Brother and sister: Charlotte Mullineux with Harriet, left, and Thomas. They were conceived three weeks apart
A UK woman gave birth to a boy and girl just minutes apart, yet the siblings are not twins.
They grew in the same womb and were born only a minute apart. Yet Thomas and Harriet Mullineux are not twins.
They were conceived three weeks apart thanks to an extraordinary twist of nature.
Their mother Charlotte had been pregnant with twins when at seven weeks she miscarried one of them. But two weeks later, she discovered she was carrying another foetus - conceived separately and still growing in her womb. The surviving twin and the new baby were born last May and, after a health scare, are now home and thriving
Mrs Mullineux, 28, and her husband Matt, a contracts manager for a scaffolding company, were thrilled when they discovered she was pregnant in September 2006. They had been keen to expand their family ever since their two-year-old son James was born.
But only a week later, Mrs Mullineux feared she was having a miscarriage and went to hospital.
A scan revealed she had been carrying twins but one of the foetuses had died and was being absorbed back into the womb.
Another blob was detected on this initial scan, but was thought to be another egg that hadn't dissipated yet.
Mrs Mullineux, of Benfleet, Essex, was told to return in two weeks to ensure all was fine.
"I was disappointed I had lost one of them but was more concerned about the other one," she said last night. "Those two weeks were agony for us. When I went back, I was astonished when they said there was another baby.
"It turned out the blob that was on my last scan picture had grown into a baby."
Mrs Mullineux was told she was expecting two babies - one three weeks older than the other.
It was explained that hers was a rare case of superfetation, where the body carries on releasing more eggs for fertilisation after a pregnancy has already started. It meant that, technically, Mrs Mullineux could have become pregnant again each month during her pregnancy.
The pregnancy was not without its problems. Harriet did not grow as quickly as her brother and had to be monitored carefully.
Thomas was born at 6.32pm on May 4, weighing 5lb 6oz, and Harriet at 6.33pm weighing 4lb 1oz.
They were both taken to special care, where they remained for three weeks before being allowed home. Harriet was desperately ill at one stage after contracting pneumonia but made a remarkable recovery.
Thomas is described as "tall and lanky" and "very laid-back" while Harriet is "short and stumpy" and "interested in everything". Mrs Mullineux said: "We are thrilled to be parents again, especially now that they are into a good routine of feeding and sleeping
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,322485,00.html
The Babies Born Minutes Apart That AREN'T Twins
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