A Texas woman became a first-time mom to not just one but five babies at once when she gave birth to quintuplets two months ago.
"It's surreal, scary at the same time, because it's zero to five, immediate. It's an instant family, but it's beautiful," Theresa Troia of El Paso told ABC News.
What makes Troia's story even more interesting is that the 36-year-old is a quadruplet herself. Troia has three brothers, Joseph Troia, Matthew Troia and Thomas Troia.
"To me, the normal is multiples, you know, because I don't obviously know any different, but it was nice growing up and always having a sibling there," Theresa Troia said.
Troia said she's excited to care for her quintuplets and live out her dream of being a mom.
Family that welcomed quintuplets now expecting another baby"My mom passed away 10 years ago, so I haven't been able, you know, I can't talk to her about it, but now, I get to see what it was for her, which I think is a beautiful thing," said Troia.
Troia, a nurse consultant, said she didn't undergo any fertility treatments and is no longer in a relationship with her former partner but learned she would be having quintuplets in January.
She said that although she experienced bleeding during her first trimester, her pregnancy overall went "great."
"I didn't have any nausea, vomiting, cravings, anything like that. I didn't have any swelling. So I was really lucky," Troia said.
Couple welcomes quintuplets after years of infertilityDuring the pregnancy, Troia and her care team learned that two of the quintuplets -- Isabella and Viviana -- were identical monochorionic-diamniotic or Mo-Di twins, meaning they shared a placenta but were in separate amniotic sacs.
Troia delivered her quintuplets -- Kyla Rose, Joseph Anthony, Jaxon Thomas, Viviana Lily, and Isabella Gianna -- via cesarean section on June 3 at Las Palmas Medical Center.
One of Troia's doctors, Dr. Aaron Poole, an OB-GYN and maternal-fetal medicine specialist with HCA Healthcare's Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare, told ABC News that the Troia babies happen to be the first set of quintuplets born at the El Paso hospital.
"The birth of Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare's first set of quintuplets is a rare and special moment, and we're proud to have provided the high-level of care necessary to support Theresa and her babies from delivery through recovery," Poole said in a statement.
"Bringing five newborns safely into the world took thoughtful planning and close coordination, demonstrating the expertise and commitment our maternal and neonatal teams bring to every patient," Poole added. "Our Level III [neonatal intensive care unit] at Las Palmas Medical Center is equipped to manage high-risk, complex pregnancies with around-the-clock care, experienced specialists and advanced technology. We are honored to be part of Theresa's story and to welcome some of El Paso's newest residents."
The quintuplets were born at 28 weeks and one day. Ten weeks later, three of the siblings -- Kyla, Isabella and Jaxon -- have gone home from the hospital NICU.
"They're all doing great and they're all growing," Troia said. "You would never know that they were premature babies or quintuplets, because they're doing so, so good. They're so healthy."
