A woman who believed she wasn't able to have children ended up with more than she bargained for after falling pregnant twice in one week.
The mum, named Kimberley Tripp, conceived through IVF and then also got pregnant naturally, with both babies approximately a week apart.
Kimberley was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) when she was just 15, and was told she might never be able to have children.
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But the 34-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.
So, after getting into shape and preparing herself mentally, Kimberley and her husband Adrian, 35, spent thousands undergoing four rounds of IVF.
In July 2019, she was overjoyed to discover she was pregnant after having one of her embryos transferred.
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But little did the office manager know her excitement was about to be doubled, after her first scan confirmed she was expecting twins – with one being conceived through IVF, 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 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 diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome, which can make it nearly impossible to have kids.
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“I was told I might never have children, and if I did, I would definitely need help.
“I was devastated ted to think that I may never had my own family, but part of me thought that I would never give up trying.
“After getting into shape and preparing myself mentally, we decided to try IVF. It took four rounds and thousands of dollars before it worked.
“We had one embryo transferred and was overjoyed when it worked. It was something we thought might never happen.
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"Then at our first ultrasound at six weeks along, we discovered that there was not just one baby, but two. I was in total shock.
“We only transferred one embryo, so I couldn’t understand what happened.
“But my doctor explained one twin was conceived naturally and the other was through IVF.
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“We couldn’t believe it. I never knew something like that was even possible.”
The phenomenon of a woman becoming pregnant twice during a short period of time is known medically as superfetation - which is when a second, new pregnancy occurs during an initial pregnancy.
Babies born from superfetation are most often considered twins, since they are usually born during the same birth on the same day.
Kimberley said: “The IVF specialist explained to me that due to all the medication I was taking for the IVF, 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 IVF process, because I don’t ovulate – which was the reason for the IVF 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 fertility.
She added: “Patrick was born first and is the bigger twin. He is cheeky, mischievous, very determined and the bossy one.
“Leo is the smaller twin. He is so affectionate and giggly and always smiling, and is the jokester 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.”
If you're suffering from PCOS or want to help those who do, you can visit Verity PCOS for advice or to donate here.
Featured Image Credit: Caters