A woman in the US has fallen pregnant while pregnant!
Yes, you read right, Julia Grovenburg and her husband Todd were surprised to find out that she would be giving birth to two babies, but not twins!
Fort Smith woman's pregnancy has the medical community shaking their heads in disbelief. She and her husband actually conceived babies at two different times. It's an extremely rare medical marvel few physicians have ever seen.
Todd and Julia Grovenburg are like millions of other young couples expecting a baby. They're moving into a bigger house to accommodate their growing family. They had been trying to get pregnant for several years and were about ready to try adoption. Then, the couple found out that Julia was pregnant, not only once, but twice and at different times.
"We went back June 4th to do our ultrasound and that was a shocking, absolutely shocking experience," Julia Grovenburg said.
Shocking because, the baby they saw was 11 weeks old. Julia was convinced that she was only eight and a half weeks along.
"I turned around and i looked at him [Todd], and I said well at least we know we're not having twins!"
Then came the baby bombshell.
"About 2 or 3 minutes later she said and baby #2 has got a healthy little heartbeat, and I just started gagging," Julia said. "I mean, I was getting sick." "Both in shock," Todd agreed. "He's laughing," Julia added.
But that was just the beginning. You can clearly see the difference in the babies' development in this sonogram. Jillian, the oldest is much bigger than her younger brother, Hudson. That's because they are two and a half weeks apart. Hudson is the baby Julia was expecting to see.
The couple was sent to Children's Hospital in Little Rock for an expert opinion, but all they were told:
"It is what it is," Julia shrugged. "But what is it? Tell me."
The Grovernburg's believe it to be a rare condition called superfetation. The definition is quite simple: to conceive while already pregnant. A blood test will prove it when the babies are born.
"We were trying to put the timeliness together and everything, and we had known she had had a migraine and been at the hospital and actually had a pregnancy test at the time the one would've been conceived," Todd said. "But I was pregnant," Julia said, finishing his sentence.
"It's fun I mean we feel blessed to have something so rare and as of this point they're perfectly healthy," the mom-to-be smiled.
In an ironic twist, Hudson, the younger of the two, will likely be born first, whether naturally or by c-section, simply because of where he's situated in the womb. As if the story couldn't get any stranger, the babies' official due dates are in two different years: 2009 and 2010. Both are expected to be born together in December.
Julia's obstetrician, Dr. Michel Maylaert, says that UAMS confirmed the suspicion of superfetation. Read his statement below:
18 September 2009
To Whom It May Concern:
Mrs. Julia Grovenburg is pregnant with twins and there appears to be a discordant growth pattern, possibly due to superfetation. This is an unusual and rare condition, but the possibility is real. It can only be confirmed after delivery by chromosomal and metabolic studies on the babies. She was evaluated at UAMS in Little Rock for this condition and they confirmed the suspicion of superfetation.
Sincerely, M. Maylaert, M.D.
