Briana and Jordan, who are 26 years old, had a hard time getting pregnant for nearly two years. Briana said it felt like a really bumpy ride emotionally. Every month, they hoped they’d finally become pregnant, but the tests kept showing negative results, which made them really sad. But after trying fertility treatments six times, the Driskells finally got the good news they’d been waiting for—they saw two pink lines on the test, showing that Briana was pregnant.
Briana yelled, “Every time we tried, we got a baby!” They were super happy when they saw five babies on the ultrasound screen at eight weeks. Briana was shocked. Her husband was almost about to fall down, and both grandmothers were amazed too. Briana’s mom couldn’t handle the news and ended up vomiting twice outside. She kept repeating, “Five? Five?” In that scary moment, everyone realized how huge of a blessing this was.
Because doctors thought it was very unlikely that all five babies would live if Briana and Jordan continued the pregnancy, they suggested selective reduction. However, Briana and Jordan strongly disagreed. They said, “We think God gave us these children,” so they didn’t want to leave any of them behind.
We believe in what God chooses for us.” Briana had a lot of trouble during her pregnancy because of problems with her ovaries and feeling very sick in the mornings. She lost 10 pounds and had to go to the hospital because she was very dehydrated,” she said. It was really awful.” When she was 22 weeks pregnant, her cervix started to get smaller, which could have made her have the baby too early. Briana had to go to the hospital and stay in bed all the time. She managed to overcome the difficulties and keep the babies inside her until she was 30 weeks pregnant.
Briana had five babies born early at 28 weeks because she had a dangerous condition called preeclampsia, which makes her blood pressure very high. Doctors at the University of Kentucky’s Chandler Hospital safely delivered Zoe Hart, Dakota Faith, Hollyn Grace, Asher Blaze, and Gavin Lane through surgery called cesarean section.
The tiniest baby, Zoe, weighed 1 pound and 13 ounces, while the biggest one, Hollyn, weighed 2 pounds and 6 ounces. Zoe is the most lively baby. Now, after being born almost two months ago, all five babies are home with their family.
Taking care of five kids is tough, but Briana enjoys it. Her husband, Jordan, went back to work on the farm after a week. Thankfully, her mom and the nanny help out. Briana says it’s crazy. Their home is always busy. They feed the babies every half an hour, one after the other, like a never-ending cycle. It’s like running a factory, using lots of bottles every day.
We’re grateful for our child, and my mom helps out at 6 in the morning every day. Because their immune systems aren’t strong, we hardly ever take them outside. Usually, we only go out with two or three people at a time.
After our babies were born, we had to get a bigger van because our car was too small for all of us. Even with the van, it’s still a bit crowded! Getting the babies ready to go out is a big task, and people often notice us. It’s enjoyable to watch our babies grow and show their unique personalities. We have to stick to a strict schedule and make changes as they grow up.
We need a bigger house. This year feels like a blur. Changing clothes four times a day means washing three loads of laundry. We go through 60 diapers every day. It’s been a big and challenging learning experience.
The couple’s five kids will make this Christmas special. Briana said, “I used to get Christmas cards from friends and family who had kids. Now that I’m a parent, I’m happy to send cards with my kids on them. We’re happy and thankful to God.
