She held her husband's hand and felt him give her a reassuring squeeze. She knew something was wrong based on the nurse's face but couldn't guess how bad it was. Bethani felt panic seize her body as she realized she was helpless. She needed to know what was going on with her baby's right now!
The nurse knew she shouldn't say anything without the doctor in the room and tried to ease the young mother's mind. What could she say to convince her that nothing was wrong when it was clearly on the screen in front of them?
Young Love
Bethani Webb met her husband in her hometown and quickly fell head over heels. The young couple were inseparable and decided to get married quickly. While they were excited to start a family, they knew they were both too young for the responsibility.
After waiting a few years and feeling more financially secure Bethani and Tim knew it was time. They couldn’t wait to hear the pitter-patter of tiny feet in their home. However, at that time, none of them knew what this wish would lead them to.
Quicker Than Expected
In June 2015 Bethani found out she was pregnant. The young couple were anxious for their first child to arrive and didn’t know how they would wait 9 months for the pregnancy to complete.
The couple spent hours talking about what they imagined their child would be like and started talking about names. They wondered who the child would look like and what kind of passions it would have. The young couple would never be able to guess the surprises that were in store.
A Miracle In Every Way
The young couple started researching everything they could to make sure Bethani’s pregnancy was the best it could be. The first time mom was feeling good and spoke to her belly every day about the exciting plans she had for her child.
The couple knew this was the last Christmas they would have before they became a family of three. They spent even more time together and took lots of pictures of Bethani’s tummy. They met with their doctor and were told Bethani was doing great, but there was one detail the doctors missed.
A Closer Look
Halfway through Bethani’s pregnancy, they had a routine scan with their doctor. As the gel for the ultrasound wand went on Bethani’s stomach she excitedly grabbed Tim’s hand. She loved getting a sneak peek at her baby.
As the nurse moved the ultrasound wand around Bethani’s stomach, her eyebrows pulled together and tension became clear in her face. Bethani looked at Tim but he didn’t know what could be wrong. Bethani asked the one question she thought she would never say in her life.
Is Something Wrong With The Baby?
Bethani could tell from the nurse's face that something wasn’t right. She had to ask and get answers. While the doctor was trying to reassure her, she did say they would have to run more tests to confirm a few things.
Bethani’s heart was in her throat. What could be wrong with her baby? They were words a first-time mother never wanted to hear. That was when the nurse asked a simple question with big consequences. It was something Bethani and Tim had never even considered for their future.
Is There A History Of…
The nurse tried to reassure the young mother and asked the couple if they had a history of multiple births in their family. The couple were shocked and said they didn’t. The nurse began to smile and told the couple that was about to change.
She pointed to an important detail on the ultrasound that no one had noticed before. It wasn’t just going to be one bundle of joy for the young couple. They were about to have a very full household, and time was ticking. Would they be ready for their large family?
Four Instead Of One
Bethani was carrying quadruplets, which meant there were four babies in her belly instead of just one! The couple was shocked. They had no idea how this had happened and definitely needed a minute to process the news.
Tim’s jaw fell to the ground and he remembers feeling light-headed. He was excited for one baby but how could they take care of four. While Tim was stressed about finances, Bethani was stressed about health. They left the appointment shaken and with big decisions ahead.
What Are The Odds?
The news spread quickly in their small town. The couple had no history of multiple births and began the talk of the town. Outside of their community, people started hearing about the incredible pregnancy and had lots of opinions, questions, and comments.
Bethani and Tim had conceived naturally which made the chances of multiple births 1 out of 729,000. While the couple was excited they were also scared. This was more than they bargained for and they had to make sure they could handle the responsibility. A lot of things were going to be different, and the couple didn’t know if they could keep up!
Who Runs The World?
The bigger news was that Tim was completely outnumbered and that all the babies were going to be born girls. Bethani had hoped for a daughter and now she would have four. The couple knew they had to prepare four times as much as they already had, but time was running out.
The babies were almost due and it was time for Bethani to go to the hospital. Due to carrying quadruplets, her delivery would be very intense. She took a deep breath and knew she would do anything for her family. It was time for the world to meet the Webb girls!
Amazing Delivery And Recovery
Bethani delivered the babies at the Royal Edmonton hospital. She felt very safe and supported during her labor and was in awe when she held her daughters for the first time. The hospital had recommended Bethani have a c-section delivery at 33 weeks and everything went smoothly.
When each parent holds their baby for the first time, they see perfection. Bethani loved counting each tiny finger and each little toe. Suddenly a doctor looked at the baby’s faces and noticed a detail that would change everything. He swooped in and suddenly Bethani’s world was upside down.
Extremely Rare And Unique
The Webb family knew it had been rare they had conceived four babies naturally but they had delivered something else. It was even more incredible and rare with odds of 1 out of 15 million! The medical team examined the baby’s and could not believe what they were seeing.
Each baby was identical to the other. A set of four identical baby girls was amazing and hadn’t been seen in a very long time. The babies were still healthy but the young parents realized this would make life even more difficult. For now, it was time to get ready and go home with their daughters.
Tim Knew He Would Do Anything
As Tim held his daughters he already knew he would do anything for his family. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was and regardless of the stress, he was feeling he was committed to giving them the best life possible. The couple already had the names picked out and were excited to share their choices.
In an interview with a Canadian news channel, Global News, Tim said the delivery was, “ kind of like a magic show because they’re pulling out one, two, three, four… It was kind of surreal,” Would these parents wake up from a fairytale into a nightmare?
What Are The Baby Names?
The Webb couple named their daughters, Emily, Grace, McKayla, and Abigail. They couldn’t wait to watch the girls grow up and develop their own unique traits and personality. The couple also continued to get interview requests from local media.
Tim told the Edmonton Journal, “I feel overwhelmingly awesome that the babies are here. I feel blessed. Relieved, too, because you worry about multiple births. There are risks… but all of it was perfect.” The young couple never wanted to wake up from this perfect reality but more news was just around the corner.
Solving Problems From Day One
Bethani pointed out that everyone thought having four babies would make more problems but they were already providing solutions. She told neighbors that one problem the couple had was only picking one name. Having four babies meant they got to use all the names they liked.
Would the quadruplets continue to make their parent’s life easier? The community was ready to support the young couple but would it be enough. The young couple needed one thing in particular but worried how the request would be received.
A Shameful Secret
The parents loved their four girls equally and spent every second with them but they had one secret and it was shameful. While every new parent struggles to learn the ropes Bethani and Tim had a bigger problem with their four beautiful baby girls.
The couple loved each one of their girls but had to admit it was difficult telling them apart. All four babies were identical and it made it difficult for the new parents to figure out which baby they were taking care of. They knew as the babies grew older they would face different challenges but what else did they struggle with.
What Personality Did The Baby’s Have Now
In an interview with CTV News, Bethani laughed and said it was true that looking at the babies she found it hard to tell each one apart. However, her daughters were already showing their own personalities. She loved spending time with each one and finding out a special detail.
Bethani said, “Emily and McKayla are chill and relaxed while Abigail, the smallest of the four despite being the eldest, is feisty.” The new mom also said that her fourth daughter Grace is “kind of a character.” It was going to be an adventure on watching these four girls grow up!
They Found A Trick
Tim and Bethani found a simple trick to help them figure out which baby is which. They figured out the easiest way to make sense of everything was to color code the babies. They would use certain colors for clothing, accessories and even joked about painting the baby toenails.
This couple might need help figuring out who was who, but they knew one thing for sure. They loved their daughters very much and were ready to give them the best life possible. What other struggles did the couple experience in the first year of parenthood?
They Needed Help
This was a big change for the couple so they decided to move in with Tim’s mother. With the four babies, the couple was excited to have an extra set of hands, plus it was helpful to have someone around that had already raised a baby. Every new parent struggles but Tim and Bethani were struggling times four.
All they could do was hope they were doing everything right and learn as they went. The couple also knew they had the support of their community behind them. Growing up in a small town had many perks, but was there a danger to their girls with too much spotlight?
Community Support Everywhere
The young couple was blown away when they found out their community set up a GoFund Me. The small town knew it was challenging to take care of four children and raised over $50,000! Donations were arriving from near and far that were both financial contributions and gifts for the girls.
It got to be overwhelming and the couple needed to rent out space in a church basement. They couldn’t believe how much their community was willing to do for their new family. When the time came, would they be able to return the generosity?
Showing Their True Colors
As the girls grew up, Bethani and Tim continued to keep them in their color code technique. The girls were getting to show off their personalities and had lots of energy. They continued to stay close and Bethani thought it was amazing her daughters were born with instant best friends.
Bethani and Tim are excited for their daughters to grow up and can’t wait to see what the future holds. They know no matter what they do it will be incredible. Bethani and Tim keep proving that you can overcome any obstacles with the help of your community, friends, and family.