Jessica and John Lottbrein from Buffalo, New York, have welcomed an extremely rare set of quintuplets. The babies—Holly, Mason, Stefan, Connor and Layla—were born at 28 weeks and five days, each weighing under three pounds. They have since put on weight and are thriving in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Quintuplet pregnancies occur in approximately one in 55 million cases, and this is only the second such birth in Buffalo's history. Jessica admitted she had a 'full blown panic attack' when she learned she was carrying five babies, but her husband John reassured her they would figure things out. The couple conceived naturally, with Jessica noting, 'This was not IVF.'
A team of around 30 medical professionals from the Maternal Fetal Medicine Center and Golisano Children's Hospital collaborated on the delivery. Jessica's waters broke in mid-December, and the babies were delivered quickly, with Mason arriving at 2:03 a.m. and Connor at 2:11 a.m. The birth was described as 'incredibly fast' and went smoothly.
The Lottbreins chose Golisano Children's Hospital for its Level IV NICU, the only one in western New York, to ensure all five babies could stay together. A GoFundMe campaign has raised over $9,000 towards an $11,000 target to support the family. Medical staff confirm the babies are in good health and will 'graduate' from the NICU in a few weeks.
