Semse Felhan, 27, from Sanliurfa, Türkiye, recently gave birth to quintuplets at Sanliurfa Training and Research Hospital. The mother of two boys welcomed three more sons and two daughters via an emergency C-section at 27 weeks. The premature babies are currently in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where they are being closely monitored.
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Felhan learned she was carrying quintuplets during her ninth week of pregnancy. Due to the risks associated with high-order multiple births, doctors recommended fetal reduction, a procedure that lowers the number of fetuses to improve health outcomes. However, Felhan, a trained nurse, chose to continue with all five.
Following the birth, Dr. Derya, the obstetrician who managed Felhan’s care, shared her thoughts on the case:
“Thank God, no problems at all. Everything turned out even better than expected. You’re a very strong mother. I already saw that potential in you. This was a very high-risk pregnancy, but you gave me hope. You explained the risks, but you also pointed out the positive aspects.”
Dr. Derya emphasized that quintuplet pregnancies are rare and often reduced to twins or triplets due to the high risk of preterm birth and complications for the mother. She noted that Felhan was well-informed and made her decision after thorough discussions.
“Together, through weekly follow-ups, discussions, and mutual decisions, we brought the pregnancy to term. Right now, the babies are healthy. However, this was an extremely premature birth—at 27 weeks. The largest baby weighed 990 grams (about 2.18 lbs), and the smallest weighed 850 grams (about 1.87 lbs). Their general condition is stable, but they remain at high risk.”
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Felhan, reflecting on her experience, expressed both initial fear and deep faith in her decision:
“Honestly, I never expected this situation. I already had two sons, and I wasn’t expecting quintuplets. At first, I was very worried because, in Türkiye, being a mother of quintuplets is quite rare. I had never experienced or even heard of such a case before, so I was scared. But at the same time, I didn’t want to interfere with what God had given me.”
She added that she is placing her trust in the medical team caring for her babies:
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“Right now, my babies are in the neonatal intensive care unit. I trust the doctors and nurses there. They are doing everything they can—may God bless them. Hopefully, with God’s will, there will be no complications. I pray that I can hold my babies in my arms safely and in good health.”
Doctors continue to monitor the quintuplets closely due to their premature birth. While 27–28 weeks is not uncommon for multiples, it is still considered very preterm. The hospital staff remains cautiously optimistic about their progress.
Felhan and her husband are now adjusting to life as parents of seven, hopeful for the health and future of their newborns.
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