From 4 to 9: Utah family to deliver quintuplets in Phoenix
Logan, Lily, Violet, Daisy, Lincoln.
The Scott family will grow by five this year.
Skyler and Jamie Scott relocated to Phoenix from St. George, Utah, in January to finish Jamie's pregnancy and deliver quintuplets under care at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center.
"You go through a lot of things when you find out you're expecting five babies at the same time," Skyler Scott told The Arizona Republic.
The Scotts struggled with infertility for five years after having their sons Shayden, 12, and Landon, 7, according to the couple.
After an infertility specialist treated Jamie Scott with femara, a drug that increases the chance of twins by 3 percent, the Scotts found out they were expecting five, Skyler Scott said.
"That night," Jamie Scott said, "I couldn't sleep. And then the second day, I was so overwhelmed I cried and didn't want to get out of bed."
Skyler Scott said they got over the shock factor pretty fast and within a few days, they began focusing on all they could do to prepare, one day at a time.
Jamie Scott is on bed rest and in her 26th week of pregnancy. She said along with taking her medication and doing physical therapy, she is supposed to eat 4,000 calories per day.
She told The Republic her body is slowing down because there's not enough space, so she eats "whatever she can fit."
Skyler Scott said he is convinced the reason they're having quintuplets is because their two boys have been praying consistently for more siblings over the years.
Both are excited to be older brothers and Landon has even offered to take one of the babies to school with him, Skyler Scott added.
Scott said he found Dr. John Elliott, whom he believes is the best in the world, while researching doctors.
Elliott, medical director at Valley Perinatal Services, specializes in high-risk pregnancies and has delivered 23 sets of quintuplets in his career.
He told The Republic he has not only expertise, but love for taking care of more than one baby at a time.
"Jamie is a rock star," Elliott said. "She amazes me with her attitude. She has a smile on her face despite what has to be a very uncomfortable existence in a hospital bed."
Elliott said the real heavy lifting is in getting the mother to the point of delivery. His hope is for Jamie Scott to make it to 34 weeks before delivery.
According to Elliott, the average gestation period for his previous quintuplet deliveries has been around 33 weeks. The national average is a little less than 27, Elliott said.
In a multiple pregnancy, mothers and babies are especially prone to multiple risks such as preterm labor, blood-pressure diseases and premature rupture of membranes, which Jamie Scott experienced, according to Elliott.
One of the baby's amniotic sacs opened and he lost all fluid, Elliott said, but the sac is healed and the pregnancy is back to normal status.
The chance of quintuplets occurring naturally is "exceedingly rare" at about one in 23 million pregnancies, according to Elliott.
He said quintuplets will almost always be a result of infertility treatments. Usually, it is one, or at most two, fertilized eggs that are placed inside the mother. However, those eggs can split, resulting in multiples.
The family has been documenting their entire journey on social media, earning attention from people around the world with more than 65,000 followers between their Facebook page and Instagram account.
"It's actually become a huge strength to us," Skyler Scott said. "Because during the hiccups and challenging times, we've had so many people sending good thoughts and prayers and encouraging us."
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