Ashley Gardner and her hubby Tyson were at the doctor’s office in July of 2014, and they were extremely nervous. They were anxiously waiting to get an ultrasound of Ashley’s stomach, and the results would that would be life-altering. It was the start of an excruciatingly long journey.
Ashley and Tyson married in their mid-twenties and were living in Utah. They tried having kids shortly after saying their “I do’s.” Since they both adored their families, they wanted to start their own soon. In fact, it was their love for children that got them to fall in love in the first place. But their dream wasn’t as easy to achieve as they’d hoped. For eight years, they tried making a baby, and nothing happened.
Ashley learned she had endometriosis, which was keeping her from conceiving a child. This condition causes cells that should exist in the womb, to grow in other areas. But since these cells are designed to break down during menstruation, it created a whole bunch of health issues for Ashley, including fertility problems.
Endometriosis can cause bladder problems, fatigue, and also infertility. The condition keeps a woman’s egg cell from making its way down the fallopian tube, making conception impossible. So, after trying to make a baby for eight years the old-fashioned way, Ashley and Tyson decided to try another method.
The couple decided to give in-vitro fertilization (IVF) a shot. This process involves doctors extracting eggs from a woman, retrieving a sperm sample from the man, and then manually getting the two to combine in a lab. The embryos then get implanted in the uterus. But before Ashley and Tyson could undergo IVF, they had a lot of hoops to jump through first.
IVF is expensive and the couple was not rich, so they needed to save for years just to try the procedure once. Then they needed to keep their fingers crossed that it would work, which wouldn’t be easy. The live birth success rate for IVF in women under 35 is only 40 percent. Despite the odds, Ashley and Tyson´s desire for a baby was strong enough that they decided to risk it.
Ashley started the month-long IVF cycle in June 2014. During that time, she had to endure painful injections to stimulate ovulation. She also had to take several blood tests, and see her doctor often to monitor her progress through ultrasounds. She also stayed healthy by eating well and taking vitamins. But the process was leaving her exhausted.
Frequent headaches were a side effect of the injections, so Ashley resorted to painkillers. The daily shots had also left her abdomen all bruised, and she felt more drained than she ever had in her life. But after the longest month of her entire life, she was finally ready to get her eggs extracted.
The doctors extracted 16 eggs from Ashley´s womb and introduced them to Tyson’s sperm. Once the eggs were fertilized, the specialists would pick a few to implant into her uterus. The rest would be frozen, in case it didn’t work the first time. Sadly, only two eggs were fertilized, which meant she had no extras. So, this was her only shot.
The embryos were implanted into Ashley´s womb. Then the couple had to wait a week for the blood work to confirm whether or not the implantation had worked. Since this was such a huge event in their lives, they hired a photographer to snap the moment the couple read the test results. Then they opened the envelope which said “positive.” Ashley was pregnant, but there was another surprise in store for them.
Ashley and Tyson went for an ultrasound a month later to see how many embryos had implanted. They already figured they could be having twins. But when they looked at the screen, they simply couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Both embryos had split, meaning the couple was having two sets of identical twins. The chances of getting quadruplets this way are on in 70 million, so naturally, the couple was stunned.
While the embryos had implanted themselves, Ashley was a high-risk pregnancy. So, she asked for support and love on her blog and took good care of herself. The couple also posted the quadruple news on social media so that their family and friends would know. But shockingly enough, the story spread even further.
The Gardners had defied the odds, so their conception story garnered lots of attention from news outlets like CNN and ABC. The couple became a viral hit after being interviewed on “Good Morning America.” The quadruplets had become stars around the world. So, they changed the name of their blog to Gardner Quad Squad, and prepared for the arrival of their babies. But they were unprepared for the task of raising four babies at the same time.
Four healthy girls, Scarlett, Indie, Esme, and Evangeline, were finally born. Ashley and Tyson´s life totally changed, but they were very grateful. “We’re tired, sure, but we’re absolutely happy,” Tyson wrote on the blog. “As a first-time dad, it’s been a roller coaster of emotions from the beginning. It will certainly be a challenge, but we’re up to it and we’re confident.” But the family’s time in the spotlight had not ended.
Tyson and Ashley appeared in TLC´s reality series, “Rattled,” which documented the couple´s lives from the birth of the quadruples al the way to their 1st birthday. It was fascinating to watch the couple adjust from a family of two to a family of six. But the Gardners used wisdom and patience to handle the challenges. But while their season is over, you can still follow their journey on their blog, which offers plenty of advice.
Tyson shared a useful tip for new parents on his family´s blog, “For the sanity of yourself and those around you, consistency is key!” Ashley also shared the details of how she planned and executed the quadruplets’ first adventure to Disneyland. So, it looks like the couple is managing things well, and that shouldn’t surprise anyone. After waiting eight years to conceive, the Gardners are giving their all to this parenting thing.