A couple in Laurel, Mississippi, got the shock of a lifetime when they found out they are expecting quintuplets.
Quintuplets occur in roughly one in 60 million births, according to Dr. Rachael Morris, an associate professor of maternal fetal medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
Ashley and Tyler Meyers already have two toddlers; soon they will have seven under age 3.
In January, Ashley Meyers was picking up cough syrup when she realized her period was a day late. The mom of daughters Paisleigh, 3, and Westlynn, 2, decided to throw a pregnancy test into her cart just to be safe, because some medications are harmful when taken during pregnancy.
“Not only was the test positive, the line was darker than I’ve ever seen in my life,” Ashley tells TODAY.com.
Ashley, 26, a phlebotomist, and her husband Tyler, 28, a mechanic, had just moved into a new home and were not trying for another child.
Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.
Her first look at the babies was a non-diagnostic ultrasound, also known as a "keepsake ultrasound," at a non-medical facility.
U.S. & World
Preliminary blood work had indicted they might have twins, so neither were shocked when two sacs appeared on the screen.
“My first thought was ‘OK. We can handle this,’” Ashley says, noting that Paisleigh and Westlynn are just 16 months apart.
Two weeks later, Ashley's OB-GYN introduced a major plot twist. The Meyers weren't having twins — they were having quintuplets, two boys and three girls. Suddenly, "We can handle this" turned to sheer panic.
“I was in complete shock,” Meyers says. “I don’t think my husband and I talked to people for two weeks. We just went silent. Five is a lot of babies."
"I was like, 'How are we going to do this?'" Tyler, 28, tells TODAY.com. "But you just need to leave it up to God. He is not going to put you in a situation that you can't handle."
Ashley is now 25 weeks along in her pregnancy and on bed rest at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson until she gives birth. Haylee and Shawn Ladner welcomed quintuplets at the same hospital in 2023. Tyler says the Ladners have been giving them "good pointers on what to expect."
“My doctors are hoping we’ll make it to 34 weeks, because the longer they’re in, the better,” Meyers shares. “I’ve been coloring and watching some TV and catching up on all the stuff I haven’t been able to do because I worked full-time before this.”
Tyler, who is home holding down the fort, says he has a "whole new respect" for his wife.
"Taking care of little kids after a long day at work is harder than I thought it would be!" he says.
The Meyers family, who have a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses and baby essentials, have been inundated with support.
“I love our community,” Ashley says. “Complete strangers have blessed us with kindness. People have to come to help clean and wash dishes and get the rooms ready. When big stuff happens, we rally around each other. When everyone’s got your back it doesn’t feel so scary.”
This article first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
