Who Got Pregnant While Pregnant?
A woman can get pregnant while already pregnant, a phenomenon known as superfetation. This rare occurrence involves the release and fertilization of a second egg after a woman has already conceived.
Superfetation is an extremely rare event. It's a distinct biological process that differs from multiple births resulting from the fertilization of multiple eggs simultaneously (e.g., fraternal twins). In superfetation, two separate fertilization events occur during the same pregnancy, leading to fetuses of different gestational ages.
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Deonna Fletcher's Case: As reported by various news outlets (e.g., CNN, People, Business Insider), Deonna Fletcher experienced superfetation, resulting in triplets – two conceived a week after the initial pregnancy. https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/16/health/woman-pregnant-while-pregnant-wellness/index.html https://people.com/mom-finds-out-pregnant-weeks-later-pregnant-again-twins-welcomes-triplets-8349732 https://www.businessinsider.com/superfetation-pregnancy-twins-triplets-got-pregnant-while-pregnant-rare-case-2023-10
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Medical Marvel: The Cleveland Clinic describes superfetation as a "rare event that involves getting pregnant a second time while you're already pregnant." https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24590-superfetation
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Not to be Confused With: It's crucial to differentiate superfetation from other situations involving multiple pregnancies, such as the simultaneous fertilization of multiple eggs leading to fraternal twins or triplets. Superfetation specifically refers to a second fertilization event after an initial pregnancy has been established.
Conclusion
While uncommon, documented cases demonstrate that it is possible for a woman to get pregnant while already pregnant. The resulting pregnancy is termed a superfetation.
