Couple Welcomes Quintuplets After Years of Struggling With Infertility
For Graham and Stephanie Freels, one extraordinary delivery transformed their lives—they became parents for the first time… to five children at once.
Stephanie, 27, gave birth on June 4 to five healthy babies—four girls and one boy—via emergency cesarean section. Over the weekend, the family finally returned home in Washington state, marking the first time the “Freels Five” were all together under one roof.
“It’s incredible having them home,” Stephanie told Good Morning America. “It’s so nice not having to shuttle back and forth to the NICU.”
The quintuplets were a complete surprise after nearly five years of infertility. Following ovulation induction and several rounds of intrauterine insemination (IUI), Stephanie discovered she was pregnant in late December. By early January, the couple learned they weren’t expecting one baby—but five.
“We had plans to move into our own apartment, but that had to be canceled,” Graham said. “I called the landlord and explained, ‘I think we’re about to have a lot of kids. That apartment won’t work anymore.’”
In March, the couple temporarily relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, to be under the care of Dr. John Elliott, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist with experience in high-order multiple pregnancies. While Graham worked remotely, Stephanie focused on navigating her quintuplet pregnancy, despite severe morning sickness.
“The hardest part was trying to meet my calorie goals,” Stephanie said. “I didn’t consistently eat solid foods until about 23 weeks.”
The medical team aimed for 34 weeks, but Stephanie went into labor at 27 weeks due to abnormal pain and swelling. At the hospital, she was already six centimeters dilated.
“We had about an hour to prepare for delivery,” said Andrea Hassler, nursing director at Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital. “Over 20 staff were in the delivery room, with each baby having a dedicated team, plus Stephanie’s obstetrical team.”
The quintuplets—Adelyn, Eliana, Linnea, Fisher, and Harper—weighed around 2 pounds each at birth. Although they spent several weeks in the NICU, Hassler described their progress as “relatively uncomplicated.”
“They needed some respiratory support initially, but they quickly grew into the healthy babies you see today,” she said.
Fisher, the only boy, was the last to leave the NICU on August 19. Back home, Graham estimates the family goes through more than 250 diapers every two weeks.
As fraternal quintuplets, each child is easy to tell apart. Back in Washington, the family is living with Stephanie’s parents, benefiting from extra support and helping hands.
“We are beyond grateful for our family, friends, and even strangers who’ve helped with meals, money, and kind words,” Stephanie said.
“And the nurses and doctors have been incredible,” Graham added. “The care they put into our babies—and every baby they work with—is just amazing.”
