, Bobbi had the help of two special assistants. In addition, the children always helped with the housework. “The girls always liked to cook and they all always helped to take care of the garden, mow the lawn, wash the car, etc.”

When the little ones were 10 years old, the family consumed about six boxes of cereal and more than 11 liters of milk a week. Bobbi McCaughey bought products wholesale, to spend less. The life of a family of 10 people is an endless routine. They even had two ovens, two microwaves, two dishwashers and a vegetable garden to produce food for their daily lives.

The seven twins have never been spoiled and have always been very devoted. At school, they were good students and always played sports. Kelsey, Natalie, Alexis, Nathan and Joel study at the University of Hannibal-Lagrange; Kenneth studies at another college and Brandon pursued a military career. Kelsey will specialize in public relations; Alexis, in pedagogy; Natalie, in sports; Joel and Nathan intend to study computing and Kenneth works in construction.

The McCaughey brothers at school graduation. Who would have thought that these babies, who weighed 1.47 kg, would one day make it this far?

Kenny and Bobbi decided to move into a smaller apartment and the large house where the family lived was donated to an organization that helps young mothers.

Sometime after the twins were born, journalists stopped looking for the family. However, the story of the couple who fought the doctors’ opinion and did their best to raise seven twins will never be forgotten. After all, caring for septuplets is not for everyone.

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