The woman’s first childbirth turned into a real nightmare. She didn’t get out of bed and was under round-the-clock medical supervision. The next day after the children were born, the happy mother found herself on the operating table, undergoing several surgical operations. But the babies, on the contrary, came into the world strong and healthy, albeit a little premature…
The twins are 2 years old. Photo from social networks
French press of the late 80s dubbed her “Mom Baby Boom”. 28-year-old Marie-Claude Adam became the first Frenchwoman to give birth to 6 children at once. To understand how rare this phenomenon is, let’s mention that the second and last case of sextuplet birth in France happened in 2020.
Spouses Daniel and Marie-Claude Adam got married on December 9, 1979. She had just turned 19, he was significantly older. The husband and wife decided not to delay having children, especially since their financial situation allowed it. Just before the wedding, Daniel was promoted to a managerial position at Renault.
They live in a small town in their native Normandy, where they bought a large and spacious house on mortgage. But Marie-Claude couldn’t get pregnant.
For 9 long years, she spent all her time, strength, and family budget on gynecologists. She was treated by various doctors, from provincial physicians to capital luminaries. No pathologies were found in her or her husband, doctors just shrugged their shoulders.
In 1987, one of the local acquaintances recommended her doctor. Later, this Norman doctor will be criticized for his treatment methods, but strangely enough, they will work. Marie-Claude Adam underwent several courses of hormonal therapy, which will still affect her health. But in early 1988, the attending physician delighted the future mother: you are pregnant, and with twins!
However, the joy was short-lived. Soon the pregnancy had to be terminated for medical reasons. But hope remained.
And a few months later, 29-year-old Marie-Claude became pregnant again. And at the same time, the doctor initially “spotted” 10 embryos in her. The case was unique, so the best French obstetricians learned about the supermom, and further observation of the woman took place in Paris.
On December 22, she was hospitalized, and on January 14, 1989, at 32 weeks of pregnancy, as a result of a cesarean section, 6 premature babies were born.
Four girls and two boys. Let’s list their names and birth weights in order of “seniority”:
Cedric – 1410 grams
Gael – 1490 grams
Coralie – 1380 grams
Melanie – 1320 grams
Kevin – 1440 grams
Doriana – 1450 grams.
The children were immediately placed in incubators, but the doctors were initially optimistic. The babies had no pathologies, were all active, and would gain weight under supervision.
Another matter was the mother. Marie-Claude underwent several major surgeries on her spine and internal organs. Ten years later, in one interview, she admitted that the consequences of a difficult pregnancy and hormonal therapy still affect her.
The mother and newborns were discharged after a month. But even before the birth, she became a star of the French media. The maternity hospital was besieged by paparazzi, one of whom even managed to infiltrate the closed medical facility and film Marie-Claude lying in the ward after the surgeries. The pictures appeared on TV, but then they were removed with scandal.
The attention of the press and television played a favorable role. The employer of the sextuplets’ father – the company Renault became the collective “godfather” of the children. Many firms and public organizations in native Normandy also provided financial assistance. However, later the family moved to the south, to the city of Narbonne on the Mediterranean coast.
In one of the interviews, Marie-Claude said that six twins are not only a joy for parents but also a complete lack of free time, rest, and counting every penny. Yes, sponsors presented three double strollers, gave diapers to parents, toys and various treats to babies, organized entertainment for children, but everything else had to be bought by themselves.
