'It's surreal': New York family welcomes rare quintuplets

A New York couple unexpectedly saw their family size jump from four to nine, after conceiving quintuplets — an experience doctors describe as extremely rare.

Key Takeaways:

• Jessica and John Lottbrein welcomed quintuplets last month.

• The five babies are doing well, and continuing to grow in the NICU.

• The Lottbreins say doctors encouraged them to abort three of the babies, but they refused.

The Details:

Jessica Lottbrein of West Seneca, New York gave birth to quintuplets Mason, Holly, Layla, Stefan and Connor on December 18. All five were around two pounds each at birth, and after a month in the NICU, each has doubled their birth weights. For now, the babies continue to stay in the NICU as they grow stronger.

“It’s surreal,” Jessica said. “It’s so fun to watch them as individuals and then come together as all five.”

Jessica and her husband, John, learned they were expecting quintuplets at their first ultrasound appointment — an experience they say was quite the surprise.

“First finding out, I had a full blown panic attack—and I think John also went into a state of shock, too,” Jessica said. “But when I was panicking, saying, ‘What are we going to do?’ He was like, ‘We’ll figure it out.’”

Jessica said that she and John had intended to try for another sibling for their two older daughters, but the fact that they received five was miraculous.

“We were trying for one, I expressly say that we were only trying for one baby, getting four others with that one was miraculous and unexpected,” she said.

“This was not IVF, I did not implant five embryos. It wasn’t the goal to try for multiples," she explained. "When it happened, it was like fate. We’re meant to be the parents to quintuplets, I guess.”

In an interview in October, the couple said that doctors had wanted them to abort three of their preborn children — but they refused.

"We just weren't for it," John said.

"Nope, we're going to figure it out. We always do," Jessica added.

Zoom In:

The babies are currently in the NICU at Golisano Children’s Hospital in Buffalo, New York. Doctors there say quintuplet pregnancies are uncommon.

“It’s extremely rare,” said Valerie Elberson, associate medical director of the NICU. “The numbers I have seen are one in 15 in a year in all of the world, and in Buffalo we’ve only had it happen one other time.”

Due to the high risk of the pregnancy and delivery, the hospital had a large team on hand ready to welcome the babies into the world.

“There was a team for mom, team for each baby and then a plan on how to get all those babies safely to the NICU,” said Caroline Novotny Schulefand. “Part of the beauty of delivering here at Golisano, because we are the regional perinatal center and the only level 4 NICU, those babies don’t ever have to be transported out anywhere, they can stay right here and get to their milestones, and then be discharged from Golisano.”

The Bottom Line:

The parents say it's been an adjustment having five new babies, but they have been overwhelmed by the support from their local community, which has been generous with donations and baby supplies.

“It’s been a journey," John said. "I wouldn’t change this for the world."