A new mom is making headlines this week after giving birth to sextuplets at the Woman's Hospital of Texas in Houston — in just under nine minutes! The hospital shared a photo of Thelma Chiaka shortly after the birth, which is now going viral on Facebook (because, I mean, HOLY COW).
The sextuplets included two sets of twin boys and one set of twin girls, the hospital shared -- all born between 4:50 and 4:59 a.m. March 15.
Each baby weighed in at just under 2 pounds, and all are reportedly in stable condition in the NICU, where they're being closely monitored by Chiaka's medical team. Yet although the eager new mom has already named her girls — Zina and Zuriel — she seems to be torn on what to call her boys, as each of them remain unnamed.
Believe it or not, the odds of giving birth to sextuplets are 1 in 47 billion.
If it feels like it's been a while since we collectively marveled at the birth of sextuplets, that's because we have. The odds of a successful sextuplet birth is so rare, that it's no wonder they make headlines each time — and hey, sometimes they even land their own TLC shows.
In 2004, the most famous sextuplets of all were born to John and Kate Gosselin, who welcomed six new babies to their family of four and seemingly overnight, shot to worldwide fame. A documentary on the family's journey soon led to a reality series, John & Kate Plus 8, which provided a glimpse into what life with multiples is really like. The show was canceled in 2017.
But the Gosselin family isn't the only headline-making sextuplet fam out there — just this fall, Alabama couple Courtney and Eric Waldrop welcomed sextuplets after enduring several miscarriages. But get this: They were already parents to three boys, which brought their grand total to nine kids. (NINE!)
Still, the record for most babies born at once is still held by Nadya Suleman, aka "Octomom."
Suleman rose to fame (and controversy) in 2009 when the single mom gave birth to eight babies, all conceived via IVF. But that wasn't the only part of the story that raised eyebrows: Suleman already had six children, which brought her grand total to 14 kids. Gulp.
But despite the public scrutiny and the many difficult years that followed — during which Suleman struggled to pay for child care, resorted to public assistance, and even shot a porno for cash — things seem to be looking up some 10 years later. A recent profile by The New York Times, titled "The Octomom Has Proved Us All Wrong," argues that Suleman has somehow made it all work, rising from the ashes of a one-time "tabloid curiosity" to something of a modern-day supermom.
Although not much more is known about the sextuplets, all are doing well and their mom is resting up from what was surely an exhausting pregnancy.
Here's hoping Chiaka gets the rest she needs while she's still in the hospital. After all, once her babies are home, she likely won't be sleeping for a while!
