A Waco mother gave birth on Monday to what she thought would just be three babies, but got a surprise when a fourth baby was delivered.
Chris and Vivian van Gorder were expecting triplets. But during her cesarean section, the doctors found another baby inside. “At delivery we delivered the three we were expecting,” said Doctor C. Tony Dunn. “And I reached in and felt an elbow and said ‘we got a surprise.'”
This was the first set of quadruplets born at Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center, in its almost 100-year history. Glenn Robinson, President of Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest said, “To say this is a big day, this is a big day and it couldn’t be more joyful. Yesterday we had the privilege of hearing mom play the lullaby, which is part of the tradition here, and it gave me chills just to hear it play once, and then twice, and then a third time, and then a fourth time.”
Vivian had been regularly getting ultrasounds, and going to her appointments, but they never detected the fourth baby which led to the shock. “I was screaming ‘Oh my God, oh my God.’ Because, throughout this entire episode, we went from knowing we were having a single baby, and then months later they told me I was measuring high, they thought I might have a fibroid. And then later had a sonogram, and found out I am having triplets… There was a point a didn’t want to go to ultrasound because they kept finding something,” said Vivian.
Vivian said she does have twins and her family, but wasn’t expecting twins times two. The couple didn’t use fertility treatment.
Two of the babies did need oxygen for a few hours after birth but are all doing well. All the babies were around 5 pounds.
The quadruplets will join the rest of their three other siblings who are 11, 9, and 4 years old. “We have seven [children] now. Previously, two girls and a boy and now we have two boys and two girls. So that is seven total. So we thought we were ready, but we later find out in the labor room that sorry, you guys are not ready,” said Vivian.
The new babies are named Clare, Tristan, and Erik. They are still working on a name for the surprise addition.
