A mom who struggled to get pregnant for a decade gave birth to triplets after she conceived one baby through IVF and twins naturally — in the same week.
Beata Bienias, 36, had begun to give up hope of ever becoming a mother because of issues with her health including polycystic ovaries, brought on by weighing more than 238 punds. But she lost weight and got more than she ever dreamed of when she finally found out that she was pregnant with one baby through IVF.
Miraculously she had also conceived twins just days before her embryo transfer.
The pregnancy has been described by one fertility expert as "almost impossible."
It means Beata and her husband Pawel, 40, are now parents to 4-week-old Amelia and twins Matylda and Borys. The overjoyed mom was told by stunned doctors that her nonidentical twins were conceived naturally just a few days before her IVF embryo transfer on May 2.
The stunned parents were unaware that Beata was already pregnant at the time that she discovered her IVF treatment was successful.
"It was the biggest miracle. I never thought something this incredible could happen to me," Beata said. "I spent many days thinking that maybe I was the person who would never have a baby. I never, ever thought there would be three in there."
"I still can't quite believe it when I look at the three of them. I'm so happy," she added.
Fertility expert Emma Cannon, who has worked in the field for 25 years and founded the Emma Cannon Clinic in Chelsea, London, was also stunned to hear of Beata's triplets.
"In my 25 years as a fertility specialist, I have only come across one or two scenarios in which women have gotten pregnant while undergoing IVF treatment. But this has happened before the embryo transfer takes place — and they then choose to proceed with the natural pregnancy, and do not proceed with the IVF cycle," she said. "I have never encountered anyone who has conceived naturally before, or around the time of, embryo transfer, and then gone on to become pregnant via the IVF cycle as well."
"But I also know that there is much we do not understand and miracles do happen. I wish Beata all the very best with her three little miracles," she added.
Beata, who began trying for a baby with Pawel almost immediately after they got married eight years ago, explained how her miracle "triplets" came about. "It was all very confusing, but my first scan showed that the twins were conceived just a few days before Amelia," she said.
"They tell you at the fertility clinic that you can't have sex for the four days before your egg collection, because the hormones mean more eggs are fertilized than normal. But I think we must have done it — because on the scan you can see that the twins were conceived some time in the week before the embryo transfer."
And, recalling the moment she found out she was having three babies, Beata added, "The sonographer turned to my husband and asked if he wanted to sit down. Then she us there were three babies in there."
For almost four years prior to conceiving, Beata had visited a fertility clinic in England, where she was advised to lose weight to increase her chances of getting pregnant.
"My motivation was really high. I wanted to be pregnant," Beata said. "Losing the weight made me really happy. I was really proud of my weight going down and down each week. It was brilliant."
By February 2018, Beata was given the thumbs-up by her GP and weight loss consultant to begin having blood tests for IVF. She started with the injections in April, and the embryo transfer took place on May 2.
"It was amazing. It was a really emotional time. I couldn't wait for the moment to collect my eggs. I cried when I had the embryo put inside me," she said. "They tell you to wait for 14 days before taking a pregnancy test, but I couldn't wait, and I did one after nine days."
"When I saw those two lines, I went out and did about five or six more tests, just to make sure. It was just amazing," she said.
With what she thought was just one baby growing in her womb, Beata and Pawel then went on vacation for two weeks to celebrate. And when they returned, the couple went for their first scan. "It was the biggest miracle. I never, ever thought there would be three in there," she said. "We were told the two twins were conceived naturally. I couldn't believe it — after so many years of trying and getting nothing, and then having IVF and conceiving naturally."
"I was really worried in the beginning, when I heard I was having triplets. But nothing was an issue. I really enjoyed it," she added.
Amelia, Matylda, and Borys were born by C-section on December 13, after reaching 34 weeks.
Amelia was born weighing 5 lbs 2 oz, Matylda weighed 4 lb 5 oz, and little Borys weighed just 4 lbs.
But Beata said all three babies are doing well and are "growing too fast."
"I am enjoying everything — even when they pee in bed and I have to clean it up," she said. "I had no idea what to expect from being a mum of three all of a sudden. But I'm so happy."
This post was written by Sarah Lumley and Sarah Singleton and reprinted with permission.