A woman believed to be the first surrogate mother to carry quintuplets gave birth to them early Tuesday, in a hospital in the western U.S city of Phoenix, Arizona.The five babies, all boys, are doing well. For their biological parents, the good news is the joyous conclusion to an emotional odyssey. Narration by Amy Katz.
For surrogate mother Teresa Anderson, it was a moment of sheer joy. With the successful birth of each of the five babies, Mrs. Anderson was able to breathe a sigh of relief. Doctors delivered the babies by Caesarian section in the 33rd week of her pregnancy, one week earlier than scheduled.
Doctors were concerned because Mrs. Anderson suffered from elevated blood pressure and other complications. Dr. John Elliot, said of the procedure, "From a surgical standpoint it was, we could not have it done it any better, we could not have asked for a better procedure and everything went well with the delivery."
The five babies all weigh between 1.5 and 1.7 kilograms. Doctors received some unexpected good news after the deliveries. They anticipated having to perform surgery on the smallest boy, Javier, within minutes of his birth, to correct a congenital heart defect. But a hospital spokesman says Javier is doing better than expected, and doctors will wait a few more days before operating.
Mrs. Anderson met the biological parents, Luisa Gonzales and Enrique Moreno, through an ad she placed on a surrogate parent Internet site. The couple had tried unsuccessfully to have children for a decade. Mrs. Anderson was implanted with embryos produced in a laboratory from the couple's eggs and sperm.
Originally, the surrogate mother agreed to carry the couple's child, in exchange for $15,000, but when she learned she was carrying quintuplets, she waived her fee, realizing the financial challenge the new parents now face. Her husband, Jerad Anderson, a U.S. Postal Service employee, said he could not be more proud of his wife. "She never looked back, never regretted this, she is was just glad she could help out, help with the family and give them the dream they've always wanted."
After the deliveries, Luisa Gonzales and Enrique Moreno, expressed their joy. Emotional Luisa said, "When I see my first baby I started crying. I have been waiting for this moment for a long time." Enrique added, "It is something that we were waiting for 13 years. I can't describe how I feel when I see the first baby coming out of there. It is amazing."
With the exception of Javier, the infant boys are expected to go home with their biological parents in about three weeks.