Kim Jun-young and Sa Gong-hye-ran, the couple who welcomed five quintuplets through the first natural pregnancy in Korea, recalled their pregnancy and childbirth experience.
On the 28th, Kim Jun-young and Sa Gong-hye-ran appeared as guests on tvN's 'You Quiz on the Block', being the first couple in Korea to have quintuplets through natural pregnancy.
On that day, Yoo Jae-suk said, "Last September, it was reported in the news that quintuplets were born through natural pregnancy. Statistically, the odds are 1 in 65 million. This is the first occurrence in Korea and is quite rare globally," he opened up. Jo Se-ho asked, "I'm curious about the secret to having quintuplets through natural pregnancy. Was it because the full moon was particularly bright, or did Kim Jun-young eat five hamburgers?" to which Kim Jun-young replied, "Aren't you going to tell that story?" Yoo Jae-suk added, "There is a specific date. It's a day when conception is likely to happen."
Yoo Jae-suk asked, "How did you feel when you first heard about having quintuplets?" Sa Gong-hye-ran replied, "In the first ultrasound, three gestational sacs were visible. They said it was triplets, and I screamed. I thought it would obviously be just one. But then they looked again and said it was quadruplets, and I screamed again. At that point, the doctor also recognized the seriousness and started looking more carefully. Ultimately, they found five gestational sacs, confirming quintuplets," she recalled.
Kim Jun-young shared, "Honestly, it was hard to accept the reality. At that time, we were living in a small studio apartment. I was scared thinking about the financial aspects." Sa Gong-hye-ran added, "I cried a lot in the car. It was so scary. On the way home, my husband comforted me, but when we got home, he was crying hard," to which Kim Jun-young said, "For about two weeks, we cried together every night."
Sa Gong-hye-ran confessed, "The hospital gave us options. We could keep all five, but it wouldn't be easy and would be very risky. Alternatively, they suggested considering selective reduction. So we seriously contemplated it." Kim Jun-young said, "We didn't talk much about it. We didn't discuss how many to reduce, but when I saw her lying there with a worried face, I knew without her saying anything. No matter what choice we made, it would be hard for my wife, so I was scared and cried too."
Sa Gong-hye-ran decided on an emergency surgery before reaching seven months. She said, "My hands and feet were swollen. It turned out I had pregnancy-induced hypertension. Also, I had fluid in my lungs, which caused persistent coughing."
It was revealed that a total of 32 medical staff were involved in the surgery, including 9 from obstetrics and anesthesiology, 18 from pediatrics, and 5 for recording and checking the delivery situation. Sa Gong-hye-ran recalled, "I had a lower body anesthesia for the delivery. I must have looked very exhausted because the anesthesiologist told me to hold his hand. At that moment, I heard the cry of my first son. I shed tears of relief knowing he was healthy."
[Lee Se-bin, Star Today Guest Reporter]
