A quadruplet is one of four babies born at the same time to the same mother. While most pregnancies result in a single baby, and twins (two babies) are fairly common, quadruplets are quite rare. When a mother gives birth to quadruplets, she suddenly has four newborns to care for at once, which means four times the diapers, bottles, and sleepless nights!

Quadruplets can be identical, meaning they all came from the same egg and look extremely similar, or fraternal, meaning they came from different eggs and might look as different as any other siblings. Sometimes, quadruplets are a mix: perhaps two are identical twins while the other two are fraternal.

Having quadruplets is so unusual that it often makes the local news when it happens. Families with quadruplets need extra help from relatives, friends, and neighbors, especially in those exhausting early months when all four babies need constant attention.