I found an online article about the Michigan couple having sextuplets. I found out that they DO go to my fertility clinic. Her doctor isn't the same doctor as mine, but I have seen her doctor twice, once for the HSG and also the last time I went in for an ultrasound.

Once you read the article you'll see that even the doctor was surprised. I don't think I can accuse him of being careless.

http://www.thehollandsentinel.net/stories/110403/loc_110403013.shtml

Web posted Tuesday, November 4, 2003

Even doctors were surprised by sextuplets

Expectant mother to enter hospital for rest and to read some good books

By LESA INGRAHAM

Staff writer

Amy and Ben Van Houten weren't the only ones shocked when they found out Amy was pregnant with sextuplets.

Their infertility specialist Dr. Jim Young of Michigan Reproductive in Grand Rapids was not expecting six babies to show up on Amy's six-week ultrasound.

Young had been working with the Hamilton couple to mature Amy's eggs with injections and allow them to be fertilized. An ultrasound prior to conception showed the possibility of quadruplets

"On the ultrasound, we saw three or four good follicles, but there were some smaller ones that generally don't mature. But, sometimes people fool you," Young said.

Young said his office usually sees multiple birth pregnancies naturally reduce themselves.

"Usually they (mothers) don't carry all of them through the first trimester," Young said.

After 10 weeks, Amy and Ben were referred to Dr. Curtis Cook, a maternal fetal medicine specialist with Spectrum Health's West Michigan Perinatal Diagnostics Center.

Cook said Friday's ultrasound was a positive sound.

"All the babies look good," Cook said.

Amy went on bed rest Monday and will go into the hospital the second week in December and remain there until the babies are born, Cook said.

"Nothing is too standard when you are talking about this number of babies, but we want the mother to get as much rest as possible," Cook said.

Amy said she wasn't worried about bed rest and said she is looking forward to possibly learning to knit, crochet and do a lot of reading.

"I have been reading a lot of informational things, about multiple births and being pregnant, and I'm just looking forward to reading a good book with a plot," said Amy, 26.

At Amy's last church service and Sunday school, members of the congregation came together to wish the couple the best.

"We had a time of prayer for them. Fifteen or 20 people laid hands on them and they joined together in prayer," said the Rev. Mark Vroegop, senior pastor at Calvary Baptist Church.

He said the service offered a chance to bring the congregation closer to the expected children.

"The video of the ultrasound was played during the evening service," Vroegop said.

The church videotapes its services, so Amy will have a chance to stay in touch from home, Vroegop said.

"We're also looking at a way to videotape her Sunday school class, trying to figure out a way to keep her in the loop," Vroegop said.

Vroegop met the couple when they went through premarital counseling five years ago. Since then he said he has seen Ben, 29, and Amy's generosity through work with the church.

"We miss them already," Vroegop said.

Monday morning, receptionists at the church were fielding calls from well-wishers for the couple, trying to leave a message.

A voice mailbox set up Monday made it a little easier, but Vroegop said the church was still trying to figure out how to coordinate its efforts.

"The church is acting as a conduit, a base central to connect people," Vroegop said.

The sextuplets won't be the first set of multiple births in the church, Vroegop said.

"We helped with a set of triplets about three and a half years ago. So, we know what it's like with three, even if we don't know what it's like with six," Vroegop said.

Help for the Van Houtens is being divided between meals, volunteer time and financial contributions. For more information, or to leave a message for the couple, call the church at (616) 396-2724.