Imagine How It Rattles The Mom
The LA Times reports on the biggest litter of kids born yet. The experts have made one conclusion:
The chances that the eight babies born Monday were conceived naturally are infinitesimal, infertility specialists and doctors in maternal-fetal medicine say.The mother and her children are resting and doing well at Daisy Hill Puppy Farm and Fertility Clinic.
Watch your back, Jon and Kate. These folks hit your mark all at once.
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I worked in IVF about 9 years ago, and the doctors there did not consider anything above triplets a "success". They even looked at triplets as a mild failure. So I guess it is from them that I view clinics that allow their patients to conceive that many children as grossly irresponsible. I'm not talking about quads that develop from the double splitting of a twin pregnancy or something freaky like that, but proceeding with a fertility cycle where the woman's dose of fertility drugs caused hyperovulation and therefore markedly increasing her chances of 4, 5, 6 or more embryos forming. When the doctor's I worked this saw this occurring, the cycle was cancelled, the drugs adjusted and after a month off to allow things to settle down another attempt would be made. Yes it was disappointing but much safer for all involved. Women aren't meant to have litters.
ReplyDeleteI also have harsh words for the couples who take this risk and then later spout some platitudes about it being "God's will" or "meant to be" when they decide to attempt to carry however many children they end up with. I know they show these kids on all kinds of television shows and how cute they are, but the reality is that a lot of them have medical and developmental issues their entire lives - why would you risk that? Do they think if they manage to outdo the latest parents on the latest reality show by sheer numbers they'll be next? I know a lot of couples are desperate for children, but this way is NOT it.
As you can see, this is a touchy issue with me.
/rant