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Val's World
By Valerie Bentel mother of Taylor, Carly, and Rachel
(published in SUPERTWINS Vol 13 #2 - 2002)
 Ours is a success story:
After three years of trying to start a family and one and a half years of fertility treatments, it was time to resort to IVF. We had only three viable embryos and decided to transfer all three. Shortly thereafter, we learned that I was pregnant with triplets! My endocrinologist advised us of the risks and complications associated with a triplet pregnancy. However, he informed us that there were also many successful outcomes despite the risks and complications. We decided that there was no reason why we were not going to be a success story.
Not having been pregnant before, I did not know what contractions felt like! And the most alarming concern was that the contractions did NOT feel like the symptoms described to me by medical professionals. I simply had a slight tightening sensation. Taking into consideration the information I had gathered, and following my “gut” feeling, I asked to be put on Home Uterine Activity Monitoring (HUAM) at 20 weeks.
The first night of HUAM, I ended up in the hospital with too many contractions. After a few days on magnesium sulfate, I was released to go home on strict bed rest with a Terbutaline pump (T-Pump – my new best friend) at my side. That day, I literally got down on my knees, cried the hardest I have ever cried, and prayed. “Please do not take these babies away from me.” At this point, I resigned myself to the fact that I was ultimately not in control, and that I could only do what was humanly possible to save these babies. I asked for strength to accept and to cope with whatever was planned for us. It was at this point that my AMAZING, INCREDIBLE and “wordly” support team kicked into action.
There are many people to thank for encouragement, favors, and prayers; however, there are four very special people I must mention. These people are my husband Ron, my in-laws Bob and Mary, and a triplet mom named Susan who I have never met in person!
As for my husband and my in-laws, their support, love, encouragement, and giving of themselves was endless. I am incredibly blessed to have these people in my life. They shared the tears of joy and the tears of fear throughout my pregnancy. They created the perfect setup for a pregnant woman on bed rest (we referred to my room as “Val’s World”) and they were there to meet every need I had to keep these babies growing inside me.
As I am one who would rather give than receive, I would lie in bed and wonder, “How am I ever going to repay them for all they have done?” And then, I realized that I had the most precious gift of all: the gift to make my husband a father and my in-laws grandparents.
As for Susan, the triplet mom I have never met, she is an angel and true inspiration! Susan saw our name listed as expectant parents and sought me out as we live in the same area. Her timing could not have been more perfect. At the time of her call, I was in the hospital on mag sulfate and absolutely terrified. She shared her triplet pregnancy experience and provided the most encouraging words. She also called on me every so often to make sure that my spirits were up. After getting off the phone with her, my determination and optimism was renewed!
At 30+ weeks, I was admitted to the hospital with signs of Preeclampsia (swelling and elevated blood pressure.) Six days later the doctor said it was time because my body could take no more. My kidneys and bladder were not functioning properly, and the edema was severe. I was disappointed that I did not make it to my goal of 35 weeks, but understood the danger that I was in – or so I thought.
Once in the operating room, the anesthesiologist reviewed my blood work and simply said, “We are not touching her. Get her out of here.” Although I did not understand exactly what was happening at the time, it was explained to me that my potassium level was so high my heart was at great risk. After hours on a glucose drip, my potassium level did not drop to the level that the anesthesiologist preferred. However, we had to make a decision to either move forward or risk further (and perhaps greater) complications. I chose to move forward.
On that day, we were blessed with Taylor Marie (2.14lbs), Carly Inez (3.1lbs) and Rachel lizabeth (3.4 lbs.) All three had typical preemie issues: PDA, breathing problems, and feeding challenges. Taylor and Rachel were on ventilators for a short time. After being taken off the ventilator, Rachel contracted a staph infection and stopped breathing on her own. She was put back on the ventilator, and after ten days on antibiotics, and another short stay on the vent, Rachel overcame this setback. It was an extremely tense and frightening time. However, after four weeks in the NICU, Carly came home, and Taylor and Rachel followed six days later. Today, they are feisty, fun, and healthy as can be!
I believe that those in the medical field should be required to refer all higher-order multiple pregnancies to MOST from the moment the pregnancy is diagnosed. Please keep doing what you are doing!
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From the Outside Looking In: Parenting Quadruplets
By Lori Prahll
(published in SUPERTWINS Vol 13 #1 - 2002)
 A full-sized van with blue and white stripes is parked in front of the two-story home. Four plastic tricycles, two pink and two black, sit outside the back door. The kitchen has four high chairs and a maze of children’s gates. Laundry is never-ending and 10 gallons of milk are consumed like water each week in this household.
This is the atmosphere of the Myer’s home in Johnsburg, IL, where healthy quadruplets, Jimmy, Olivia, Grant, and Reagan Myers turned two in December.
Being parents to four 2-year-olds, a daughter Rachel who is 8-years-old, and working full-time is no easy task for Suzanne and Russ Myers. “Sometimes it feels like we are running a 24-hour day care,” said Russ Myers, the quadruplet’s father. “There isn’t ever a dull moment, and they are always fun,” said Velva, the quadruplets babysitter.
Simple things like going to the mall end up being a huge production as Suzanne Myers found when she took the quadruplets to get their Halloween photographs. “It was a complete joke,” said Suzanne, a sixth-grade reading and English teacher at Johnsburg Junior High School. At the mall, the window allowed people to watch while the portraits were taken. The quadruplets literally drew a crowd, Suzanne said. Reagan enjoyed the attention and waved to her fans.
The quadruplets were born December 8th after an in-vitro fertilization procedure. Suzanne said one cycle cost $18,000. Each baby was home by Christmas and the bill from the hospital was $350,000. Insurance covered these medical expenses, Suzanne said. However, insurance doesn’t pay for all the food and diapers the Myers go through daily. The quads are still young enough to eat finger foods, but the grocery bill will start to get higher and higher as the kids grow older. Susanne grocery shops at least one a week. “When looking at the future, I think about the cost of everything,” Russ said. Four kids in college at once will cost a lot of money. To help the family, Johnsburg Junior High students raised more than $600 while Suzanne was pregnant to buy a stroller built for four.
Not only did Suzanne and Russ make major adjustments, but so did big sister Rachel. She had a hard time going from an only child to all of the sudden having two brothers and two sisters, Suzanne said. She is very helpful now by doing things like putting them to bed, and she loves to play with them. For many couples with multiple birth children, not finding time for themselves and each other is very common. “We don’t have free time,” Suzanne said. “It’s hard, but I get up at 4:30 am to be by myself,” said Suzanne who is work around 7:30am and leaves work at 3:30pm. As far as sleep, Russ goes to bed around 8:30pm and gets up at 2:30am to go to work taking international reservations and sales at a major airline. Suzanne goes to bed at 7:30pm and gets up at 4:30am. She views work as a type of escape and enjoys adult contact with her coworkers. The Myers’ neighbor Velva baby sits the quadruplets until Russ gets home at 1:30pm. “Sometimes it feels like we aren’t even married,” said Russ. “I feel like I am getting old fast.” “We go out once in a blue moon,” Suzanne said. The Myers have friends who help them out with babysitting when the can. “You have concerns, but you don’t want to complain; they are great kids,” Russ said.
Other MOST resources for expectant and new parents of multiples:
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Updated 5/23/08
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