Utah Family Expecting Quintuplets After Infertility Struggle
ST. GEORGE, Utah (KSL) -- After a five-year struggle with infertility, a southern Utah couple is now expecting quintuplets.
Skyler and Jamie Scott's family will grow from four to nine later this spring when their quintuplets join their two sons, Shayden, 12 and Landon, 7.
About a week after she discovered she was pregnant, doctors told Jamie, 33, her HCG hormone levels were high. That can indicate multiple pregnancies, so she was expecting twins or even triplets.
But when she found out she would be having five babies, Jamie Scott couldn't hold back the happy tears.
"I cried," she said. "I was just so grateful, after all these years of trying, to finally be pregnant. And I was in awe that there were five."
Skyler Scott said the family went through a lot of emotions after learning of the quintuplets, but now they're nothing but excited.
"This is bigger than Christmas for us, as far as the anticipation," he said. "This is better than going to Disneyland, and that says a lot because we love Disneyland."
Their boys are also excited. Skyler joked that it's Shayden and Landon's fault the family is having quintuplets because the boys prayed and prayed for siblings.
"I'm excited," Shayden said. "We're going to have five more babies that I can take care of."
Jamie Scott is about 18 weeks along in her pregnancy. The babies are quite active, and although she's very tired most of the time, she's still thankful, she said.
"I feel gratitude every day for the miracle of being pregnant," she said. "The fact that I'm carrying five human beings — it's really incredible. … The fact that women can create that is pretty powerful."
Though they live in St. George, the Scotts have temporarily relocated to Phoenix to work with Dr. John Elliott, a perinatal doctor who has previously delivered 23 sets of quintuplets.
Nationally, the average gestation period for quintuplets is about 27 weeks, Skyler Scott said. With Dr. Elliott, Jamie Scott said she's hoping to carry the babies to 34 weeks, at which point they'll be delivered via C-section. That would mean the babies would arrive in late April.
Even though it took great courage for the Scotts to walk through the doors of a fertility clinic and seek help, both Jamie and Skyler say couples who are struggling with infertility shouldn't give up. If it's something you truly desire, there are different help options to explore, Jamie Scott said.
"Just keep your options open and don't give up on that dream," she said.
Skyler said he and Jamie had decided that they would exhaust every option they could think of to get pregnant again. They were prepared for any outcome, he said.
"I think hope is a really powerful gift, and I think if you have hope, no matter how things work out, you're able to feel good about the consequences," Skyler Scott said. "At this point, we feel incredibly blessed."
The family is sharing regular updates about the pregnancy via Instagram and Facebook. On Thursday at 8 a.m., the gender reveal for the quintuplets will be broadcast live via the family's Facebook page.
Visit scottquints.com for more information and to find the family's other social media accounts.
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