This is a triple blessing!
Antonio Livingston and Dee Michelle were not planning to have children this year. Now, they’re expecting triplets!
In an Instagram post announcing their newest additions, the couple explained how shocked they were to learn about the pregnancy.
“Last year, my doctors told me that I wouldn’t be able to have kids and would need surgery,” Dee wrote. “But God said otherwise and gave us three healthy babies along with a completely healthy mother!”
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The duo has experienced a phenomenon that is exceedingly rare: superfetation, or double pregnancy. In this instance, a person has a double uterus, or they can ovulate while already pregnant. Research shows that superfetation may only happen in one out of a few million pregnancies, and there may be fewer than 10 reported cases in medical journals.
“There are cases of women ovulating twice in the same cycle, or women who have ovulated while already pregnant,” Mary Jane Minkin, MD, an ob-gyn at the Yale University School of Medicine told Women’s Health Magazine.
Y’all my friend ovulated twice in the same week and got pregnant twice in the same week. So guess what??
She’s having TRIPLETS. One baby is 6 days older and fraternal and the other two are identical.
advertisementMy friend’s pregnancies are wild
— The Nostalgia Queen ➐ (@Snow_Blacck) September 21, 2020
Although the new editions were a surprise for the couple, multiple births are on the rise. The birth of twins has increased some 78 percent since 1980, and there are now around 34 sets of twins born per 1,000 births in the United States. Studies estimate that one in 250 pregnancies now results in twins naturally and according to the Center for Disease Control, Black people have a slightly higher likelihood of conceiving twins.
The triplets are named Baby A, Baby B, and Baby C for now. Baby A and B are identical twins while Baby C is on their own and six days older than their siblings. The couple said they are hoping for two genders and a healthy delivery due to the high risk nature of the pregnancy.
“Babies A and B are at risk for developing Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) which is a disease of the placenta…” Dee continued. “We are believing that all three of our babies will be healthy, equal in size, and have no complications! They made it safely through the first trimester without any complications, so we believe that the second and third trimesters will be the same! Please continue to pray for us and our babies as we have a long journey ahead of us!”
Dr. Minkin told Women’s Health Magazine that that double pregnancies are safe if there is good prenatal health and obstetrical care most make it almost to full term.
“In general, multiple gestation pregnancies often need to be delivered early, but again, would likely do well,” Dr. Minkin said.
These are the first children for both of the Pittsburgh couple and they are over the moon. They have created a YouTube account to document their pregnancy journey and foray into new parenthood.
We are happy for the two of you and can’t wait to see your beautiful bundles of joy!
Photo Credit: @deeandtplusthree/Instagram