Ezinne and Andrew Jones’ s journey to becoming parents started with heartbreak but they overcame it all to embrace happiness.
After suffering three miscarriages, Ezinne became pregnant with triplets under the care of reproductive endocrinologist with Methodist Reproductive Health Specialists. But babies leave her then.
“I didn’t want to give up, so we ended up trying again,” Ezinne said.
Ezinne struggled to conceive naturally due to polycystic ovary syndrome and low progesterone levels, but she and Andrew were determined to be parents.
A few months after losing the triplets, they returned to Dr. Doherty, and Ezinne became pregnant with a baby boy. Under the care of maternal-fetal medicine specialist Robert Bonebrake, MD, Ezinne and Andrew joyfully welcomed son Maximus (Max) in 2011. They had no idea their family was just getting started.
Trying for One More – and Getting Four
When Max was 3, Ezinne miscarried again after conceiving without fertility treatments.
She was surprised when a pregnancy test was positive the next day and surprised again when Dr. Doherty told her in her six-week ultrasound that she saw three heartbeats and anticipated a fourth.
“Even then, I just didn’t believe it could be four,” Ezinne said.
“I Just Remember Crying”
With the help of her husband, mother and mother-in-law, Ezinne was able to focus on having a healthy pregnancy and made it to 31 weeks before checking into Methodist Women’s Hospital for monitoring. After a little over two weeks on bed rest, Ezinne was adjusting well. But a cesarean section was scheduled for the following week.
“I remember telling the doctor that morning: ‘Let’s just cancel that. Let’s just see how long we can keep them in.’ I had breakfast, and the TV was on. I didn’t have cable at home,” she said with a laugh.
Her water broke a little after 9 a.m. that day .
On May 27, 2015, Baby A was born at 12:45 p.m. Baby B, at 12:46 p.m. Baby C rolled out of position, so Baby D was out next at 12:47 p.m. Finally, Baby C was delivered at 12:49 p.m.
What followed that first week after delivery was harder than anything Ezinne experienced during pregnancy. The C-section was difficult on her body, and she became ill. And she didn’t get to see her babies for the first time until late that evening.
They were in such good care,” she said. “I wasn’t worried for them at all. Everyone was so loving and kind to my kids and me. Those first few days were just so hard. Mentally and physically, I was wrecked.”
Three weeks after birth, Leonidas (Leo) was the first home. Kayla went home two days later, and Arya a day after that. Thomas (Tommy) needed two extra weeks in the NICU, but then, finally, all four babies were home with Mom, Dad and big brother Max.
Ezinne described the chaos in her mind leading up to the quadruplets coming home, questioning how she and her husband were going to do four of everything – feedings, diaper changes, baths and more.
“And then when they finally were all home, they were such good babies,” she said.
Celebrating Differences
Today, the quadruplets are 5 years old and starting kindergarten in the fall.
“They are so different,” Ezinne said. “I remember hoping and praying that they could be identical. Let’s be real – identical multiples are just cool. But I didn’t realize how much I’d love celebrating their differences.”
Perhaps the biggest surprise since the quads were born was the addition of Baby No. 6 – Daisy Luna, born in 2017.
Ezinne was just about to start birth control when she got the shock that she was pregnant and almost through the first trimester. Daisy, now 2, likes to say she’s a quadruplet, too.
“We have so much to be thankful for,” Ezinne said.
“It’s really hard having a lot of kids. You’re basically living to serve them.
I’m thankful not only for the health and safety of my children but also that my husband is able to provide for all of us. That we have such a huge support system. We’re so blessed to have our family all here. I couldn’t have survived this without my family.”
