Houston mother gives birth to triplets, 2 siblings using in vitro fertilization

HOUSTON – In vitro fertilization has made a Houston couple the proud parents of five children, including triplets the wife gave birth to recently.

Audrey Johnston gave birth Thursday to sons Jaxon, Abel and Ryder at the Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women in Houston.

All of the Johnstons' five children were conceived through in vitro fertilization, or IVF, which is the manual emergence of an egg and sperm in a laboratory dish, resulting in an embryo that is later implanted into the woman’s uterus.

What’s amazing about the Johnston family is all five of Audrey Johnston’s children were born using the same IVF cycle.

The couple gave birth to their now 7-year-old daughter Lily Faith Johnston during the first insemination in 2008.

“We were left with eight embryos, which we froze,” father Jeremiah Johnston said. “We used three more embryos again in 2012, (resulting) in our now 4-year-old son, Justin.”

Jaxon weighed 5.5 pounds, which Johnston said is amazing for a triplet. Abel was 4.6 pounds and Ryder was 3.8 pounds, the father said.

“Abel and Ryder shared a placenta, which caused some worry throughout the pregnancy,” Jeremiah Johnston said.

Ryder and Abel are identical twins, he said.

“Jaxson is not (an identical triplet),” Jeremiah Johnston said. “Although some of the NICU nurses are starting to wonder.”

On Monday, Jeremiah Johnston told KPRC Channel 2 that Audrey Johnston is “healthy and doing great.”

Jeremiah Johnston said the couple struggled with infertility for five years but are now delighted to have five healthy, beautiful children.