A load of babies...

You may have heard about the recent births of sextuplets. I always shake my head when I hear about this happening. It's so dangerous for the babies and the mom. Here's more from a recent article on CNN.com:

Four of the six babies born June 10 to a Minnesota mother have died, and the others are in critical condition. In Arizona, the mother was treated for acute heart failure after giving birth.

"I think that these instances give the whole question of fertility treatment a black eye because the results are so tragic, and the costs are so enormous," said Dr. Theodore Nagel, a reproductive endocrinologist at the University of Minnesota.

Having a high number of fetuses can be prevented if the treatments are done carefully, he said.

The doctor who did our IVF is so careful about multiples that he doesn't even want his procedures to result in twins. He's only ever had one case of triplets and his rate of twins is very low. That's the kind of conservative approach that is best for moms and babies. I wish other doctors were more conservative (though it's hard to fault someone who is doing his/her best to give a couple the baby they have longed for)...the cases of large multiples are dangerous and promote misconceptions about assisted reproductive technology, which can be done safely and effectively. (I'm now stepping down from my soapbox.)