Critical Difference Stories: Birth
Read More Birth Stories: ---------------------- View all Birth Stories Four Leaf Clover: The Finken Quads Story Never Give Up: Claire and Julia Gambassi Story Twenty-Four Week Miracle: The Micah Plimmer Story Nayeli Alvarado: A Miracle of Life Emily Graff: Tiniest Baby Ever Born at Saint Alphonsus Kalli Hancock: Miracle Baby The Tayton Richardson Story Santiago Family: Belief Into Action The Schilz Family Story: My Three Sons Isolette Dwelle Vega: NICU Miracle Baby

Four Leaf Clover: The Finken Quads Story

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The Right Chemistry
Rich was 35 years-old, and ready to “settle down.” He wanted to get married and raise a family – so he turned to the internet. As he filled out the online dating questionnaire, he made his intentions clear about marriage and children. Tracy was 25, and was looking for “Prince Charming.” She too was ready to start a family. The match was made and their chemistry was right – marriage soon followed.  But their chemistry for procreation was not as successful. After two years of trying to have a child, they sought medical intervention to help fulfill their parenthood dream - the results far exceeded their dreams.

The plan was for Tracy to start with the lowest dose of the fertility drug Clomid. She and Rich were told about the slight increased chance of twins with the drug. “Twins ran in both our families, so we knew that was a possibility,” said Tracy. “But we were okay with the idea of twins.” Three weeks after the first dose of Clomid, they were pregnant.

Oh, My Gosh
Six weeks later, around midnight, Rich was at work when Tracy began having severe abdominal pains. Fearing pregnancy problems, she called Rich and told him to meet her at the hospital. In the E.R. an ultrasound was performed. Kidney stones were found to be the problem, but the ultrasound uncovered something else that changed the mood in the room.

The small embryo was found right where it should be, and then a second embryo was discovered…and then a third…and a fourth. “Oh my gosh, don’t find any more!” Rich said with a nervous chuckle. The revelation of four babies on the way was numbing news to the expectant parents. Tracy glanced at Rich in the back of room - she couldn’t tell if his tears were from joy or fear. 

“I was okay with four at first,” said Rich. “Let’s just get it done.”
Tracy remembered, “It sunk in a couple of days later that I was having four babies. But it seemed like a dream.”

Prayers and Tears
The couple was referred to a high-risk pregnancy specialist, Perinatologist Renee Bobrowski, M.D. “She was great,” said Tracy. “We couldn’t have done it without her.”

In their first meeting, Dr. Bobrowski shared statistics of other quad births and explained the risks to the mother and the babies in a quad pregnancy. Armed with a complete understanding of what lay ahead, the two future parents had another discussion at home. “After a lot of prayers, and lots of tears, we decided this is what we wanted to do,” said Tracy.

The weight of the situation created enormous emotional pressure on Tracy. Recognizing her struggle, Rich reached out to internet support groups. He spoke with other parents of quadruplets and read about a number of quadruplet-birth success stories. He shared the information with Tracy, which eased some of her concerns. “Just knowing that others had done it, gave us the confidence that we could do it too,” remarked Rich.

Three Lads and a Lass
At twelve weeks they learned they would be having three boys and one girl. Now they needed names. “We each made a list of names from a name book, and compared our lists,” explained Tracy. “The final selection came from the names that were on both lists.”

When it came time to choose a hospital the choice was easier. “We toured the NICU at Saint Alphonsus Family Maternity Center and liked it a lot,” said Rich. “We were very impressed with that facility.”

For Tracy, pregnant with four meant being four times as sick. “I was sick all the time,” she recalled. In her sixth month she was admitted to the Maternity Center and placed on bed rest as a precaution. There were weekly exams by Dr. Bobrowski and the growth of the babies was monitored.

“The nurses at the Family Maternity Center put me through a bed-rest boot camp to keep me on my toes,” said Tracy. “They gave me a tour of the operating room, we watched movies, they painted my toe nails…they were awesome.”

With Tracy in the Family Maternity Center, Rich was remodeling the nursery to accommodate four. Organization would be the key. More storage room for supplies was needed, charts on clip boards were hung on the wall to track feeding times and diaper changes. Four of everything was arranged around the room. Above the cribs, the names were painted on the wall; Alexander, Benjamin, Samuel and Emilee. Tracy and Rich were confident all would be coming home.

Saint Patrick’s Day Blessing
It was Saint Patrick’s Day when Tracy’s 30-week checkup with Dr. Bobrowski showed that Emilee had lost some size. The decision was then made to deliver the babies that day. Rich knew what he had to do. “I went and had a huge lunch,” he said laughingly. “I knew it would be a while before I could eat again, but unfortunately, no green beer.”
The operating room staff prepared for the arrival of the first set of quads in the history of Saint Alphonsus. The orchestrated procedure would take a team of 18 to deliver and care for the quads and the mother. Dr. Bobrowski would lead the delivery along with OB/GYN physician Julia Bouchard, M.D. Three nurses would attend each of the four babies. Following the delivery, the newborns’ care in the NICU would be directed by Neonatologist Stewart Lawrence, M.D.

Rich took his seat next to Tracy as the action began. “When the first boy was born and started to cry, Tracy and I looked at each other and we started to cry. It became REAL at that point,” the new father confessed. “Then they just started pulling babies out.” The boys were first with Emilee bringing up the rear. Weights ranged from 3lbs-10oz. to Emilee’s 2lbs-2oz.

Rich met Dr. Lawrence in the NICU. “He took the time to explain what was happening,” said Rich. “I really appreciated his level of detail and technical explanation.” Rich stood in the NICU, trying to decide where to go. “I was surrounded by four babies and didn’t know which one to go see first…I didn’t know what to do!” Respirators were placed on each of the newborns, but those came off within two hours – all four were strong enough to breathe on their own.

Good Luck
While premature babies run the risk of developmental disabilities, Dr. Lawrence said the quads prognosis is “very good.” He went on to say, “Thirty-weeks is a good time for quads to remain in the womb. They were all full of life and very active. Their birth was one in a million.”

Tracy came through the ordeal just fine and went home in a couple of days. The four preemies remained in the NICU to continue developing and to gain weight.  One by one they were allowed to go home, about a week apart. “That let us work on our routine,” Rich recalled. “By the time we had three at home we knew we could handle it.”

When asked about the notoriety of being parents of quads, Rich was all for it. “All the attention has opened up channels of support. My job is coming to an end and the finances are a huge concern,” he said.

Tracy reflected back, “It’s been one big roller coaster ride of emotions - happy, sad, and scared - but it was all worth it. I’m just in awe of it all…I think I’m going to cry.”

Rich then gave his advice for future parent of multiples, “Plan ahead and organize before the kids come home, because you won’t have any time afterward. Take it one day at a time and you’ll get through it…and good luck!”