After two miscarriages and many months of trying, Michael and Margaret Baudinet were starting to lose hope of ever becoming parents. Then Margaret discovered she was pregnant after fertility treatment. And not with just one baby … but five.
Now first time parents Michael and Margaret are experiencing every new parent milestone but with five times the intensity! Come see how they do it.
Insta family of seven!
The American couple welcomed their five “bundles of Baudinet” – Ava, Clara, Camille, Luke and Isabelle – on 4 December 2016 (eight weeks premature). After spending the first few weeks in Arizona under the watch of a specialist doctor, the babies (plus mum and dad) returned to their home in Virginia to begin their life as a family of seven.
Five little bums to change; five little mouths to feed; and five little babies to take care of. Like most people who meet the Baudinet bunch, we’re wondering how they do it.
Turns out, with plenty of patience, persistence and products that are a must for all parents with multiples.
It takes a village…
The couple are the first to admit that it’s hard, actually, impossible to do without help, especially as they had very little experience in the world of newborns to fall back on.
“I have the blessing and the curse of not having any children before I had five children,” Margaret explains. “So, I don’t know what a “normal” nap schedule is like or how to only make one bottle for every feeding. I simply don’t have any sense or perspective at this point.”
Thus the couple gathered a team of family, friends and au pairs (10 different helpers in total) that work on a rotating shift to help with the various duties that come with raising five newborns at once.
Running a family business
The family also work on a very tight routine and Margaret admits that sometimes it feels like she’s running a business, not raising a family.
“I’m definitely the lead manager of this operation,” says Margaret. “We’ve got them all on the same schedule.”
Margaret explains that the babies feed every four hours. For the first few months, the quin’s grandma was the official “chemist” in charge of making the bottles in advance as two babies have a special type of formula. Now Margaret or one of their au pairs takes on this duty. It takes at least two people, sometimes four, to do each feeding session.
The babies also have managed to master synchronised sleeping, from around 12.30am to 7.30am, giving mum and dad a seven-hour break each night.
Five times the baby gear
Image via Buy Table for Two
Finding the right products was also a game-changer and play a massive role in day-to-day life, Margaret and Michael admit.
The couple tote around the tots in a Nissan NV, which they call the “Bubba Bus”. It seats 12 people comfortably (so there is space for another set of quintuplets…just saying).
One of the products Margaret especially loves is the Table for Two (above), which holds two babies (and their bottles) at once. The family also have quite the collection of baby gear, including five bassinets, three change tables, a basket full of dummies and an assortment of bouncers.
The family maintain a Facebook page, a GoFundMe account and a blog to keep family, friends and fans updated on their adorable babies. Now six months old, all five babies are happy, healthy and clearly keeping mum and dad on their toes.
More birth stories from the Grapeviner community…
- Birth Story: Gentle breech birth captured in amazing video
- Birth Story: Rainbow photo reveals double happiness after heartbreak
- Doctor (and dad of triplets) delivers three sets of triplets in six weeks
- Birth Story: Aussie mum gives birth in a ute (again!)
About to (or just had) a baby?
We know that the wait to meet your baby can be nerve-wracking, but we’re here to remind you that you’re not alone. Our private Pregnancy & Baby Groups are a great way to connect with other Aussie mums who are due or had their babies around the same time as you.
(images via Baudinet Quintuplets Facebook and blogspot)
