The Mum Becomes UK’s First Woman To Give Birth Triplets From Two Diferent Wombs To Be A One In A Million Occurrence
Melanie Bassett, 32, from Hampshire, has become the first woman in the UK to give birth to triplets from two different ᴡᴏᴍʙs after carrying identical twins in one and a third baby in the other.
She was carrying identical babies in one of her ᴡᴏᴍʙs and another child in a second womb. The parent first discovered she had two ᴡᴏᴍʙs when she was pregnant with her first child Phoebe, now three, in 2016. She is the rare case .
Along with her husband Ben, 33, Melanie, from Hampshire, then welcomed their first son Blake into the world in 2019. But after that, the couple were amazed to welcome triplets, Brooke, Isabelle and Beau, in 2 ᴡᴏᴍʙs.
Having twins from two ᴡᴏᴍʙs, commonly known as uterus didelphys, is estimated to be a one in a million occurrence. And Melanie is thought to be the first example of the rare case in the UK.
She said: “When we were told it was quite ᴄʀᴀᴢʏ! i don’t believe that, we have a big family, that not in our preparation. But I wouldn’t change it for anything. I noticed a difference being pregnant with the triplets. I would often find myself having to ᴅᴇᴀʟ with them kicking on both sides.”
Rather than looking like a regular womb, she is heart-shaped with two chambers. The condition doesn’t make it harder for a woman to conceive but it increases the risk of a ᴍɪsᴄᴀʀʀɪᴀɢᴇ ᴏʀ ᴘʀᴇᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ birth.
Phoebe , the first child was delivered via C-sᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ at 29 weeks in February 2017, and so did Blake, the second child who was born two years later at 34 weeks. Then two months later, really fast Melanie discovered she was pregnant again. This time wasn’t one, It wasn’t until the 12-week scan where the sonographer told the couple they were expecting triplets in separate ᴡᴏᴍʙs.
Melanie and Ben were advised to go for scans every fortnight so doctors can keep an eye on the pregnancy. The triplets were eventually born via C-sᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ at 32 weeks on January 26.
She added: “It’s all about the children. Our family is now complete. We have a big family, they are all my life, they are so happy with sibling”.