Years ago, the American public became mesmerized by the incredible story of a mother who gave birth to septuplets. Handling seven newborns could not have been easy. Since the children were raised out of the spotlight, the family has not been heard of since their birth. Now though, at age 21, the children have finally come forward with their life story...
Bobbi and Kenny
In 1997, the world was introduced to the McCaughey family. Bobbi and Kenny McCaughey were already parents to a wonderful little girl named Mikayla, and she was their everything. Mikayla was extra special because of all the trouble they went through, as Bobbi had trouble conceiving. Doctors didn’t think she’d be able to give birth more than once, but the couple was determined…
Miracle Baby #1
Bobbi suffered from a malfunctioning pituitary gland, which made it difficult to get pregnant. Many doctors considered Mikalya to be a miracle baby, and the couple felt very grateful, but they craved a bigger family. They wanted Mikayla to grow up with siblings, just like they both had. Little did they know how valuable her siblings would be to her life…
Pregnancy Problems
The next time they wanted to have a baby, they decided to look into fertility treatments. They sought out the advice of a specialist, who encouraged them to use a medicine called Metrodin, which would stimulate ovulation in Bobbi and help her to become pregnant. They could then heighten the chance of having a second baby. They had no idea what was in store…
Seven Babies
After some time on Metrodin and trying to get pregnant, the doctor had great news for Bobbi and Kenny. They would not be having one baby, nor two babies. They would soon be the parents of an astonishing seven newborn babies. While they felt truly blessed by this, they were also very scared about the health concerns surrounding seven babies in one belly…
Selective Reduction
Though they were grateful that the fertility treatments had given her a chance at another pregnancy, the average female body is not built to carry seven babies at once. Some doctors suggested Bobbi and Kenny research “selective reduction” which would allow them to get rid of some of the embryos and give the other babies a better chance of survival. This idea terrified Bobbi and Kenny...
Pros and Cons
Bobbi and Kenny did not know what would be the best method of caring for their future children. On one hand, saving as many babies as possible was the ideal scenario, and they did not want to risk Bobbi’s life. On the other hand, they knew they had been given an incredible opportunity and found it impossible to decide how many babies to keep.
Special Gifts
In the end, Bobbi and Kenny agreed to keep all seven fetuses. Their hometown of Carlisle, Iowa joined forces to bring the babies into the world. The community rallied behind the expectant parents for what was sure to be the birth of a lifetime. Local companies donated diapers, van services, food, and more. Everyone was excited for this family to succeed...
Home Sweet Home
Things didn’t stop there for the happy couple. One real estate company wowed them by donating a huge 5,000 square foot house to the family. They also received a year’s worth supply of groceries from a local store and a year’s worth of mac and cheese dinners from another factory nearby. Everyone was ready to welcome these babies into the town…
Seven Beautiful Babies
Everything was prepared and ready for arrival. Finally, on the 19th of November of 1997, the couple rushed to the hospital. Bobbi’s water had broken, but she was nine weeks too early. She would need to have a Cesarean birth to ensure the safety of the children and herself. Then, in the course of only six minutes, all seven children were removed…
New Family
Their family of three had suddenly become a unit of ten. In the group, there were three girls and four boys, making their family dynamic a near-even split. They were named Kenneth (Kenny) Robert, Alexis May, Natalie Sue, Kelsey Ann, Nathan Roy, Brandon James, and Joel Steven. It would be difficult to keep track of them all together…
Careful Caregivers
Doctors worried about the early births of the babies. After all, premature babies are already at a higher risk for diseases and fatality. Seven of them would only increase the concern. Thankfully though, every baby seemed fairly healthy. Hospital workers felt proud to be a part of such a historic birth and considered it to be a miracle. They even celebrated the day…
The Perfect Picture
Since it was such a big deal in the town of Carlisle, Iowa, camera crews camped out in the parking lot of the hospital, waiting to get the first photo of the new babies. The Iowa Methodist Hospital Center in Des Moines was littered with camera crews and vans, but people would have to wait a little bit longer to meet the new members of the family…
Months Later
The duo stayed inside the hospital for a long time, eventually leaving after three months and an additional ten days. At long last, they were permitted to leave the hospital grounds and start their life together. A group of people worked together to get from hospital to van without being mobbed by reporters. It took some teamwork, but so would the rest of their lives…
Breaking News
The family had become a worldwide phenomenon. No other set of septuplets had ever survived in full before, and soon the couple was on the cover of national publications.The duo appeared on the front of Time Magazine and Newsweek. Soon, ABC News caught on too and wanted to do a feature story on their miracle family legacy…
Hate Mail
With the good came the bad, and it wasn’t long before the coverage became more trouble for the family than it was worth. After the story on ABC News, hate mail poured in from all around the globe. People were angry that the couple took on this much responsibility raising 8 kids. Some even said it was bad for the planet. It was a lot to process…
Out of the Spotlight
Though they contemplated some offers, the couple decided that avoiding stardom would be best for themselves and their children. They kept a low profile and maintained a very average life (albeit with seven children of the same age). They weren’t heard from until 21 years later, when the family finally decided to update the public on what they had been up to…
Little Problems
As the McCaughey family got bigger, so did the problems. Even small inconveniences became huge tasks, like doing loads of laundry. They were doing loads every single day, often more than once. They bought two washers and two dryers due to the fact they were doing about seventeen loads every week. The babies were really adding up…
Numbers Rise
The laundry was bad, but the diapers were worse. The babies took about 52 diapers a day and 42 bottles. Inside those bottles were gallons upon gallons of breast milk that Bobbi pumped. The babies consumed about four to five gallons a week for three months. Not to mention the strollers, which could steer four babies at once…
Volunteer Babysitters
Potty training was a nightmare, obviously. It was difficult when they had only one little girl, but adding seven more made the process nearly unbearable. Luckily, several townspeople volunteered to help out with feeding, changing, cleaning, and playing with the little ones. There were about 70 volunteers on the roster who participated in raising the kids…
Family Matters
Most valuable of all though was family. The couple’s families often came over to babysit the circus and give Bobbi and Kenny a much-needed break. Even little Mikayla, only a few years older, would assist in feeding and caring for her younger, rowdier siblings. She was a blessing to her parents in more ways than one, and they knew it…
Expensive Gifts
Though the siblings were a gift, they were also expensive. With financial planning and budgeting, as well as some smart money-savers, the family spent $300 on groceries. They started a family garden to reduce prices on vegetables, as well as make a fun hobby for the kids. They also were given free clothing by a local store until the kids turned 5…
Personality Breaks Through
As they got older, their personalities started to develop more fully. Alexis was “sweet” and Joel was “quiet and reflective”. Kelsey was “sporty” and Kenny Jr. was a “go-getter”. Nathan was “determined” and Brandon was “outgoing”. Finally, Natalie was a “high-achieving perfectionist.” But would these roles translate into adulthood?
New Challenges
There were challenges in the septuplet group as a result of premature births. Two of the children, Alexis and Nathan, were born with cerebral palsy and need walkers to get around. According to Nathan though, it’s a minor challenge. “I taught myself how to walk because I really wanted to learn,” he said, “It’s just been getting better and better.”
Soon-to-Be Teacher
Alexis cannot walk without her walking aid but doesn’t let that slow her down. She won “Teen Miss Dreams Made True” in 2013 and finished her schooling, completing at the top 15% level. Alexis then decided to go to community college with her brother Kenny Jr. in Des Moines, Iowa. She is working towards becoming an elementary school teacher.
The Carpenter Kid
Kenny Jr., also in community college, decided to go to a trade school and learn to work with his hands. He became a carpenter and has created some masterful works of art. His favorite is the table and matching benches he made for his mom and dad. He cites it as one of his proudest achievements and is eager to create more artistic pieces...
Military Man
Brandon, known for being determined and brave in his youth, carried these qualities to adulthood when he enlisted in the United States Army. He always wanted to serve in the military, and now is in the 75th Rangers Regiment there. He plans to marry his girlfriend Alana Hale when he returns home from deployment later on this year...
College Bound
Four of the other siblings have decided to attend college at Hannibal-LaGrange University in Missouri, which offered scholarships to all seven children when they were born. They were also given the option of free education by the State of Iowa for any university within the state. Joel, Nathan, Kelsey, and Natalie decided to stay together though...
Nathan & Joel
Nathan, always known as the smartest in the group, decided to study computer information systems. After trying out a few different courses, his brother Joel decided to join his sibling in the computer science program. It’s probably a great help to have someone at Thanksgiving dinner who can also help you with computer science questions!
Kelsey in the Spotlight
Kelsey, like all of the other siblings, had a passion for music. Though all the siblings were in the marching band, Kelsey had a real knack for her instrument. She decided to double major in music and public relations at college. "It was definitely a culture shock for sure," said the student, "I think that we all did welcome it and just really created new friendships and met new people in a new environment."
The Oldest Sibling
As for the oldest sister, Mikayla, who watched her siblings grow up, things are a bit different on her end. She married her high school sweetheart and married him after graduation. She attended Des Moines and later Arizona State University. Mikayla happily had all of her sisters as bridesmaids in the big event, and the entire day went off without an issue.
New Member of the Family
Not long afterward, the newlyweds had a child of their own, a little boy (only one!) named Becham. Bobbi is loving her role as a grandmother, saying, “The love for them is the same, but the responsibility is so different. It's just been fun to be able to visit and see the milestones and get to do all the fun things, but I don't have to raise him.”
Family of Her Own
“It was a really cool moment to be able to see my sister continuing on with her life and starting a family of her own,” said Kelsey, one of the seven. Natalie is also meant to be married soon, so these little kids aren’t so little anymore! She continued, "I think that we're all becoming very independent and finding our different talents and different skill sets.”
Passions and Hobbies
As for Bobbi and Kenny, with all the kids out of the house, they decided to finally return to their passions and hobbies. For Kenny, this free time and money meant getting into motorcycles. With extra cash to spend and extra time to enjoy the Iowa countryside, it felt the perfect investment for a good time with himself. Bobbi found some new ways to spend her time as well…
Just a House, Not a Home
Bobbi dedicated her new time to selling their massive house. Selling the seven-bedroom family home in Carlisle wasn’t easy, but eventually, it went to a nonprofit organization called Ruth Harbor. The institution provides support to young mothers and is a Christian-run ministry. Meanwhile, the McCaughey couple has down-sized to a three-bedroom house nearby in the town of Runnells.
A Very Big Family
"I think it's such an amazing opportunity that our family has gotten to have. I think the Lord just really put that in my parents' lives and just really orchestrated that so perfectly,” said Kelsey. The family has since released a book about their experience titled Seven from Heaven: The Miracle of the McCaughey Septuplets. No matter what though, they’re happy with their big, big family.