Ariz. sextuplets’ mom stable after heart failure

PHOENIX — The mother of one of two sets of sextuplets born within 10 hours of each other suffered acute heart failure shortly after the delivery but is now stable, doctors said Tuesday.

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The heart problems were because of the huge volume of blood that Jenny Masche, 32, was carrying in her body while pregnant, Dr. John Elliott said at a news conference at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center. When the babies were delivered Monday, some of the extra blood was lost and “stretched her heart and blood vessels to a very, very critical level,” Elliott said.

“So for a while she was very sick.”

The babies, three girls and three boys, are in stable condition. Five had been put on ventilators after birth, but now all but one are breathing on their own, doctors said.

Doctors put Masche in the intensive care unit and gave her medication. Elliott said he expects her to be out of the ICU by Wednesday.

The sextuplets were born 10 hours after Brianna Morrison, 24, gave birth in Minnesota to another set. The Masches used artificial insemination, and Morrison used fertility drugs.

The Morrison sextuplets remained critical Tuesday, a normal condition for such small babies.

New father Bryan Masche joined doctors at the Arizona news conference to talk about his wife’s health and to gush over the six tiny additions to his family.

“They’re amazing: 10 fingers, 10 toes,” he said. “They have little fingernails and perfectly shaped little ears.”

The sextuplets were almost 10 weeks premature and weighed between 2 pounds, 1 ounce and 3 pounds.

After getting six kids in one day, Bryan Masche said, he and his wife are happy with the size of their family.

“This is it,” he said. “I don’t want any more kids.”