During Jenny Marr’s first ultrasound, her obstetrician had a strange look on her face. Jenny worried there might be something wrong with her baby.
She had no idea how much Dr. Lauren Murray was about to change her and her husband’s lives.
Anyone who’s had a sonogram during pregnancy knows it’s both scary and exciting. Seeing something on that black screen and realizing it’s a living being is so emotional. But for Jenny and her husband Chris, it was even more than that.
The couple from Grapevine, Texas had been trying to get pregnant for a while. When Jenny finally did get pregnant, they got the shock of their lives at a routine ultrasound. Jenny realized she wasn’t just carrying one baby.
“I thought, ‘Oh no, there’s no heartbeat,’” Jenny recalled. “But then Dr. Murray said, ‘No, there is a heartbeat. In fact, there are three babies in there.’ We were completely stunned.”
But the surprises didn’t stop there. A week later, on November 19, 2019, they had a follow-up appointment with a maternal-fetal medicine specialist. The ultrasound technician had the same puzzled look.
“The tech had this strange expression. We thought, ‘Oh no, what now?’ We were worried again,” Chris said.
“She was really sweet. She said, ‘I’m not supposed to say anything, but you have four babies in there.’”
In just one week, they went from expecting one baby to expecting four.
“I joked, ‘I’m not coming back or there’ll be five babies next time,’” Chris said. “We were just shocked. But four seemed easier to handle than three. Soon we found out they were all healthy.”
Dr. Lauren Murray explained how rare identical, spontaneous quadruplets are—between 1 in 11 million to 1 in 15 million births. It’s incredibly rare.
“It’s amazing. I probably won’t see this happen again in my career,” Dr. Murray said. “I told Jenny she should buy some lottery tickets. It’s a miracle.”
Despite the high chances of complications, all four babies were perfectly healthy and ready to share nutrients.
“The babies were great at sharing. There was no sign on the ultrasound that any of them were smaller or at risk,” Dr. Murray said.
Jenny gave birth on March 15 at 28.5 weeks, earlier than planned, because of the coronavirus chaos. Despite the early delivery, the C-section went smoothly.
First came Harrison, weighing 2 pounds 6 ounces. Next was Hudson at 1 pound 15 ounces, then Hardy at 2 pounds 10 ounces, and finally Henry at 2 pounds 6 ounces.
“They were all born within three minutes. It was amazing,” Jenny said. “We called them our ‘baby birds’ because they looked like little birds.”
Three of the babies stayed in the neonatal intensive care unit for ten weeks for oxygen and other care. They all went home at the beginning of May. Jenny and Chris were over the moon.
A year later, Jenny updated DFW Child on her quadruplets’ health.
“They’re all crawling. Two of them are about to start walking. They’re into everything. They’re messy, funny, and so adorable. They shove food into their mouths as fast as they can. They’re just amazing.”
Jenny said, “We hope our story and our boys bring as much happiness to others as they bring to us.”
Today, the quadruplets are three years old and doing well. Jenny started an Instagram account so people can follow their journey.
With 140,000 followers, Jenny, a former dental assistant, often shares updates and glimpses into their busy life.
People are fascinated by Jenny’s extraordinary birth story and how she manages four boys. Jenny explains they didn’t use any medical help or fertility treatments to conceive.
People often ask Jenny how she manages four energetic boys.
“I just do what I have to! My family ran preschools, and I grew up around kids. Taking care of children is second nature to me,” Jenny said.
“You have to roll with the punches. I remember asking my doctor if I should take parenting classes. She told me I’d learn everything I need in the NICU. There’s no manual for raising quadruplets.”
People also wonder how Jenny and Chris tell their sons apart.
“As their parents, we just know. Their faces, voices, and personalities are all different. For others, Harrison is the biggest with the best hair. Hardy is super skinny with a chipped front tooth. Henry has a round face and bouncy hair. Hudson has the smallest head and a freckle on his forehead. That’s about all I can tell you,” Jenny explained.
Four beautiful babies entered the world on March 15. What a special day. Congratulations, Jenny and Chris. I can only imagine the love and memories you’re making.
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