Two months into her pregnancy, Sadie Brittle was dealt the devastating news that her baby had died due to an ectopic pregnancy.
An ectopic pregnancy is where an embryo develops outside of the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube. According to Better Health Victoria, in most cases, this embryo dies.
However, three months later, as reported by The Daily Mail, Mrs Brittle, 32, received a shock of a lifetime when she discovered that despite her ectopic diagnosis, she was, in fact, carrying her deceased baby’s twin.
This second baby – a little boy named Teddie, who was born via caesarean last week – was only found after Mrs Brittle, who lives in Tamworth in the UK, was ordered to take three months off from work after collapsing in agony at the hair salon where she works.
Unbeknown to Mrs Brittle, she collapsed because her fallopian tube had ruptured.
At the end of this three-month period, the now-mum-of-two says that she, along with her husband and their four-year-old daughter, Summer, went on a family holiday to Spain. This is where, after noticing that her stomach was still swollen and raised, she had a pregnancy test that confirmed what most would say is the impossible.
This rare occurrence – where one embryo implants in the uterus and the other in the fallopian tubes – meant that Teddie was growing inside Mrs Brittle the whole time.
The reason doctors missed Teddie during routine scans was because Mrs Brittle had so much heavy internal bleeding following the surgical removal of the first embryo.
“It really was a roller coaster pregnancy, everything that could have happened, happened,” Mr Brittle says.
Signs of an ectopic pregnancy to be aware of
Severe pain in your lower abdomen
Feeling faint
Vomiting
Vaginal bleeding
Pain in the tip of one shoulder
If you are pregnant and are experiencing these symptoms, seek immediate medical attention.
If would like to learn more about ectopic pregnancies, contact your GP.
