The odds of having identical quadruplets are about one in 15 million, making Mercedes and Jonathan Sandhu’s story truly remarkable. Living in Texas, this couple recently welcomed four identical girls into the world on May 1.
Image VIA Texas Children’s Hospital
Hannah Grace, Lucy Marie, Rebecca Claire, and Petra Anne, were born via cesarean section at 29 weeks gestation. Among them, Petra weighed the least at 2 pounds, 7 ounces, while Hannah was the largest at 2 pounds, 13 ounces.
Both 34-year-old Mercedes and 37-year-old Jonathan, who are engineers, were already parents to Luke, 3, and Aaron, 18 months, when this unexpected blessing arrived.
Mercedes shares, “We weren’t actively trying for another child, but we were thrilled at the idea. Adding another sibling for our boys was exciting. However, when we learned it was not one but four babies, we were completely floored!”
“Holy moly!” Jonathan echoes. In the realm of medical history, there are only about 72 documented cases of spontaneous identical quadruplets, meaning conception occurred without reproductive assistance. Identical quadruplets are so rare they occur spontaneously. One egg is fertilized and it splits 3 times to create four identical embryos, with all babies sharing the same genetic information.
Image VIA Texas Children’s Hospital
Although DNA testing confirmed the girls’ identical status, the Sandhu family awaits a final placenta examination for absolute certainty. Mercedes vividly remembers her ultrasound at just seven weeks into her pregnancy, when the news of four babies left her in a mix of laughter and tears.
Jonathan initially thought it was a prank. “He kept asking, ‘Are you serious?’” Mercedes recalls. However, the reality sank in as they grappled with the risks associated with carrying quadruplets.
“Though we acknowledged the challenges, dwelling on the negatives wouldn’t help. Instead, we chose to focus on the incredible odds of this miracle,” Mercedes says.
Jonathan adds, “The chances of having identical quadruplets are astounding. So, navigating whatever challenges come our way feels like a breeze in comparison.”
Mercedes revealed the pregnancy experience wasn’t different from her previous two – except her size.
“I got bigger a lot faster,” she said, explaining that she felt like she was 40 weeks pregnant at 24 weeks. She also ate a lot more, she said.
With 4 babies there was a lot going on in her uterus as well.
“I did feel a lot of kicking and punching from all around my uterus,” she recalled. “It is so funny ? for the most part they were calm, but when they all started kicking ? they all started kicking at the same time.”
Mercedes describes the emotional delivery room scene, “With the pregnancy being high-risk, I couldn’t hold back my tears. Knowing that everyone was safe was an overwhelming moment of gratitude.”
Currently, the babies are receiving care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Texas Children’s Hospital. While they rely on CPAP machines for breathing and feeding tubes for nourishment, doctors are optimistic about their progress, anticipating their return home by July.
Their journey can be followed on the Sandhus’ Instagram page, where updates on the babies’ milestones are shared.
As they approach their five-year wedding anniversary on May 18, Mercedes jests, “I told my husband that the babies are my five-year gift to him. It’s pretty hard to top!”
