By Gail Edgar
Rhonda and Noel Loughran from Cabragh near Dungannon are the proud parents of threeboys and three girls- eight-year-old Niall, and six-year-old quintuplets Caitlin, Alanna, Aaron, Conan and Aine.
Ulster's miracle quins are only the 12th set of natural quintuplets to be delivered in the world since records began and were born at mind-boggling odds of three-billion-to-one!
The babies were born 10 weeks premature in November 2002 and their weights rangedfrom a tiny 1lb 6oz to 2 lbs 14 oz.
The five miracle babies spent their first Christmas in the Royal Victoria Hospital, while little Conan spent most of his first year in and out of hospital.
Rhonda said when news of the octuplets broke, her initial thoughts were for their health and she was relieved to hear that the babies, who ranged in weight from 1lb 8oz to 3 lb 4oz, seem to be well, despite being nine weeks premature.
News of the American octuplets brought back memories of the birth of her quins in 2002.
She recalled her fears as her pregnancy progressed.
"I was scared stiff," she admitted.
"I remember when we went for each scan, I was terrified thinking about how I would cope.
"When we found out we were having four we were beside ourselves, so when we realised there were five I was terrified."
Her worries intensified when one of the babies appeared to have stopped growing in the womb and doctors warned the couple they may have to deliver the babies at 26 weeks which would put all of their lives at risk.
Rhonda said she was daunted by the prospect of raising her family of six.
"A child doesn't ask to be born and I wondered how I was going to do right for these babies as a good parent. I wanted to bring them up the best I could.'
"When I took them home I was looking at them thinking where do we start and what do we do with them all?'
"I knew I would get there, but I didn't know how or where I was going to start!" Rhonda admits coping with the quins wasn't easy, especially for the first two years when she suffered post natal depression.
And she says she wouldn't have been able to cope without the support of family and her husband Noel who gave up his work as an engineer when the quins were born.
"Noel was my rock and I was his too. It was him and me against the world," she said.
"We were all that we had - we had each other and I think that's all you need when you have the support of your family and each other.
"We had each other to cry to and talk to, and we still have each other." And she had some words of reassurance for the octuplets' mum.
"She'll get there, but she might not know that yet."
About six years later Rhonda says at times she still can't believe she and Noel have quins.
"Even yet, Noel will say to me can you believe they're ours and I can't. "It's lovely when they are at the school gate and the children come out and they're waving.
"They bring so much joy to your life.
"I didn't have to have the quins to realise how much joy a child can bring to your life because when I had Niall it was proved to me.
"When I see them with Niall I think wow. It's the most wonderful thing ever."
And she predicted that the mum of the octuplets is in for the time of her life.
"At times it's going to be hard and at times she'll shed a tear, but there will be times when she's going to laugh. She's going to have more good times than bad.
"She'll have so many memories. She's going to have a blast.
"They bring so much joy and you don't need to have quintuplets or octuplets to experience that.
She added: "I hope they all thrive and bring her the same joy that my six bring me."
Rhonda's top tips
Rhonda claims she's no expert, but here's how she coped with her super-sized family:
l Establish a routine. Organisation is vital.
l Keep times of each feed and check that each baby has wet and soiled its nappy. It's vitally important that you know that.
If we hadn't written down what time each child was fed and what their nappy was like, we wouldn't have know what child was fed when.
l Make as much noise as possible during the day and at night time make sure the house is quiet.
We used to say to people don't ring the doorbell at night and even six years later if we order a pizza the delivery man doesn't ring the bell!
l At bedtime don't let the baby fall asleep downstairs and lift it into the cot.
Put it to the cot awake because if your baby fell asleep in your arms downstairs and woke up later, it's going to scream the place down. My advice is to put them in the cot awake.
l Don't put them in a 'walky' an hour before they go to bed to tire them out because that doesn't work.
You're only making them hyper. Let a child unwind half an hour to an hour before they go to bed, read them a book or put them in the bath.
l With multiple birth children, don't forget to give your other children lots of attention too.
l Have patience. You will always get there. - Sunday Life