Was it the luck of the Irish for third-time mom Christy O'Bryant who gave birth to naturally occurring triplets, six years after giving birth to naturally occurring twins? Christy and her husband Scott, who live in Justin, also have a 14-year-old daughter.
Physicians at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine where the births took place on March 3 give the odds of 1 in 40 million of having triplets after giving birth to a set of twins. The triplets – Molly, Emily and Cooper – are doing well in the neonatal intensive care unit at Baylor Grapevine. The O'Bryants did not use fertility drugs for any of Christy's three pregnancies.
"It's a bit overwhelming to go from three kids to six in a few months," says Christy, who along with her husband, first learned of the multiple babies during a routine sonogram.
Born at 33 weeks, Molly weighed in a 4.2 lbs, followed by Cooper at 4.8 lbs., and Emily at 3.15 lbs. "I wanted to hold on to them as long as I could (in the womb), so they would be viable," says Christy.
"These babies are doing well," says Sherri L. Kappler, M.D., neonatologist and medical director of Baylor Grapevine's neonatal intensive care unit. "It's tough for mothers to be hospitalized on bed rest but Mrs. O'Bryant gave these triplets a strong start in life." Christy celebrated both Christmas and New Year's at Baylor Grapevine where she had been on bed rest since Dec. 21.
Baylor Grapevine can care for babies as young as 24 weeks gestation in its 22-bed neonatal intensive care unit. Baylor Grapevine had 3,166 births, the second highest number of births at a Baylor Health Care System hospital for fiscal year 2007.
Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine is a 233-bed, full-service, fully-accredited not-for-profit hospital, serving residents in more than 20 cities throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. The hospital offers advanced medical care for brain and spine conditions, cardiovascular care, intensive care, diagnostic imaging, women's services, neonatal intensive care, sleep disorders and emergency care. Earlier this year, Baylor Grapevine earned the Texas Ten Step designation from the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) and the Texas Hospital Association for improving the health of newborns and infants by encouraging breastfeeding. Doug Lawson serves as president of Baylor Grapevine.
For fiscal year 2007, the faith-based Baylor Health Care System reported $390 million in community benefit, which includes providing care for charity patients and patients enrolled in government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, as well as the un-reimbursed cost of medical education, research and community programs.
Contact: Susan Hall, (214) 820-1817
Email: susanh@baylorhealth.edu
About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. It is committed to making quality care more accessible, convenient and affordable through its integrated delivery network, which includes the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform – MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,200 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White today serves more than three million Texans. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com