June 17, 2024
That’s a lot of babies!
Delivering multiple babies is difficult, but Kaiser Permanente care teams are ready to help families.
The Hernandez family, surrounded by its Kaiser Permanente care team, finally brought home its third and smallest triplet, Samara.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, out of almost 4 million births in the United States in 2022, fewer than 3,000 were triplets, and only 108 were quadruplets.
That’s why it’s astounding that 2 Kaiser Permanente hospitals in the Inland Empire recently welcomed a set of triplets and quadruplets.
A harrowing journey to triplets
The odds of conceiving triplets without fertility treatments are about 1 in 8,000. Meet Elizabeth and Isaiah Hernandez, a 1-in-8,000 couple.
“When we heard the news, we were so nervous. We kept thinking, ‘What are we going to do with triplets on top of the other 2 kids?’” said Isaiah.
Unfortunately, while 2 of the triplets grew normally during the pregnancy, the third faced severe growth restrictions. It seemed unlikely that all 3 would survive the delivery.
Kaiser Permanente’s exceptional care teams helped the Hernandez family take the pregnancy one week at a time. Miraculously, Elizabeth Hernandez’s pregnancy lasted 34 weeks, and all 3 triplets were born at Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center on March 7, 2024.
All babies born before 35 weeks are admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU. While 2 of the 3 newborns graduated from the NICU after 2 weeks, the third, Samara, was born weighing 1 pound, 9.8 ounces. After 3 months spent fighting for her life, Samara grew to 6 pounds, 1.9 ounces, and she finally left the NICU.
“The second we got here into the NICU, it was a difficult situation,” said Elizabeth Hernandez. “I kept saying over and over, for a very hard situation, they made it very easy for us. It felt like home here, and I’m so beyond grateful for every nurse, doctor, dietitian, and everyone else who took care of our little girls.”
- Elizabeth and Samara
- Isaiah, Elizabeth, and Samara
‘Just one more’ turns into 4
Already parents to an almost 7-year-old boy, Kimberly and her husband wanted one more child. They tried to get pregnant for over a year before Kimberly Quintero underwent fertility treatment. At a follow-up ultrasound, she hoped for a healthy heartbeat, but she was surprised with 4!
Victoria Chen, MD, is a pediatric neonatologist at Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center, where another family welcomed quadruplets in 2023. Dr. Chen was one of the 2 physicians who delivered the Quintero babies.
“The team is always prepared for a delivery, whether single or multiple births,” said Dr. Chen.
On May 8, 2024, Avery, Maverick, Ella, and Bianka were born 8 weeks early. Along with the 2 doctors, each newborn had a dedicated team of NICU nurses and respiratory therapists to provide them with the care they needed after birth.
Kimberly Quintero praised her exceptional care team. “Everyone was on their A game,” she said. “That team was phenomenal.”
The family cannot wait to bring all the quadruplets home.
“It will be busy, nonstop chaos but we are a part of something so special and I will never take it for granted,” reflected Kimberly Quintero.
Delivering high-quality maternity care every day
Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center are just 2 of our 28 hospitals that have been named America’s Best Maternity Hospitals for 2023. Learn more about maternity care at Kaiser Permanente.
