Meet the Webbs
The Webbs are like any other couple from Northern Alberta, Canada. Their love story is similar to many others. Bethani and Tim got married in their early twenties and started thinking about adding to their family as soon as possible.
Meet The Webbs
Starting Faster
Although the couple wanted to have children, it turned out that things were happening faster than they had initially planned. It was only a short while after getting married that the couple became pregnant, even though the Webbs planned to start trying a year after the wedding.
Starting Faster
Unexpected News
The news was incredibly unexpected. However, the couple looked forward to starting their own family. The day before Christmas Eve in 2015, the couple got some surprising news during a routine scan. The nurse told them something that was going to change their lives.
Unexpected News
Their Families
The nurse first asked if the couple knew of anyone in their family that had multiple births. The pair both shook their heads. They didn’t have any idea what was coming when the nurse directed the couple’s attention to the monitor.
Their Families
Counting the Babies
Bethani had told Canada’s Global News that the nurse turned the monitor to face the couple and started counting all the babies in her belly. She counted four babies, and that’s when Tim nearly fell over.
Counting The Babies
Announcing the News
The couple was quick to announce the news to their families. It wasn’t a surprise that their families were equally as shocked by the news. It definitely was shocking news as research has found the chances of someone conceiving quadruplets naturally is one-in-729,000.
Announcing The News
A Healthy Pregnancy
Although this was an uncommon pregnancy that had the possibility of being problematic, it went without a hitch. However, there was more news that came with the pregnancy. It turned out that Tim was going to be outnumbered because all the babies were females.
A Healthy Pregnancy
Royal Alexandra Hospital
Less than a month after finding out the genders, Bethani was taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital to prepare for the deliveries. Doctors had decided that a cesarean would be the best option at 33 weeks for a safe birth.
Royal Alexandra Hospital
A Shocking Birth
Everyone was shocked when all four girls were lined up next to each other. The odds were already incredibly slim to conceive quadruplets naturally. However, the new discovery of these Webbs quadruplets was miraculous. All of the girls were identical.
A Shocking Birth
A Magic Show
Tim has gone on to tell the story to Global News. He described the event as a magic show. The doctors pulled out the babies one-by-one. It was like watching a magician pulling multiple rabbits out of the hat. The identical girls were named Emily, Abigail, McKayla, and Grace.
A Magic Show
The Ecstatic Dad
Tim was noticeably ecstatic after the little girls had been checked and all cleared as being healthy. He felt so much relief when he found out that all of the babies were in perfect condition because there’s a lot of worries that come with multiple births.
The Ecstatic Dad
The Advantage
There’s no doubt that multiple births mean more diapers and less sleep. However, the couple did state that one advantage of having quadruplets was that they didn’t need to choose their favorite name. They could pick the four they liked the most.
The Advantage
An Easier Experience
The naming seemed to be much simpler than actually telling the girls apart from one another! Immediately after the girls’ births, the babies were placed in their own incubator, which made the process of differentiating the quadruplets from one another easier.
An Easier Experience
Getting More Challenging
However, it became more challenging to identify which girl was which once the four babies were placed together. Bethani later went on to say that she was glad that they were separated so that the parents could tell them apart.
Getting More Challenging
The New Mom
Bethani also divulged to CTV News about her experience as a new mom. The babies all had individual personalities that couldn’t be any more different from one another. She said that these personalities would certainly help tell the girls apart in the future.
The New Mom
The Parents’ Plan
The couple has a good plan that they have formulated to help them differentiate the girls from one another. Tim and Bethani have planned to color-code each of the girls with bracelets and accessories, as well as to paint their toenails as a way of telling them apart.
The Parents Plan
Adjusting to Parenthood
Unlike other parents, Bethani and Tim have a lot of adjusting to when it comes to parenthood. For this reason, the couple decided to move into Tim’s mother’s home for added assistance with their four little bundles of joy.
Adjusting To Parenthood
Holding a Fundraiser
After the news of quadruplets was released, the community decided to throw a fundraiser, which raised more than $50,000. Not to mention, a GoFundMe page was also created by friends for financial support for the four babies. The family has received so much help for their little babies.
Holding A Fundraiser
Raising Quadruplets
It’s no secret that raising quadruplets is more than a daunting challenge. However, the Webbs are still more than excited to take on this challenge. The proud dad has told the Global News that he looks forward to all the memories the family plans to make together.
Raising Quadruplets
Extremely Rare
As we have mentioned before, it’s uncommonc that these babies share the same DNA. However, what do genetics look like with non-identical quadruplets? Well, a mom in San Francisco was determined to find the answer to this question by study her family’s ancestry test results.
Extremely Rare
Advancements in Genetics
Due to the massive advancements in the field of genetics in recent years, a family’s heritage is no longer a mystery for those who are searching for answers. Scientists can test your DNA for a minimal fee to tell you where you come from.
Advancements In Genetics
A Fantasizing Story
The advancements in genetics have led to this fantasizing story. After receiving exciting information about a mom’s roots, she decided to conduct her own experiment. She wished to see if these DNA tests actually worked by using her own quadruplets.
A Fantasizing Story
Something Fun
This all started when Amy Jones decided that it would be fun to see where her genetic line originated. She used Ancestry DNA to find this information by mailing a test tube with her saliva, which is used to analyze and receive genetic information electronically.
Something Fun
Surprising Results
The results she received were astounding. After receiving these results, she immediately contacted her mother and father to tell them that their family comes from Ireland. The family questioned the result, and so did Amy, which is what caused her to conduct her own experiment.
Surprising Results
Wasn’t Convinced
Even though Amy had the results in front of her, she still wasn’t convinced that genetic testing was accurate. That’s when she planned a scheme that would corroborate these DNA results with the help of her quadruplets. What did she plan?
Wasn’t Convinced
The Quadruplets
Amy Jones is a mother to quadruplets. In fact, it goes further than that. Her children are actually two sets of twins that were born at the same time. Hugh and Katie are fraternal twins, while Gabe and Seth are identical.
The Quadruplets
The Plan
These quadruplets were going to be the subjects that tested the accuracy of two DNA genetic testing sites: 23andMe and Ancestry DNA. Amy had to be sure that the experiment was as blind as possible. Each child sent a DNA sample with different ethnicities and names.
The Plan
Hiding the Facts
The goal was to hide the fact that the sample was from relatives. The results that were sent back to the family were astonishing. The identical twins’ results came back almost exactly the same. However, her children were even more Irish than she was.
Hiding The Facts
Katie’s Results
Another shocking result was that Katie, fraternal twin to Hugh, had a higher Irish and British ancestry line than any of her brothers. This might have made the genetic tests look inaccurate. However, Dr. Ruth Ballard, a DNA expert, has said that this is normal for fraternal twins.
Katie’s Results
Dr. Ballard’s Verdict
The DNA expert has gone on to state that these types of differences are to be expected. Additionally, she said that it would be surprising if something like this didn’t happen. She explained that fraternal twins have greater genetic inconsistencies.
Dr. Ballard’s Verdict
Feeling More Secure
With the results that Amy had received that pertained to her children, she was able to breathe a sigh of relief about her own DNA results. This is because she could find the results of her test as being more accurate.
Feeling More Secure
Professional Conclusions
Dr. Ballard has gone on to agree with Amy. The DNA expert has stated that DNA testing sites like 23andMe and Ancestry DNA generally offer accurate breakdowns of an individual’s ethnic background. Not to mention, this accuracy is said to improve over time.
Professional Conclusions
Interesting Findings
Even though Amy’s findings show that her heritage is likely Irish, there are many other interesting findings of genetic testing. One of these is that you have the opportunity to be linked to other potential family members who have has their DNA tested.
Interesting Findings
Fake Names
After testing her children’s DNA, they were linked as potential family members to Amy’s profile, even with fake names being added to these samples. In addition to this, Ancestry DNA has informed the children that Amy is their biological mother.
Fake Names
The DNA Match Feature
This DNA match feature on the Ancestry DNA site is an automatic feature that is constantly updating itself to offer real-time data of any potential relatives that might have also had their DNA tested. However, this might be concerning for some.
The DNA Match Feature
A Concerning Matter
Amy has gone on to display her thoughts on this feature. She stated that she only wanted to find out about her genetic breakdown. She never intended for her DNA to be used to link her to other customers of Ancestry DNA.
A Concerning Matter
Not a Big Deal
When looking at the bigger picture, it wasn’t such a big deal for Amy. This is because the DNA that was linked with her profile came from her own profile. However, Dr. Ballard has gone on to warn other customers to be prepared that this is a feature that’s ongoing after receiving your results.
Not A Big Deal
The Facts
Dr. Ballard has pointed out that such a feature holds the ability to match egg and sperm donors with their biological children, even if the customers wish to find these family members or not. Not to mention, customers could also find out that they are adopted.
The Facts
The Outcome
Ancestry DNA has gone on to state that the business is going to make this DNA match feature an optional feature for the entire genetic testing procedure. However, Dr. Ballard still wishes to inform clients what they are signing to when using these services.
The Outcome
Be Aware
Finding out your heritage might be incredibly interesting. However, experts do warn that you should be mentally prepared for the information you’re likely to find out. This is especially the case if you’re adopted or the product or a sperm or egg donor, as you could be linked to your biological family.
Be Aware