Woman falls pregnant TWICE in 10 days in rare medical phenomenon – and she only had sex once
Kate Hill gave birth to non-identical twin girls, Charlotte and Olivia, in December 2015
A WOMAN has conceived two baby girls 10 days apart.
Kate and Peter Hill, from Brisbane, Australia, only had sex once but an extremely rare medical phenomenon - known as ‘superfetation’ - means she fell pregnant while already expecting.
Kate was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome, a hormonal condition that left her unable to ovulate, in 2006.
She underwent hormone treatment to spectacular results, falling pregnant twice.
It is a medical phenomenon so rare there are only 10 medically documented cases of it in the world.
Kate said: “Superfetation is extremely rare - I had fallen pregnant and my body had spontaneously released another egg giving the embryos different gestational ages.
“What makes this case even more rare, is that my husband and I only had intercourse one time – his sperm stayed alive for 10 days to fertilise the second egg released.”
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Commenting on the rare conception, Peter joked: “Hole in one, maybe.”
Kate told Today Tonight women did not usually ovulate once they fell pregnant – but she did.
The non-identical twins, Charlotte and Olivia, baffled doctors when they were born in December 2015.
The incredible birth was captured by 2016 Australian Birth Photographer of the Year, Selena Rollason in a series of black-and-white images.
The youngsters measured very differently in size, weight and gestational development.
They are now 10 months old, and their loving parents told Today Tonight they have different blood types.
Kate’s obstetrician, Dr Brad Armstrong from Greenslopes Private Hospital in Brisbane, said he had never seen a case of superfetation before.
He told Today Tonight it was so rare he could not find any literature about it on medical websites, and was forced to Google the condition.
Earlier this year we reported on a set of twins who defied all odds by surviving after doctors warned their parents they probably won’t be able to stay alive outside the womb.