The babies mark the first quads born in Omaha this year and the first delivered at the Nebraska Mᴇᴅɪᴄᴀʟ Cᴇɴᴛᴇʀ in a decade. Information wasn’t available from state public ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ officials on whether they were the first born this year in the state. The babies are growing and thriving. The kiddos are Jack Andrew, Emmett Axel, Blakelee Kay and Beau Ryan. All four babies are now at home with mom, dad and 10-year-old sister Elle after spending nearly a month in the ɴᴇᴏɴᴀᴛᴀʟ ɪɴᴛᴇɴsɪᴠᴇ ᴄᴀʀᴇ ᴜɴɪᴛ.
The couple Shalee and Andy McCarter used ғᴇʀᴛɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛᴍᴇɴᴛs to get ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ. At first ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs thought it was triplets. It wasn’t until Shalee’s 18-week checkup that the ᴜʟᴛʀᴀsᴏᴜɴᴅ revealed she was actually carrying quadruplets. Shalee’s said:” I was really surprised and said, ‘oh wow, four'”. On Jan. 3, at 26 weeks and five days gestation, Shalee started to dilate and have ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs. She was flown to Nebraska Medicine – Nebraska Mᴇᴅɪᴄᴀʟ Cᴇɴᴛᴇʀ for around-the-clock care. They said the goal was to get the babies to 34-weeks gestation. Shalee said:” I had ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs the entire time I was in the ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ, but they never got stronger – which was good. My own personal goal was to get to 32 weeks, so to actually get to 34 was awesome.” The quads were born at 34 weeks, 52 days after Shalee was admitted to ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ. The ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs performed a ᴄᴇsᴀʀᴇᴀɴ sᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ to guarantee the ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜof mother and children.
All four babies … born in a two minute window. Shalee says, “It flew by. I didn’t even know that she had cut me open and they were coming. And there was crying so that was pretty cool. Jack Andrew, weighing 4 pounds, 9 ounces. Jack is easy going, doesn’t get upset about much, likes to hang out and eat. Emmett Axel, weighing 4 pounds, 4.8 ounces. Emmett is the smallest, but has the most personality and lets you know when he’s hungry! Blakelee Kay, weighing 4 pounds, 7.6 ounces. Blakelee is our little princess. She’s super sweet and very laid back. Beau Ryan, weighing 4 pounds, 14.3 ounces. Beau is the ʙᴜᴍ out of all of them – he just lays there and even sleeps through his bath!” Everyone says it was teamwork, from the family, to the ɴᴜʀsᴇs and ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs, that helped Shalee delivery four healthy babies. The new mom says, “We’re so lucky. Yeah, it’s amazing that they are doing so well. It’s really awesome.”
The delivery of the ᴘʀᴇᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ quadruplets was ᴄᴀʀʀɪᴇᴅ out by a full ᴍᴇᴅɪᴄᴀʟ ᴛᴇᴀᴍ of no less than 18 staff members. This consisted of ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs and ɴᴜʀsᴇs, ʀᴇsᴘɪʀᴀᴛᴏʀʏ ᴛʜᴇʀᴀᴘɪsᴛs, ᴘʜʟᴇʙᴏᴛᴏᴍɪsᴛs, ᴄʟᴇʀᴋs, ʀᴇsɪᴅᴇɴᴛs, and ɴᴇᴏɴᴀᴛᴏʟᴏɢɪsᴛs and was led by Dr. Ann Anderson-Berry of the Nebraska Mᴇᴅɪᴄᴀʟ Cᴇɴᴛᴇʀ. Dr. Anderson-Berry said:” To see four healthy babies is really rewarding. It speaks to Nebraska Medicine’s level of preparation and commitment. We pride ourselves on quality and caring for the whole family. It ʟɪᴛᴇʀᴀʟʟʏ takes a village to care for all of these babies.” Shalee added:” We’re so excited to have everyone at home and just be a family. Elle is especially thrilled to have a baby sister – she already says Blakelee is her best friend. The whole experience went by so fast, and the babies are already growing so fast. We’re blessed that everyone is happy and healthy.
