Select Page

Couple welcomes identical quadruplet girls in 1 in 15 million pregnancy

A couple who had naturally occurring identical quadruplets have finally been able to take them home after three months in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Mercedes and Jonathan Sandhu were taken by surprise when they found out Mercedes was not expecting just one more baby when she became pregnant for the third time, but four.

The couple already had two sons, Luke, 3, and Aaron, 18 months, so by the time the four girls were born, Mercedes and Jonathan would have six children under 5.

“So we weren’t trying by any means, but we were excited. We loved the idea of giving our boys another sibling”, Mercedes said.

However at just seven weeks gestation, an ultrasound revealed what Mercedes called “four little blobs”.

“Since it was my third pregnancy, I told Jonathan that he didn’t have to come to my appointment. I was like, ‘There will be plenty of scans'”.

“So I’m there without him, and I’m laughing and then I’m crying. I’m a little bit hysterical. And my doctor goes, ‘Let’s call your husband!’”.

Initially, Jonathan thought the news was a practical joke. “He kept asking, ‘Are you serious?’” Mercedes said.

Carrying naturally conceived quadruplets is extremely rare and comes with additional risks

The mathematical probability of having spontaneous identical quadruplets is 1 in over 15 million according to reports. There are also increased risks associated with carrying multiple babies and a higher chance of prematurity. 

The risk for Jonathan and Mercedes’ quadruplets was increased further because all four babies shared one placenta.

“With high-order multiples, all sharing one placenta, they were at elevated risks for nearly all the bad things that can accompany premature infants”, Jonathan explained.

However the couple tried to look at the situation in a positive light. 

“I tried not to think about the negative outcomes too much because that doesn’t do you any good”, Mercedes said.

“The odds of conceiving identical quadruplets is mind-blowing”, Jonathan added. “So the odds of them making it through anything is a slam dunk compared to that”.

When all four babies were born safely, the couple were relieved.

“The pregnancy was high-risk for Mercedes, too, and I was crying in the delivery room because it was like, ‘Everyone is safe. We made it’”, Jonathan said.

The girls all spent 2-3 months in the NICU

The four girls, Hannah Grace, Lucy Marie, Rebecca Claire and Petra Anne, were born by caesarean section at 29 weeks gestation. Hannah, the largest of the four, was 2 pounds 13 ounces, while the smallest, Petra, was just 2 pounds 7 ounces.

Hannah and Petra only spent two months in the NICU, while Lucy went home a week later and Rebecca was able to join her family after three months in total.

Now all the quadruplets are at home and have been able to meet their two older brothers.

“The best part has been watching our boys welcome their baby sisters”, Jonathan said. “They are obsessed with the girls”.

“Seeing our little family come together has been the most heartwarming moment of our lives”.

Numbers of selective foetal reduction abortions have increased in recent years

While Jonathan and Mercedes had a positive outlook on the prospect of their four baby girls, this is not always the case for expectant parents or the medical staff supporting them. Parents may be offered a selective foetal reduction abortion whereby, in cases of multiple pregnancies – twins, triplets or more – one or more is aborted to ‘reduce’ the number of babies in the womb. St George’s University Hospitals Twins Trust Centre for Research and Clinical Excellence states on its website that “It is now recommended that women pregnant with triplets should be given the option of reducing the pregnancy to twins or a singleton to reduce the[se] risks”.

In 2019, there were 126 selective reduction abortions, a 75% increase from 2011 when there were 72 selective terminations. 

In 2011, The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) issued guidance that outlined that women should be given information on the “physical risks and psychological implications” of selective reduction abortions. The guidance suggested that the procedure of aborting one of two or three foetuses is itself dangerous, and may later lead to emotional problems in both the mother and the remaining twin(s).

Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “Congratulations to Jonathan, Mercedes and their two sons on the addition of four new babies to their family! It is wonderful to hear a story of parents embracing life on such an unexpected scale, and demonstrating in the process the amazing and unique nature of pregnancy and childbirth”.

“Hopefully stories such as these will give courage to other parents facing unexpected multiple pregnancies and help support them to champion the lives of all of their children”.

Critical appealto protect vulnerable lives

Help stop three major anti-life threats.

The Leadbeater assisted suicide Bill can still be defeated at Third Reading, but only with your help.

Dear reader,

As you already likely know, the Leadbeater assisted suicide Bill sadly passed Second Reading at the end of last month.

While it is very disappointing that the Bill passed Second Reading, an analysis published in The Independent shows that at least 36 MPs who supported the Bill did so only to allow further debate or because they had concerns that meant they won’t commit to supporting the Bill at Third Reading. Since then, our Public Affairs team has identified a number of other MPs who share these reservations.

With the vote passing by a margin of 55, just 28 MPs switching their stance to oppose the Bill would ensure it is defeated at Third Reading, so there is a clear path towards this Bill being defeated. We can still win this.

The assisted suicide lobby are fully aware that support for the Bill is very fragile. They will fight fiercely to prevent 28 MPs from switching their votes to oppose the Bill.

For the sake of the hundreds of thousands of vulnerable lives that will be put at risk, we must win the vote and defeat this dangerous Bill.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Our campaign in the run-up to Second Reading was the biggest and most expensive we have ever run and so it has made a significant dent in our limited financial resources.

We are now working on an even bigger campaign to defeat this dangerous Bill at Third Reading.

To ensure we effectively defeat this extreme assisted suicide Bill, we are aiming to raise at least £100,000 by midnight this Sunday (15 December 2024).

Every donation, no matter the size, will mean YOU can make a crucial difference in saving vulnerable lives from this extreme law change.

Will you make a donation now to help protect vulnerable lives from this major threat?

Critical appealto protect vulnerable lives

Help stop three major anti-life threats.

The Leadbeater assisted suicide Bill can still be defeated at Third Reading, but only with your help.