Ectopic pregnancy isn't something moms would ever wish to have, so when Sadie Brittle found out that she was having one, devastation set in. A few months later, though, the tables turned when she discovered that another baby was growing in her womb.
Is this unexpected pregnancy a miracle or is it science? It depends on the individual's belief, but apparently, there is a scientific explanation for what happened to the 32-year-old mom.
It wasn't ectopic after all, rather a heterotopic pregnancy. This type of gestation, where one fetus grows inside the womb, and another grows outside, only affects one in 30,000 pregnancies, Mirror learned.
Heterotopic pregnancy is a life-threatening condition, but sadly, experts say it can be easily missed if the diagnosis is overlooked. The index of suspicion should be high for women with risk for an ectopic pregnancy, which pretty much treated via surgery, according to a study published in the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health.
Eight weeks to the pregnancy, Brittle suffered a massive internal bleeding due to a ruptured fallopian tube, where the fetus began growing. Because of that, the other fetus, who had been growing inside her womb was not detected by the hospital scan.
She lost a lot of blood when the bleeding happened. She was advised by the doctor to rest from work for three months following the removal of the ectopic pregnancy.
Weeks following the surgery, there is no changes in her stomach that still swollen as if she was still pregnant. At first, the midwife reportedly thought the symptoms were due to hormones from the first pregnancy.
She took a pregnancy test and discovered that she was indeed pregnant. The scan revealed that she was at 19 weeks gestation, IOL reported.
Brittle gave birth to a baby boy and named him Teddie via caesarean last Thursday. After the rollercoaster of emotions, this mom finally felt the joy and relief.
The video below provides an example of a heterotopic pregnancy. Learn more about this rare case by clicking the video below.
