[6] The McCaugheys declined selective reduction to reduce the number of infants,[7] saying that they would "put it in God's hands".
[2] The obstetricians primarily responsible for the medical care of Bobbi and the babies were Karen Drake and Paula Mahone.
[8] The septuplets, four boys and three girls, were born prematurely at the Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines on November 19, 1997.
[4] The birth attracted significant media attention, both positive and negative, including a feature in Time magazine in December 1997.
"[12] The McCaugheys were the recipients of many donations, including a 5,500 ft² (511 m2) house, a van, nanny services, clothes, and diapers for the first two years.
[1] The surviving Dionne quintuplets (Yvonne Dionne, Annette Allard, and Cécile Langlois) wrote an open letter warning the parents to keep the septuplets out of the public eye and not allow them to fall into the same pitfalls as their parents did, but they congratulated Bobbi and Kenny and wished them the best of luck in raising the children.
[14] The letter reads as follows:[15] Dear Bobbi and Kenny, If we emerge momentarily from the privacy we have sought all our adult lives, it is only to send a message to the McCaughey family.
[14]By the septuplets' tenth birthday in 2007, the family was declining most requests for interviews, other than annual stories with the Des Moines CBS television affiliate KCCI and Ladies' Home Journal.
[12][16] Bobbi and Kenny both occasionally speak at anti-abortion events and continue to oppose selective reduction.
"[16] The family continues to attend a Baptist church in West Des Moines, Iowa, where Kenny serves as a deacon.