The likelihood of quintuplets being born is approximately one in 60 million births, while the chances of having identical quadruplets are about one in 15 million.
Congratulations are in order for a Mississippi couple who welcomed a rare set of quintuplets earlier this month. Haylee and Shawn Ladner’s babies, Adalyn, Everleigh, Malley, Magnolia, and Jake, were born at the University of Mississippi Medical Center on February 16th.
The four girls are identical quadruplets, resulting from one fertilized egg dividing into four parts. Malley was the smallest, weighing in at just 1 pound and 11 ounces, while Jake was the largest at 2 pounds and 5 ounces.
After experiencing two miscarriages, Haylee and Shawn decided to undergo intrauterine insemination (IUI) in 2022. IUI involves inserting healthy sperm into the uterus as close to ovulation time as possible.
A few weeks later, five heartbeats appeared on an ultrasound screen.
Quintuplets occur in roughly one in 60 million births, according to Dr. Rachael Morris, an associate professor of maternal fetal medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
The odds of having identical quadruplets are about one in 15 million.
“Haylee’s pregnancy was quite rare,” Morris said in a news release. “There is only one other report of this combination in the literature from 2018.”
Haylee Ladner, a middle school teacher, calls the quints her “miracle babies.”
“I didn’t think I would ever get the chance to be a mother of even one baby, so now that I am going to be a mother to five, it is the greatest blessing of my entire life,” Ladner shared at the news conference.
Last year, Ladner appeared on the “Good Things with Rebecca Turner” podcast, where she opened up about her growing family — and her faith.
“We wanted to share this story for two reasons: one, because we believe they are miracles given to us by God, and two, we wanted to do it to hopefully help other couples who have gone through infertility, too, know that they have some hope out there in the world as well,” she said.
Ladner carried her babies until 28 weeks gestation, which is common for higher-order multiples. She said the infants are “thriving” in the neonatal intensive care unit.
“We’re looking forward to the day when they can come home,” Ladner said in the news release. “They are the greatest blessing of my entire life.”