Michelle experienced morning sickness for 14 weeks, but continued teaching until her school’s Christmas break, then was on bed rest at home until arriving at Baylor University Medical Center at 23 weeks pregnant. The babies were born via C-Section six weeks later.
Shortly after 3 p.m. on March 18, baby Mia was the first to make an appearance, followed by sister Tessa and then brother Brandt, the only boy. Next came Gracie, and finally baby sister Rayleigh. They are the first set of quintuplets born at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas during the hospital’s 110-year history.
The hospital had six weeks to prepare for these multiple births, and Michelle’s delivery team included two obstetricians, four labor and delivery nurses, one anesthesiologist, two certified registered nurse anesthetists, six NCIU nurses, seven neonatologists, and five respiratory therapists. A neonatal team cared for each baby after the births.
The Seals quintuplets are doing well. All five babies range in weight from 2 lbs. 8 oz. to 3 lbs. 6 oz. Doctors say the babies will remain in the neonatal intensive care unit for monitoring, but they have all had breast milk from a tube feeding, and all but Mia will be off their ventilators soon. When they are seven or eight weeks old, all five are expected to be strong enough to go home.
Big brother Brady is not yet aware of how many siblings are coming home soon, but Michelle says that he’s going to be “a great big brother.” She and Steve are ready for all eight members of their family to be at home and excited to start this new chapter of their lives together.
