For those couples who have experienced the ʟᴏss of a baby, the news of a new pregnancy represents immense joy, as well as moments of reflection, healing and mixed emotions. A mum has told how she got pregnant while she was already pregnant, after conceiving her two daughters five days apart.
Odalis and Antonio Martinez, from San Pablo, California, were delighted when they found out they were expecting a baby in November 2020 after the sadness of having suffered a miscarriage four months earlier. However, things took an unexpected turn when going in for a routine check-up, the couple received even more incredible news: Odalis was expecting two babies! Conceived five days apart, so technically they weren’t twins.
This rare phenomenon is known as superfetation . The rare condition is said to occur in 0.3 percent of pregnancy cases, while many health professionals suggest it doesn’t exist in humans at all. In the remarkable case of superfetation, an occurrence that’s been documented less than 10 times throughout human history, a second egg is fertilized by a second sperm and implanted a few days or weeks after the initial pregnancy has commenced.
I felt very lucky. I know a lot of people who have been trying to conceive and just couldn’t, so that was a fear of mine as well, but luckily that wasn’t the case for us and I got pregnant very quickly. After suffering the ᴘᴀɪɴ of ʟᴏsɪɴɢ her first baby, Odalis was anguished to experience the same thing once again. She hoped that everything was fine with her pregnancy, but the uncertainty was latent. Going to her first ultrasound, the expectant mother felt nervous and scared, because she couldn’t stop thinking about the ᴛʀᴀᴜᴍᴀᴛɪᴄ experience of months before.
“I felt really really happy and also scared because of the ᴍɪsᴄᴀʀʀɪᴀɢᴇ,” It was pretty terrifying throughout my whole pregnancy not knowing if that was going to be the outcome again. Hoping for the best, but knowing there’s always a possibility that things might not go as planned.”she explained
She had the pregnancy and births had few complications. Due to the previous ʟᴏss, Odalis, 25, remained cautiously optimistic throughout her pregnancy. Odails — whose due date was set two days after one baby would have been 40 weeks and two days before the other one would have been 40 weeks — first welcomed Lilo at 6 pounds, 12 ounces, then Imelda at 7 pounds, 3 ounces on Aug. 10. 2021
“It was a really beautiful moment to finally be able to hold them in my armsWhen I held them and knew that they were OK, I can’t even explain the feeling.” Odalis said
For the full-time mom, her girls are a great blessing, but she admits they are so physically alike that she and her husband often get them confused. Without a doubt, they are symbols of hope and healing and the living example that miracles exist.