sextuplets San Jose, Rajab 29, 1436, May 18, 2015, SPA -- A 34-year-old Costa Rican woman gave birth to the Central American country's first-ever sextuplets, two girls and four boys, according to dpa. "I am very happy and surprised," the babies' father told reporters Monday. "They are all doing better than we hoped," he said. The six babies were born Sunday at a hospital in San Jose by Caesarean section, 28-weeks into the pregnancy, weighing from 900 to 1,100 grammes, the hospital said. The mother, who according to the babies' father had undergone artificial insemination, was in perfect condition, her doctor said. The first 72 hours of their lives will be vital for the babies, and only one of them was breathing without mechanical help. However, Olga Arguedas, head of the San Jose Children's Hospital, said none of them had malformations or serious health problems. Relatives told Costa Rican media that the family had been expecting three girls and three boys, and that the birth had been expected a few days later. The babies were to be named Emma, Tomas, Valentina, Diego, Andres and Gabriel. Sextuplet births are extremely rare, and they are also particularly dangerous for mother and babies alike. --SPA 23:09 LOCAL TIME 20:09 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w