When Oksana Kobletskaya of Odessa, Ukraine learned that she was pregnant, she was over the moon. The 36-year-old and her husband Sergey already had a three-year-old daughter and they were delighted to have an addition to the family. But what should have been a normal, happy family event turned into international headlines.
Sergey and Oksana hadn't planned to have a big family — just the two children would be perfect. Anyway, that's what they could afford. But early on in the pregnancy Oksana learned that she was carrying more than just one child.
"Neither of our families had ever had twins," said Oksana. "I was sure that it wouldn't happen to me either." But there was an even bigger surprise awaiting them.
When Oksana went in for a routine ultrasound check-up, the doctor presented her with the most incredible news of her life. "When I saw the shock on the doctor's face, my heart stopped for a moment," recalled Oksana. "Then she said under her breath, 'You will definitely have earned a prize for this.' Apparently I was singlehandedly boosting the national birthrate..."
The OB/GYN made the announcement: "I'm seeing five fetuses. Maybe even six. It's hard to say." This is extremely rare, needless to say. Quintuplets only occur once in 55 million pregnancies! As the expectant mother processed this extraordinary news, people were excitedly spreading her story throughout the clinic. None of the doctors there had ever seen anything like this.
"I felt like I was dreaming — well, having a nightmare. I kept expecting to wake up," Oksana said later. She and her husband realized that they would have to change all their plans and ideas about the future. "It was hard even to believe it," said Sergey. "We needed some time just to digest the news. I mean, how do you take care of so many children?"
It was only the 30th week when Oksana went into labor. As they headed to the hospital, eight doctors prepared to meet them. "They treated me like a china doll — they were extremely careful," she said.
Three boys and two girls were delivered successfully via Caesarean section. The doctors who'd prepared for the worst given the extremely unusual pregnancy could hardly believe their eyes: the five children were tiny but all fit as a fiddle.
To add to the family's surprise, Daria, Alexandra, Denis, Vladislav, and David immediately became national celebrities. Their birth was the first known case in the country's history.
In the meantime, the little ones are five months old. Oksana and Sergey seem to be coping very well with taking care of such a big family. When they go for walks with their brood, people can't stop marveling — and laughing.
The family also moved into a bigger apartment. The Kobletskayas received it as a gift from the local government. Oksana shares pictures on her Instagram and Facebook accounts of her "five pearls" as well as their enchanting big sister.
Who knows: maybe the adorable quintet has a modeling career ahead of them!
They're certainly a challenge, but these quintuplets have turned out to be a huge source of happiness for their parents, whom one can only wish all the strength and patience in the world. In any case, they are a model of learning on the job and making it work!
Share This Post
