Dateline correspondent Andrea Canning says undergoing in vitro fertilization in order to have her sixth child (and first son) took her and her husband, U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Tony Bancroft, out of their comfort zone.
“It was so against the grain for us because we had five natural pregnancies,” Canning told People.
On June 18, Canning gave birth to George Anthony Bancroft III, whom she and Bancroft call Tripp. It was the first boy for the couple, who have five daughters: Anna, 10, Charlotte, 9, Christina, 6, Georgia, 5, and Elle, 4.
The couple, who got two embryos after a round of IVF treatment, decided to go with the healthier one, regardless of the sex.
“We were like, ‘We’ll probably just get all girls.’ If it was a girl, it would be a girl, that was fine,” Canning said. “When the report came back and the boy was a higher-quality embryo, we were like, ‘It’s meant to be.’”
Canning’s delivery came with some issues, including an adherent placenta that doctors said was a result of giving birth to multiple children.
“He wasn’t crying when he first came out and I kept saying, ‘Is he OK?’” Canning recalled. “Everything was so chaotic and it felt like forever, but then I heard him cry and that was the greatest feeling.”
Canning has had a slow recovery, and Tripp went to the NICU for a brief stay. Despite the complications, she is overjoyed to welcome her new son into the family.
“He’s our little miracle. It’s amazing,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to experience having a son. At my age, I never thought that I would have another child. I’m just in awe every time I look at his face.”
Canning said Tripp’s sisters, who bring her diapers and wipes and even help feed him, are equally excited.
“When they walked into the room, they ran to the little bassinet and were so happy and so excited,” she said about the first time the girls saw Tripp. “It brought tears to my eyes.”
Tripp has become a valuable commodity among the siblings, too.
“They have been fighting like crazy over who gets to hold him,” said Canning. “They are all little mommies. Every chance they get, they want to be around him.”
And husband Bancroft is certainly excited to no longer be the only man in the house.
“He really, really wanted a son. Just the way he looks at him is so special,” Canning said.