Sweet Home Sextuplets - General Discussion

[sATL]

I'm glad they didn't film the first couple of months at home. I guess b/c of flu season they didn't want the camera crew and extra drama/people those early days at home would have caused. We saw a couple of nights when they first got home on the premier and now we skip close to mother's day weekend. Good.

The footprints were precious.

TLC: stop with the MIA baby. Its not funny. It happened on this episode (and on Outdaughtered tonight) - which could have prevented if people were more in a closed spot - like in the church nursery/crying room/choir stand as opposed in the main seating area when they came to greet see the babies.

One thing  is concerning me - has there been a reference to Eric Waldrop side family ? I understand not wanting to be on film but if you going to portray the "home town 8th grade lovebirds with sextuplets + 3" and family is everything - you almost gotta say something about the other of the family .  No mom, dad, siblings, cousins ??? Is he an only child too ?

Edited October 3, 2018 by sATL

[SabineElisabeth]

On 10/1/2018 at 5:53 PM, SabineElisabeth said:

There were NO embryos implanted. She took a very lose dose of an oral fertility medication to treat a condition that makes it difficult for her to carry a baby to term.  So not sure how "medical science" put in embryos in this scenario?  I'm sorry, but can you please clarify what you mean by that, as I'd like to understand what you're saying and finding so upsetting, but am having trouble getting it?  Thank you!!

 

8 hours ago, Chalby said:

Well thank you for the clarification, interesting how many sites are messing up. This is all good to know. I wonder if they'll be in the Guiness Book of Records as this sounds so cool/ unique.

It definitely seems like every day one can find more and more unsubstantiated and inaccurate information online, with no indication of the source of said information and on what basis the unidentified source can be considered reliable, or the existence thereof even verified.  And more and more this "information" is presented as fact, not just speculation, by various gossip websites, online publications whose fact checking requirements prior to publishing articles must be nonexistent, etc.  So, it's certainly understandable that you've seen a lot of things about this family on social media, blogs, etc, that simply is not true - but it can make it a bit confusing to try and determine the real story.

With Eric and Courtney, I would suggest trying out the tv show itself, as it's been quite informative to me to actually hear the story straight from the two people directly involved.  Although I think 3 episodes have aired to date, pay specific attention during the first part of episode 1, as Eric and Courtney discuss clearly and plainly their history of miscarriages, deciding to treat the condition causing them with a very low dose of an oral fertility drug and the infinitesimally small change of having so many babies using this method. Once you hear them explain the situation themselves, in their own words, directly answering questions from production, there's no mistaking that they're not another Kate Gosselin or Octomom who actually had IVF and had a crap ton of embryos artificially inseminated outside the womb and eventual implanted into the womb in hopes a baby(ies) would result.

I meant this to be short, lol, but I really do suggest watching the show and hearing the couple explain in their own words how they say it all went down, because if you clear away all the misinformation, I suspect there might at least be a chance you find yourself liking them versus being so enraged at this over things that never happened.  And to me, so far, it looks like it should be a somewhat cute show, so hope it grows on you, and we see you around often!  (Also, thank you for answering my previous question and clarifying your thoughts for me;  sometimes people here get so touchy if you say you don't understand, as they take that as criticism or something, but I was truly curious, and I appreciate you not taking offense to the question and giving such thorough responses.  ;-)

Edited October 3, 2018 by SabineElisabeth

[gonecrackers]

I know they didn't expect this kind of outcome with a low dose of fertility drugs. I do wonder if they tried to approach the problem less aggressively, meaning, instead of a fertility drug at all, hormonal testing & supplementation - which can do wonders to help with conception & m/c prevention. I don't know if that was mentioned.

[Melina22]

I just watched the Mother's Day episode. It's weird because I never watch baby shows, but this family is growing on me and at times I felt quite emotional about the episode. I felt sort of stressed, too. It's a lovely family, so I hated to see the toll having 6 babies was taking on all of them. You can see the mother getting stretched super thin, totally exhausted, having to be in control and on top of things around the clock, while the rest of the family are struggling to help and be supportive while secretly feeling resentful. You can see how weaker families could be ruined by this kind of situation. 

I laughed when the oldest son called her ruthless, because he couldn't think of another R word. 

Question... how is their house so clean? Also, whatever was that outfit she wore to church? Shorts? A dress? 

Posting this reminds me I wanted to check Wikipedia for an article on the Dionne quintuplets. 5 babies born naturally to a lady in Quebec in the 50s. I grew up hearing about them. 

My 4 babies are grown up, and didn't arrive all at once so I'm not sure why I'm so fascinated by this show! 

[Chalby]

7 hours ago, SabineElisabeth said:

I meant this to be short, lol, but I really do suggest watching the show and hearing the couple explain in their own words how they say it all went down, because if you clear away all the misinformation, I suspect there might at least be a chance you find yourself liking them versus being so enraged at this over things that never happened.  

 

lol, I have watched the first two shows - twice. I completely understand her issue is in maintaining the pregnancy. I also know about the meds to release many eggs. However, I became misinformed re: the sperm application, and frankly, still don't know. My only issue, still remains, but I will say that my fave part of this family is their honesty when it's not 'fun' or their ability to laugh at themselves when they forget who was fed and who. To me, that's real life.

3 hours ago, Melina22 said:

I just watched the Mother's Day episode. It's weird because I never watch baby shows, but this family is growing on me and

 

My Mother actually knew the Dionne family - sad story, but remarkable conception/birth. The medical team wasn't as advanced and there were so many mistakes made. But that is part of the human condition.

[Melina22]

Wow, Chalby, that's amazing that she knew them! I agree, it was a very tragic story but astonishing they were conceived without medical intervention, and all survived the birth. 

And I agree that when it comes to this show, I love the honesty, and the lack of drama from the parents. I get the feeling they're not attention seekers. They just thought having this show would help offset the massive expenses they were facing, and continue to face 

[Calibabydolly]

Saylor is a great kid! I am so impressed with him. He is SMART too for an 8 year old! (I know his mom is a 1st grade teacher) but I doubt she has worked that much with him one on one. She was busy with the twins. And her job! He has the calm personality of his dad it seems. In the scenes sitting with the twins on the steps, he answers every question like a pro. He is a natural!

 

I am finding myself laughing and crying during this hour. The show goes by so fast, even watching live with commercials! I cannot wait to see it each week. What a pleasure to watch in comparison to the Gosselins!

[sATL]

55 minutes ago, Melina22 said:

Wow, Chalby, that's amazing that she knew them! I agree, it was a very tragic story but astonishing they were conceived without medical intervention, and all survived the birth. 

And I agree that when it comes to this show, I love the honesty, and the lack of drama from the parents. I get the feeling they're not attention seekers. They just thought having this show would help offset the massive expenses they were facing, and continue to face 

And the timing worked out. The Outdaughtered quints will be close to school age by the next filming season. So, it will be hard to show the Busby girls doing much except for the holiday stuff (which for me is already too much) - meaning film during the summer .So thankfully, TLC found 6 little babies who could slide into the time slot for probably a couple of years.

PS: the twins are too funny ! that makes the show a little different - meaning the older siblings can be fun to watch

Edited October 3, 2018 by sATL

[eel2178]

On ‎9‎/‎27‎/‎2018 at 9:46 PM, ramble said:

I think it’s actually Rivers, as in multiple flowing  streams of water. That’s what bothers me about it. River by itself seems okay. Lake would be alright too, while we’re in the waters, but the unnecessary y stuck in the middle annoys me. Hum, thinking about it they seem to have a water fixation:  Rivers, Layke, Rayne, Saylor, Bridge, and Wells. Typing all those water themed names kind of makes me need to go to the bathroom. Who does that leave? Tag, Blu & Rawlings. And honestly those sound more like names you give your pet. 

It could probably be argued that Blue (sorry, I refuse to misspell it like they do) is also a "water theme" name; such as in Crystal Blue Ocean or Deep Blue Waters. 

[RemoteControlFreak]

On 9/16/2018 at 5:04 PM, Fostersmom said:

Every time I see the commercial for this show, I 100% think they were shooting for a mass amount of kids to get themselves a TV show. I've yet to see them beyond the commercial, but there's just something that makes me think a show was huge motivation for so many kids. 

I think the motivation for doing the TV show is obviously money, fame and attention.

But in the case of this family, it looks like they went for fertility treatments in an effort to have a girl after having three boys.

I can’t endorse either motivation.

Yes, maybe it's none of my business how many children other people choose to have. But this is simply irresponsible. Depending on the estimate of the earth's carrying capacity, the world is already overpopulated. What's not disputed is that Americans, per capita, use up more of the earth's resources than do residents of any other country.  With this family, it's many times worse.  It's 100+ diapers a day that end up in a landfill somewhere. It's an equal number of baby wipes.  It's formula, bottles, water to wash all of the people and all of their stuff.  Two giant gaz-guzzling vehicles, etc. etc. 

Edited October 4, 2018 by RemoteControlFreak

[alegtostandon]

21 hours ago, endure said:

Did she call the babies her chitlins or did I mishear that?

I thought she said 'chipmunks' but you're probably right

8 hours ago, Melina22 said:

 

Question... how is their house so clean? Also, whatever was that outfit she wore to church? Shorts? A dress? 

Posting this reminds me I wanted to check Wikipedia for an article on the Dionne quintuplets. 5 babies born naturally to a lady in Quebec in the 50s. I grew up hearing about them. 

 

I think the outfit was like a one piece shorts outfit with a long matching shirt dress.

Dionne quints were before my time but I know of them & saw a movie with Beau Bridges as the Dr. I'll probably be blasted for this but IMO, these shows on TLC are a 21st century version. The children are put on display for a profit. 

I, personally, am tired of these multiples shows.  They are all the same 'wanted to try for just one more', hearing how many diapers, wipes and bottles are gone thru daily, the church doing for them,  watching the babies grow, watching them learn to walk, potty train, start pre school. The parents are stressed, not enough time for the kids that came before, dad upset that he cannot be around 24/7...we've seen it before.

Another woman who says 'ex-pesh-lee' instead of 'especially' (I always wonder how they spell the word).  

This woman seems to have come through carrying 6 babies after carrying twins without her body becoming deformed...Same with the Outdaughtered mom.  

[gonecrackers]

10 minutes ago, alegtostandon said:

I, personally, am tired of these multiples shows.  They are all the same 'wanted to try for just one more', hearing how many diapers, wipes and bottles are gone thru daily, the church doing for them,  watching the babies grow, watching them learn to walk, potty train, start pre school. The parents are stressed, not enough time for the kids that came before, dad upset that he cannot be around 24/7...we've seen it before.

I don't typically bother with them anymore, but am watching since it's Season 1. Usually after the first season people are officially sold out & things tank from there in various ways.

[Honey]

On 9/26/2018 at 5:58 AM, Snickerdoodle said:

I think this is the first time I’ve seen a TV family with multiples not really have a strict schedule/plan for handling the babies at home.  I could really relate to them - I for sure would be winging it until I could figure out the best way to have a schedule. 

Oh my!  With this many babies, a schedule is hugely important.  Without a VERY strict schedule, you are ALWAYS feeding one of the babies, AND getting no sleep.  If the babies have to eat every 4 hours, and it takes an hour to feed them all, at least you can get 2-3 hours sleep in between.  The deep house cleaning can wait for a few weeks.  Sleep when the babies sleep, or you will never survive.

[GoldaVining]

When that baby boy Blu smiled I'm sure all the folks down my street could hear my ovaries rattling. Wow, what a sweet smile. I melted into a puddle.

"R for Ruthless" HA!!!

[Evangeline]

10 hours ago, Chalby said:

lol, I have watched the first two shows - twice. I completely understand her issue is in maintaining the pregnancy. I also know about the meds to release many eggs. However, I became misinformed re: the sperm application, and frankly, still don't know.

She said it was an oral medication, so it had to be natural fertilization. IVF and IUI require injected fertility medications.

I agree with those who have said this is a modern day version of what the Dionne quints went through. I'm not absolutely against it, and you do what you have to do, but it's a delicate situation. 

On a related note, I wish they would stop subjecting both the boys and us to those uncomfortable interviews with the producers on the stairs.

[Chalby]

11 hours ago, sATL said:

And the timing worked out. The Outdaughtered quints will be close to school age by the next filming season. So, it will be hard to show the Busby girls doing much except for the holiday stuff (which for me is already too much) - meaning film during the summer .So thankfully, TLC found 6 little babies who could slide into the time slot for probably a couple of years.

PS: the twins are too funny ! that makes the show a little different - meaning the older siblings can be fun to watch

Speaking of which - isn't there quite a few families for TLC to pick from now? It seems I am always reading something online about multiple births, and now the families are going to have to show they are better than average to get their own show. Remember Octomom? She assumed she was a shoo-in for a show and it never happened.

2 hours ago, Evangeline said:

She said it was an oral medication, so it had to be natural fertilization. IVF and IUI require injected fertility medications.

I agree with those who have said this is a modern day version of what the Dionne quints went through. I'm not absolutely against it, and you do what you have to do, but it's a delicate situation. 

 

Except it is nothing like the Dionnes as they were actually all made from ONE egg. They were identical. I don't know if that has ever happened since. My mom is actually six years older than them, and still alive. The Ontario gov't took custody of them at 5 months and made millions putting them on display for tourists. Sad, sad story. (Not that their lives were any better with their parents - abusive Dad :( )

[jacksgirl]

These people seem plenty pleasant but through their choices with fertility drugs after 3 healthy children and selling their souls to TLC and their community by selling their story, I won't watch and hope they get cancelled. I know I sound harsh, tired and cranky, but dislike multiple shows.

[MoreCoffeePlease]

On ‎10‎/‎3‎/‎2018 at 12:10 PM, Melina22 said:

My 4 babies are grown up, and didn't arrive all at once so I'm not sure why I'm so fascinated by this show! 

LOVE shows about multiples, especially once the babies get cute!  It is just fun to watch and then try to comprehend how in the world these families do it, even with all of the help and support. I like it when they show 2 of them sleeping together. I've seen on other shows (including fictional medical shows) that multiples like to be near each other, since that is what they were used to in the womb.

I really feel for the mom and her struggles with wanting to be there for everyone in the family. If mom and dad haven't done it already, they should sit down with the 3 older boys and tell them that life just will never be the same, but that they love them, they will do anything that they can for them, but now there are 9 kids and something will have to give.

At the church I would not have been happy that the pastor / congregation leader asked them the stand up. I'd be like "I just sat down and I have a baby on my lap!"  How about when one of the ladies said "She is so heavy!" about Rawlings.

[ButterQueen]

I really do like this family.  I’d like to live close enough to help.

The older boys are precious.

[luvbadtv]

On 10/2/2018 at 9:40 PM, endure said:

Do only Christians have these multiple births?

Maybe everyone else in this situation chooses selective reduction, and if it goes against their religion they just keep quiet about it.

[endure]

49 minutes ago, luvbadtv said:

Maybe everyone else in this situation chooses selective reduction, and if it goes against their religion they just keep quiet about it.

That's possibly true, it's a horrifying prospect on so many levels to have this many babies at once.

[Gemma Violet]

On 10/4/2018 at 11:23 AM, MoreCoffeePlease said:

At the church I would not have been happy that the pastor / congregation leader asked them the stand up. I'd be like "I just sat down and I have a baby on my lap!"  How about when one of the ladies said "She is so heavy!" about Rawlings.

And Wales (or was it Bridge) was struggling to stand up while holding a baby that weighed almost as much as he did.  I was afraid the baby was going to go tumbling to the floor.

[Evangeline]

On 10/4/2018 at 1:45 AM, Chalby said:

 

Except it is nothing like the Dionnes as they were actually all made from ONE egg. They were identical. I don't know if that has ever happened since. My mom is actually six years older than them, and still alive. The Ontario gov't took custody of them at 5 months and made millions putting them on display for tourists. Sad, sad story. (Not that their lives were any better with their parents - abusive Dad :( )

The fact the Dionnes were identical is irrelevant to my (and others') point. People are obviously interested in watching quintuplets and sextuplets on TLC even though they're not identical. The similarity we are drawing is between "[making] millions putting them on display for tourists," as was the case with the Dionnes, and making millions putting their children on display for TLC viewers, as is the case with the Busbys, Waldrops, etc.

[gonecrackers]

I couldn't get through the last episode; it reminded me of why I can't stand multiple shows. The kids are cute but whining parents grate on my last nerve. Yeah of course you can't give your all to every single kid; of course it's upsetting, yadda yadda yadda. Then the tally of all the bottles, etc.; boring. Thing is she's got a ton of help there - great husband who helps, parents are supportive & helpful, friends are supportive & helpful, friends of friends or whoever else they had there helping, plus now full time help. Yeah they have to pay her but now they can pimp the kids out on reality TV to pay for that & more. She has time to film, can get out with friends, can go to church etc. etc. Her life is full & not nearly as hard as many. Her whining was making me stabby so I hit delete. I'm done; couldn't even get through the first season & no more multiple shows for me.

[Gemma Violet]

19 minutes ago, gonecrackers said:

I couldn't get through the last episode; it reminded me of why I can't stand multiple shows. The kids are cute but whining parents grate on my last nerve. Yeah of course you can't give your all to every single kid; of course it's upsetting, yadda yadda yadda. Then the tally of all the bottles, etc.; boring. Thing is she's got a ton of help there - great husband who helps, parents are supportive & helpful, friends are supportive & helpful, friends of friends or whoever else they had there helping, plus now full time help. Yeah they have to pay her but now they can pimp the kids out on reality TV to pay for that & more. She has time to film, can get out with friends, can go to church etc. etc. Her life is full & not nearly as hard as many. Her whining was making me stabby so I hit delete. I'm done; couldn't even get through the first season & no more multiple shows for me.

I didn't look at it as "whining."  The producer was probably asking her questions about how hard it is to take care of nine kids and she was answering.  Heck, if I was in that position, I wouldn't be whining--I'd be jumping off the roof.  I think they're both remarkably down-to-earth and grateful for what they have.  As far as going out with her friend, I think she more than deserves a couple of hours out of the house every now and then and I'm glad her husband, etc. can pick up the slack.  Meanwhile, he's working like crazy to pay for all the extras they need.  And I don't think they'll go to church or wherever each week with the babies.  Maybe they'll go once a month or so, since just going that one time took several hours of preparation.

Edited October 6, 2018 by Gemma Violet

[gonecrackers]

5 hours ago, Gemma Violet said:

I didn't look at it as "whining."

"It's so hard; it's so hard..."  - I think maybe 3x? Of course it's "hard"; geesh!  The point is it could be much harder. She's got tons of friendly, supportive help & reality show money now.

Guess it depends on how you look at it, but IMO I saw it as whining.

Edited October 7, 2018 by gonecrackers

[goldensglitter]

I really like this family.  Their frankness about the pregnancy was admirable, jmo.  They seemed very honest about how upset they were when they found out.  I could watch this family any day of the week.  I do hope the filming does not effect their marriage, but if the money helps them get along financially, hey go for it.  I, myself, could not even imagine being in their position.  I even love listening to their southern drawl lol.

 

Quote

 didn't look at it as "whining."  The producer was probably asking her questions about how hard it is to take care of nine kids and she was answering.  Heck, if I was in that position, I wouldn't be whining--I'd be jumping off the roof.  I think they're both remarkably down-to-earth and grateful for what they have.  As far as going out with her friend, I think she more than deserves a couple of hours out of the house every now and then and I'm glad her husband, etc. can pick up the slack.  Meanwhile, he's working like crazy to pay for all the extras they need.  And I don't think they'll go to church or wherever each week with the babies.  Maybe they'll go once a month or so, since just going that one time took several hours of preparation.

Agreed 100%

[SabineElisabeth]

On 10/6/2018 at 4:45 PM, Gemma Violet said:

I didn't look at it as "whining."  

 

 

20 hours ago, gonecrackers said:

"It's so hard; it's so hard..."  - I think maybe 3x? Of course it's "hard"; geesh!  The point is it could be much harder. She's got tons of friendly, supportive help & reality show money now.

Guess it depends on how you look at it, but IMO I saw it as whining.

 

I've never been a fan of responding to someone with "it could be worse....."  IMHO, things can always be worse, and the person sharing his/her feelings isn't trying to say otherwise.  At least, I don't recall Courtney saying at any point that out of all parents of sextuplets, they have it the worst.  To me, Courtney was sharing her feelings hoping for empathy and understanding, not "perspective" on how her experience compares to all other experiences.  And to respond to Courtney pouring out her heart with "it could be worse" invalidates, dismisses, and marginalizes her feelings....which are not diminished just because a worse experience exists.  I once heard it said like this: "While, objectively speaking, your broken leg probably hurts worse than my broken finger, that knowledge in no way lessens how much pain I'm in at this moment from my broken finger."

Edited October 7, 2018 by SabineElisabeth

[gonecrackers]

I'm not comparing her suffering; that's not how I meant it. What I meant is from my perspective, & it may only be my perspective, I see someone with a lot of great, helpful, support around her that so many people with other difficult situations just don't have.

Many have difficult or challenging situations & no one around them gives a shit & some others can make it worse. Support & help goes a LONG way to make a difficult situation LESS difficult. It can really make a big difference.

That said they've got a lot on their plate & I hope everything turns out great for them, especially with any health issues the kids will be facing. I also hope if they get more seasons they can remain true to themselves & their family.

[ButterQueen]

On 10/6/2018 at 5:45 PM, Gemma Violet said:

I didn't look at it as "whining."  The producer was probably asking her questions about how hard it is to take care of nine kids and she was answering.  Heck, if I was in that position, I wouldn't be whining--I'd be jumping off the roof.  I think they're both remarkably down-to-earth and grateful for what they have.  As far as going out with her friend, I think she more than deserves a couple of hours out of the house every now and then and I'm glad her husband, etc. can pick up the slack.  Meanwhile, he's working like crazy to pay for all the extras they need.  And I don't think they'll go to church or wherever each week with the babies.  Maybe they'll go once a month or so, since just going that one time took several hours of preparation.

I agree.  

[Gigglepuff]

On 10/4/2018 at 12:55 AM, Evangeline said:

She said it was an oral medication, so it had to be natural fertilization. IVF and IUI require injected fertility medications.

 

You can take Clomid with IUI. 

[Gemma Violet]

Awww, their beautiful dog was taken away with the sheep.  I guess it didn't occur to me that it was a dog used to tend the sheep. 

Weren't there two dogs on the first episode or am I imagining that?

[Melina22]

Thoughts on this episode :

 

-Those children are all so adorable. It helps you see how the massive amount of time and work for the 9 children could feel rewarding and worthwhile. I'm in awe at how the parents keep going and keep such good attitudes. 

-As a Canadian, I feel bad for them to think about how much all this medical care must be costing, unless they have awesome insurance. And if the babies need surgery, yikes. Up here it would all be free. (I'm not political, just stating how much easier it is up here.) 

—Does the dad seriously feel the need to put 9 children through college? Isn't that, like, half a million dollars? Maybe he needs to look into something a little more reasonable, like trade schools. My 4 children have all found very decent employment, using hard work and ingenuity, without college, and without giant student loans. I only say this because it would be horrible if this father worked himself into an early heart attack trying to make huge amounts of money, when his best gift to his family would just be his presence. He seems like an exceptional father and husband. He can only spread himself so thin before something has to give. 

-I'm enjoying the show (apart from the way they drag out certain parts and keep replaying the same few-second clips over and over, so I have to keep fast-forwarding) but I get stressed by how exhausted they are. They start on laundry and dishes at midnight? I think they're living on about 4 hours sleep a night. Thinking about it exhausts me. WHY DO I CARE? (Off to take a nap.)

[readheaded]

On 10/6/2018 at 5:28 PM, gonecrackers said:

I couldn't get through the last episode; it reminded me of why I can't stand multiple shows. The kids are cute but whining parents grate on my last nerve. Yeah of course you can't give your all to every single kid; of course it's upsetting, yadda yadda yadda. Then the tally of all the bottles, etc.; boring. Thing is she's got a ton of help there - great husband who helps, parents are supportive & helpful, friends are supportive & helpful, friends of friends or whoever else they had there helping, plus now full time help. Yeah they have to pay her but now they can pimp the kids out on reality TV to pay for that & more. She has time to film, can get out with friends, can go to church etc. etc. Her life is full & not nearly as hard as many. Her whining was making me stabby so I hit delete. I'm done; couldn't even get through the first season & no more multiple shows for me.

I agree.  These parents of high-order multiples all seem to have the same surprised reaction like it's such a revelation that it's really hard to take care of 4, 5, or 6 babies at once and even harder when there are already older children.  Duh!  

[RemoteControlFreak]

On 9/22/2018 at 11:12 AM, Honey said:

Thank you.  I came here to try to set the record straight on this too.  She took a low dose fertility drug, and her ovary spit out a whole bunch of eggs, which were all fertilized.  The odds of that are pretty incredible, then of her carrying them for so long with her history of miscarriage, then of them actually all surviving.  Huge, huge odds even with the use of a fertility drug.

Science and data refute this claim.

1. Taking fertility drugs results in more multiple births than does IVF.

2. 77% of triplet or higher-order multiple births are caused by use of fertility drugs. The rate of triple or higher births as a result of IVF has actually declined as a percentage of total IVF-assisted births because of a trend to transfer fewer embryos.

3. While the odds of conceiving six babies that all survive to birth and beyond after taking fertility drugs is extremely low (the odds of conceiving six that don't survive to birth or die shortly after birth is, obviously, higher), the odds of having six babies WITHOUT taking fertility drugs is almost zero. There's about a 1 in 4.7 billion chance that a woman will conceive sextuplets without taking fertility drugs.  

4. Just because a drug is taken orally, this does not mean it's less effective. In all medical situations, patients take the lowest dose of the medication needed to achieve the results.  In this case, that result was pregnancy. It seems like the sexto-mom is trying to minimize how much medical interference she used in the attempt to have more children, but taking a low dose or taking the medication orally does not mean it's less powerful or less likely to cause multiple births.

sources
New England Journal of Medicine
NPR: Fertility Drugs, Not IVF, Are Top Cause Of Multiple Births
CBC: Multiple births

Edited October 10, 2018 by RemoteControlFreak

[RemoteControlFreak]

6 hours ago, Melina22 said:

—Does the dad seriously feel the need to put 9 children through college? Isn't that, like, half a million dollars? Maybe he needs to look into something a little more reasonable, like trade schools. My 4 children have all found very decent employment, using hard work and ingenuity, without college, and without giant student loans. I only say this because it would be horrible if this father worked himself into an early heart attack trying to make huge amounts of money, when his best gift to his family would just be his presence. He seems like an exceptional father and husband. He can only spread himself so thin before something has to give. 

Like most parents, he probably wants his kids to be able to go to college if they so choose. While I do not support this family's choice to take fertility drugs to have a fourth child, I support their desire to give their kids as many options as possible and not to limit their education or career choices.

[MoreCoffeePlease]

For college, state schools and community colleges, and trade schools for sure!  If kids want to go to a private university (ridiculously expensive), they will have to get great grades, apply for scholarships, take out loans, etc. Of course, writing essays on being a multiple may help them a little on the admissions side.  I would start teaching all of the kids this VERY early on, so that they know what the deal is.  More and more people who used to advocate for private universities now can't afford it and don't want their kids burdened by student debt, so a lot of quality state schools are getting better and better and more competitive as people make the decision to go there instead.

The babies are so cute. But enough with the bows for the girls!  I don't care that it is an unwritten rule in Alabama!

[Calibabydolly]

Excuse me if this is a stupid question but would Courtney not be able to breast feed since she did not carry the babies to full term? I wonder if she opted to do so for the boys? I keep thinking (if she had milk) she could feed 2 babies at 1 time and give the preemies another source of nourishment. Possibly the formula she is using is better for them, I don't know? I know lots of mommies who do it for many reasons and especially because it is FREE! Hey....at least she'd only need help for the other 4 for feeding times and she could rotate to get rid of all of her milk. Just a thought.

 

I teared up when he loaded the sheep up and really welled up when he asked the boys if they wanted to say goodbye to the dog! I thought he meant to the sheep until I saw that gorgeous white dog in there with his herd! Oh my!

[Melina22]

I agree there there would have been a health benefit to the mother breast feeding 2 babies at a time. I thought of this too. But maybe it would just be too exhausting for her. Breast feeding burns a lot of calories, and obviously when she's breast feeding 2 babies she can't do anything for the other 4 during the feeding, who may be crying and needing attention. I can see why she may have felt it was just too hard. 

Quote

There's about a 1 in 4.7 billion chance that a woman will conceive sextuplets without taking fertility drugs.  

Interesting. It makes sense, though. The human body wasn't designed for women to have more babies than they could reasonably bear, feed and raise without an army of volunteers. I know several people who grew up in families of 15 or more children (back in the "old days") but obviously they didn't arrive in batches, so the older children were able to help. Somehow they made it work, and some of the families were actually very close and happy. 

[Mollysmom]

Maybe there wouldn't be a health benefit to breast feeding them either. My sister had 2 preemies, one 7 weeks early, the other 4, and they both had to have special formula to get extra calories and other things that normal breast milk doesn't provide. (She wouldn't have breast fed anyway, but she couldn't if she wanted to, because as preemies, they needed a special formula.) 

I also have twin sisters, granted not nearly as many as them, but still multiples. It was important to feed them at the same time, took two people, so that my parents could get some rest in between. 

[Whyyouneedaname]

Is it just me or do they still not have those babies on a schedule?!?! I mean they were feeding 2 babies, at the ball field the helper asked if she needed to finish feeding a baby?  Gracious I can't imagine that. 

[Mollysmom]

55 minutes ago, Whyyouneedaname said:

Is it just me or do they still not have those babies on a schedule?!?! I mean they were feeding 2 babies, at the ball field the helper asked if she needed to finish feeding a baby?  Gracious I can't imagine that. 

I thought that too. Even with twins, they needed to be on a schedule so you aren't constantly feeding a kid. 

[SabineElisabeth]

19 hours ago, RemoteControlFreak said:

Science and data refute this claim.

1. Taking fertility drugs results in more multiple births than does IVF.

2. 77% of triplet or higher-order multiple births are caused by use of fertility drugs. The rate of triple or higher births as a result of IVF has actually declined as a percentage of total IVF-assisted births because of a trend to transfer fewer embryos.

3. While the odds of conceiving six babies that all survive to birth and beyond after taking fertility drugs is extremely low (the odds of conceiving six that don't survive to birth or die shortly after birth is, obviously, higher), the odds of having six babies WITHOUT taking fertility drugs is almost zero. There's about a 1 in 4.7 billion chance that a woman will conceive sextuplets without taking fertility drugs.  

4. Just because a drug is taken orally, this does not mean it's less effective. In all medical situations, patients take the lowest dose of the medication needed to achieve the results.  In this case, that result was pregnancy. It seems like the sexto-mom is trying to minimize how much medical interference she used in the attempt to have more children, but taking a low dose or taking the medication orally does not mean it's less powerful or less likely to cause multiple births.

sources
New England Journal of Medicine
NPR: Fertility Drugs, Not IVF, Are Top Cause Of Multiple Births
CBC: Multiple births

 

Per the CDC's website, in 2016, the most recent year for which complete data is available, 3,945,875 live births occurred in the US, of which 31 births were of quintuplets+. The 31 births in the US of 5 babies or more include those conceived both naturally and using any method of reproductive assistance, and most of those 31 births were quints.

I suppose it depends on one's subjective definition of how high or low those odds really are, but to me, they seem infinitesimally small, period - not taking into account the actual method of conception at all.  Infinitesimally small, IMHO.  YMMV, however. (-;

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/multiples.htm

Edited October 11, 2018 by SabineElisabeth

[calpurnia99]

I just saw this last night and man when she said we have to take Layke and Rivers to the doctor I rolled my eyes. Should be lakes and rivers? and then you also have Bridge over the lakes and rivers? Why now Lakye and River? I thought Rawlings was a boy, I see all the Rs are the 3 girls.

 

How about the Saylor goes under the Bridge over the Laykes and Rivers with the Blu water while wearing a Rawlings baseball mitt with the Tag still on it as it started to Rayne as they saw some Wales?

[readheaded]

57 minutes ago, calpurnia99 said:

I just saw this last night and man when she said we have to take Layke and Rivers to the doctor I rolled my eyes. Should be lakes and rivers? and then you also have Bridge over the lakes and rivers? Why now Lakye and River? I thought Rawlings was a boy, I see all the Rs are the 3 girls.

 

How about the Saylor goes under the Bridge over the Laykes and Rivers with the Blu water while wearing a Rawlings baseball mitt with the Tag still on it as it started to Rayne as they saw some Wales?

LOL!  As beautiful as those babies are, those names are just plain dumb.

[SabineElisabeth]

4 hours ago, calpurnia99 said:

I just saw this last night and man when she said we have to take Layke and Rivers to the doctor I rolled my eyes. Should be lakes and rivers? and then you also have Bridge over the lakes and rivers? Why now Lakye and River? I thought Rawlings was a boy, I see all the Rs are the 3 girls.

 

How about the Saylor goes under the Bridge over the Laykes and Rivers with the Blu water while wearing a Rawlings baseball mitt with the Tag still on it as it started to Rayne as they saw some Wales?

 

3 hours ago, readheaded said:

LOL!  As beautiful as those babies are, those names are just plain dumb.

Definitely not names I would've chosen, either.  But, as I've said before, I do quite enjoy y'alls comments on them.  ;-)

(Out of all of them, I think the 3 girls got the better names.  "Better" being relative, however, lol).  :-)

[Whyyouneedaname]

17 hours ago, Mollysmom said:

I thought that too. Even with twins, they needed to be on a schedule so you aren't constantly feeding a kid. 

and in the previews they are discussing who needs fed and whose been fed?? Feed them all, 3-4 hours later feed them all again.

[IvySpice]

Quote

Isn't that, like, half a million dollars?

Ha. At many U.S. universities, half a million dollars would only cover 2 kids!

The low odds of conceiving sextuplets aren't that interesting to me. I'm interested in the HIGH odds that higher-order multiples will suffer and die in the NICU or struggle with painful life-long disabilities. They could easily have ended up miscarrying them all at 20 weeks or with 4-6 blind kids on feeding tubes in motorized wheelchairs. They took a morally unacceptable risk IMHO.

There are ways to reduce the risk of sextuplets on fertility drugs. Every month you do an ultrasound and see how many eggs you produced. If there are too many, you use birth control for the rest of that month. If you are morally opposed to pregnancy reduction, you should use this method.

[Gemma Violet]

I don't have a problem with many of the names:

Sailor - like it

Wales - don't like it

Bridge - neither like it nor dislike it

Rawlings - don't like it

Rivers - love it (although I'd prefer it without the "s")

Rayne - like it

Tag - love it 

Blu - like it

Layke - like it (don't like the spelling)

At least the kids will never have to worry about someone else having the same first and last name as them. LOL  

The more I watch this show, the more I just love Courtney.  She seems to be so sweet.  And I love her accent.

I'm glad they got rid of the sheep.  Even though I know it was probably relaxing to tend sheep, Courtney needs her hubby more at home for now.  The sheep just took up more of his time in the evenings. 

[ramble]

My mom watched the last half of the most recent episode with me. Her first, immediate observation was that none of the kids were identical. While I know this, I still can’t sort the babies out. She did better on first glance than I have watching the whole thing. Crazy! Her second comment, after I told her all the kids names, with the spellings of said names, was that she wished I hadn’t told her that. She said most of the names were just “unfortunate”. Which in our family means dumb or unattractive. As in, “Wow, that’s some unfortunate hair he’s got going on.” 

i still can’t help but like this family and I’m surprised that the feeling hasn’t changed. Although when they were talking to the older three boys about baseball and Saylor said something about his mama not coming to his game it hurt my heart. He seems like such a sweet kid. 

The dog went with the sheep for good? I thought maybe he was going to herd them off the trailer. Nooo! I thought we’d seen the big dig running around outside the house with the boys some. My kiddo felt especially sorry for their little Yorkie this episode. When he was staring out the window she said she is sure he is overwhelmed by the babies.