I became a mother of two after becoming pregnant twice in one week. Twins, one conceived through IVF and the other spontaneously, about one week apart, were the biggest shock of my life. Superfetation is the m.edical term for the situation where a woman becomes pregnant twice in a short period of time. A mother who believed she couldn’t have children ended up with more than she bargained for when she became pregnant twice in a week, one by I.V.F. and the other organically. Ever since she was a little girl, Kimberley Tripp longed to be a mother – but after being ᴅɪᴀɢɴᴏsᴇᴅ with ᴘᴏʟʏᴄʏsᴛɪᴄ ᴏᴠᴀʀɪᴀɴ sʏɴᴅʀᴏᴍᴇ (PCOS) at 15, she was told she might never be able to have children.
But the 35-year-old from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, said she always held on to a smidgen of hope that her dream of having a family might one day be possible. After years of trying to conceive naturally, she knew it was time to consider her options.
Once she spent time getting into shape and preparing herself mentally, Kimberley and her husband Adrian, 35, spent thousands undergoing four rounds of I.V.F – and in July 2019, she was overjoyed to discover she was pregnant after having one of her ᴇᴍʙʀʏᴏs ᴛʀᴀɴsFᴇʀʀᴇᴅ. But little did the 35-year-old know her excitement was about to be doubled, as her first sc.an confirmed she was expecting twins – with one being conceived through I.V.F, and the other naturally, approximately one week apart.
Kimberley, who is mum to Leo and Patrick, now 15 months, said: “I’ve wanted to be a mother for as long as I can remember. I wanted to get married and have a family and would have loved at least two children. Growing up with two older brothers, I knew I wanted a big family. When I was 15 years old, I was ᴅɪᴀɢɴᴏsᴇᴅ with ᴘᴏʟʏᴄʏsᴛɪᴄ ᴏᴠᴀʀɪᴀɴ sʏɴᴅʀᴏᴍᴇ, which can make it nearly impossible to have kids. I was told I might never have children, and if I did, I would definitely need help. I was ᴅᴇᴠᴀsᴛᴀᴛᴇᴅ to think that I may never have my own family, but part of me thought that I would never give up trying.”
The couple were overjoyed when they found out the I.V.F worked, as they thought it might be something that would never happen. But they were about to receive the biggest s.hock of their life.
“We had one ᴇᴍʙʀʏᴏ transferred and was overjoyed when it worked. It was something we thought might never happen. Then at our first ᴜʟᴛʀᴀsᴏᴜɴᴅ at six weeks along, we discovered that there was not just one baby, but two. I was in total shock. We only transferred one ᴇᴍʙʀʏᴏ, so I couldn’t understand what happened.” Kimberley said
Once Kimberley’s doctor explained that one twin was conceived naturally and the other was through I.V.F, she was left stunned.
She added: “We couldn’t believe it. I never knew something like that was even possible.”
The ph.enomenon of a woman becoming pregnant twice during a short period of time is known ᴍᴇᴅɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ as sᴜᴘᴇʀFᴇᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ – which is when a second, new pregnancy occurs during an initial pregnancy. Babies born from superf.etation are most often considered twins, since they are usually born during the same birth on the same day.
Kimberley said: “The I.V.F specialist explained to me that due to all the medication I was taking for the I.V.F, it must have kick-started my fertility. This meant I was able to ovulate and conceive naturally at the same time. My husband and I didn’t think to use protection during the I.V.F process, because I don’t ovulate – which was the reason for the I.V.F in the first place. We were so overjoyed to be having twins. I feared I’d never have one baby, let alone two.”
The couple’s miracle boys were welcomed into the world in March 2020, with Patrick and Leo weighing in at 2.7kg and 1.9kg respectively. Kimberley is now sharing her incredible story to give hope to others who are struggling with Fᴇʀᴛɪʟɪᴛʏ.
She added: “Patrick was born first and is the bigger twin. He is ᴄʜᴇᴇᴋʏ, ᴍɪsᴄʜɪᴇᴠᴏᴜs, very determined and the bossy one. Leo is the smaller twin. He is so affectionate and giggly and always smiling, and is the ᴊᴏᴋᴇsᴛᴇʀ of the two. I never expected this to happen to us and for a long time thought I might never become a mum. But miracles do happen, and I now feel like my world is complete. We’re so happy.”
