"How is it possible that I'm pregnant again?" Rebecca asked the nurse as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I'm not sure, ma'am. I need to speak with the doctor." The 25-year-old waited in anticipation, hoping it was all just a big misunderstanding.
Rebecca's Dream
Rebecca had always dreamed of having a big family. But she never expected that she would conceive while already pregnant.
To make matters worse, her boyfriend had recently broken up with her, and now she was all alone.
Summer Grace
Rebecca's daughter, Summer Grace, helped her get through the heartbreak. But she didn't want her child to grow up without a father figure.
She raised her daughter as a single mother, hoping she would eventually meet the one. When Summer was a teenager, her wish finally came true. She met Rhys, and he swept her off her feet.
Pregnant Again
After a year of being together, Rhys and Rebecca decided to try for a baby. At that point, Rebecca was 38 years old already, so it was her last chance.
Rebecca underwent a year of IVF treatment before receiving the good news. She was pregnant! But sadly, things didn't go as planned.
A Miscarriage
Rebecca suffered a miscarriage and wasn't sure if she was mentally prepared to go through it again.
Then, in December 2020, the couple decided to give IVF another try. After a couple of months, Rebecca thought she might have been pregnant again.
A Positive Result
Rebecca's hands were shaking as she waited for the stick to change colors. She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw a faint positive result.
"Rhys! I'm pregnant!" she shouted, running into her boyfriend's arms.
A Tiny Baby
"I was offered an early scan at seven weeks," she recalls.
"Rhys was able to come to the scan, too, as hospitals were still open at that point. We saw our tiny, little baby. It was so small…"
First Ultrasound
Rebecca went for her first ultrasound after a few weeks, but what the doctor revealed to her during the exam would shock her to the core.
How was this possible?
Geriatric Pregnancy
The doctors warned the couple that this was a “geriatric pregnancy” and explained that there were certain risks with carrying a baby after the age of 35.
But this didn't discourage Rebecca and her boyfriend. Little did they know what they were in for...
12-Week Scan
Then, when Rebecca went for her 12-week scan, the nurse noticed something strange on the ultrasound.
"Oh..." the nurse said quietly. "Let me get the doctor."
A Second Figure
The sonographer noticed a second figure on the ultrasound. But it wasn't the twins she was looking at. It was something much different.
"What on earth had happened, how did they miss the other baby?!" Rebecca recalls thinking.
Something Was Off
"The sonographer was gobsmacked, I was gobsmacked." Meanwhile, her boyfriend was waiting for her outside the clinic, completely unaware of what was happening in the doctor's room.
The doctor sent Rebecca for more scans. The prognosis didn't look good.
Superfetation
The second baby was much smaller than the first, and the doctors couldn't understand what was going on.
As it turns out, Rebecca had ovulated again while she was already pregnant and had conceived another baby. This rare phenomenon is called “superfetation.” But would her babies be okay?
"It Could Go Either Way"
"It could go either way," Rebecca recalls.
"Because the baby is so much smaller, there could be something wrong with it, and it might not survive. That's usually the case."
A Miracle
"But they said this baby's actually growing consistently," she continued. "It was a relief. It was a great relief."
The second baby, Rosalie, was born at 2 pounds, 7 ounces and was sent to a specialty NICU about 15 minutes away from the NICU that cared for her brother. Little Rosie remained in intensive care for over three months and came home just before Christmas. It was a miracle!