UK Woman Gives Birth to Twins Born Three Weeks Apart

Rebecca Roberts, a 39-year-old woman, became pregnant with a second baby while already carrying another. This extraordinary event unfolded in 2020 when Rebecca and her partner, Rhys Weaver, were attending a routine 12-week ultrasound for their baby boy, Noah. To their surprise, the scan revealed a second fetus, a baby girl named Rosalie, conceived approximately three weeks after Noah.

Rebecca shared her amazement, stating, "We feel really lucky, it’s so lucky to have twins anyway but to have such special twins, it’s so lovely, it’s wonderful, they are a blessing." Despite the potential risks associated with superfetation, both babies were born healthy. Noah weighed 4lb 10oz, and Rosalie, though smaller at 2lb 7oz, was taken to St Michael’s Hospital in Bristol to grow stronger.

Superfetation is distinct from twinning, as it involves the release and fertilization of eggs at different times, leading to fetuses at different developmental stages. Dr. Misra-Sharp explained, "The key difference is that superfetation involves eggs released and fertilized at different times, often weeks apart, while twins result from eggs fertilized at the same time."