Iowa Births Are the Talk of the Town

Excerpts from a WBS-Talk parent chat room about Kenny and Bobbi McCaughey’s septuplets in Des Moines.

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jacksonb: Bobbi McCaughey said they got the astonishing news during an ultrasound examination, when the doctor told her there are seven babies in there. She thought God was punishing her.

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Denise780: Wouldn’t you, if you were 29 and having seven children at one time? LOL

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jacksonb: She and her husband Kenny will have to get used to it. They will have to accept it as a gift.

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suzzie7: Seems there is a big fuss on how their two-year-old daughter Mikayla will adapt to the septuplets.

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Denise780: Psychologists are saying that there is usually so much excitement over a multiple birth the parents and family begin to lavish attention on the multiples and exclude the older child.

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CODY101: What do they know? :-)

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RAC111: Doesn’t that usually apply to most newborn children into a family who have one previous child? I felt the same way about my younger sister.

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Denise780: True.

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LILPAUL: Little research has been done on the effects of multiple births on older siblings, but mishandled relationships can lead to withdrawal and anger toward the parents and sister and brothers.

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CODY101: I have one observation that somewhat is disturbing. The outpouring of material and financial assistance for these babies is amazing. Aren’t all multiple births worthy of that same type of recognition?

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GINGIN: I wished someone would have offered me just a little help with the four I raised. Welfare moms, single parents and others can’t get half the attention the McCaugheys have gotten.

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Adavid58: Few people stepped up to help Linden and Jacqueline Thompson when she delivered six babies, the first black sextuplets born in the United States. But Corporate America embraced the septuplets. Corporations largely ignored letters soliciting baby products for the Thompson children. They only received some clothes and a few donations.

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CODY101: Did you know that a child-care center will provide free day care for the Thompson children for five years, and a hotel owner has offered the family a free vacation?

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Adavid58: Yes, but not till “recently.� Procter & Gamble also called and apologized for the mix-up. They’re “now� going to donate diapers.

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LILPAUL: They’ve been offered a lifetime of diapers. They’ll need a lifetime of Valium for the teen years. LOL

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BrendaStar: But all of that is donated and more is needed for this blessed experience. People will try to imply that only wealthy people with a nine bedroom house will have the ability to love and properly take care of eight children. In Canada they removed children with the birth of quintuplets.:-(

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jacksonb: Mikayla’s parents need to carve out special time with their daughter when her new brother and sisters arrive home in January. They should be sure to make a big fuss over her too.

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GINGIN: I have one girl age 2, boy age 4, and the job of raising them is hard enough. I only wish the McCaugheys lots of blessings. They will make mistakes like any other parents but those will be made right with love.

--Compiled by AARON DAVIS