A bidding war is underway for the first pictures of Ulster’s miracle sextuplets. Several national newspapers have offered five-figure sums for the photos of the babies who are still in the Belfast Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital.

Their parents, Tyrone couple Nuala and Austin Conway, have given no indication if they are willing to do an exclusive deal in the coming weeks but the costs of raising the sextuplets will be substantial.

A recent survey has calculated that raising a child to the age of three is more than £27,000 — for the sextuplets that will be more than £150,000. The average house price in mid-Ulster is around £160,000.

Supermum Nuala has called her newborns “beautiful little miracles”.

The six tiny miracle tots, who were conceived naturally, weighed in at between 1lb 7oz and 2lb 2oz each.

The four girls have now been named Shannon, Kerrie, Karla and Ursula while the two boys, who are believed to be identical twins, are called Austin, after Mr Conway and his father, and Eoghan. The hospital said Ursula was the first to be born, followed by Austin, Shannon, Karla, Eoghan and then Kerrie.

Speaking from her hospital bed, Nuala told parish priest Father Patrick Hughes how her six miracle babies arrived into the world in just five minutes.

“They’re so tiny, yet perfect in every way and can fit in the palm of your hand. They’re our beautiful little miracles,” she said.

Although all six babies remain in the neo-natal intensive care unit at Belfast’s Royal Maternity Hospital after being born 14 weeks premature, Nuala told Fr Hughes her babies are fighters.

“It’s truly incredible. I got to see each one as they were born and as each day passes they’re getting stronger and stronger,” she said. “Three of them are already off their ventilators. They’ll be coming home soon but not all together — probably one by one and only when they’re strong enough.

“But they’re doing really well so far. It’s a strange feeling — we’ve planned for this for the past nine months but now they’re here it’s hard to believe it’s actually happened. It’s so surreal.”

It is understood only Nuala and her husband have been allowed to visit the babies so far because of the risk of infection.

But Nuala and Austin have been in daily contact with their families back in Tyrone and relatives have been shown pictures of the tiny tots.

Nuala said she had been “overwhelmed” by the birth: “We’ve been blessed and are overjoyed. There’s so much to take in. What has happened to us is nothing short of a a miracle.

“I have a photograph of each baby on my bedside table. They’re so beautiful and perfect and we’re so lucky.”

Few people knew the Conways were expecting multiple bundles of joy before the birth, but despite this folks in their tiny rural town of Dunamore have promised their full support. Fr Hughes told Sunday Life: “It is still the talk of the area and we will be glad to have them home, it will be a huge event for the parish.”

The parents and their families have been reluctant to speak to the media until all the infants are out of danger and have refused all requests for interviews and pictures.