IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Whoa! Woman gives birth to twins and IVF baby at the same time

Beata Bienias was shocked to learn she was pregnant with triplets. She was even more surprised that she had conceived two of the three babies naturally.
/ Source: TODAY

For seven long years, Beata Bienias and her husband Powell had been trying to have a baby.

“I never thought I would have a problem with getting pregnant,” the 36-year-old laundry and linen service worker in Corsham, England, told TODAY via email.

Woman who conceived twins naturally and a baby with IVF at the same time
Beata Bienias and her husband Powell tried to have a baby for seven years when she became pregnant naturally and with an implanted embryo.Courtesy Beata Bienias

Bienias has polycystic ovarian syndrome, and she also was overweight. She had no idea that would make it so difficult for her to get pregnant. Doctors advised her to lose weight, so she shed 70 pounds — but still she struggled. She eventually decided to try in vitro fertilization (IVF).

When the doctor harvested her eggs for fertilization, she cried tears of joy because she felt so excited about being a mom. Doctors told the couple not to have sex during the IVF process, but they broke the rules for Powell’s birthday. They thought little of it — after all, they had tried having children naturally for seven years and it didn’t work.

Shortly after, doctors implanted the embryos. Soon after that, Bienias received the news she had been waiting to hear for almost a decade: She was pregnant.

"We all discovered the wonderful news," she said.

Woman who conceived twins naturally and a baby with IVF at the same time
While the couple felt shocked to learn they were having triplets, they have adjusted to life with their newborns. Here, Powell Bienias takes all three babies for a walk.Courtesy Beata Bienias

But when she went to her first sonogram appointment, the technician saw something surprising: Triplets.

“We both were in shock and we looked (at) the monitor with disbelief, just wondering who put (three babies) there,” said Bienias, who is originally from Poland. “Straight away I called my mum and then I started crying saying, ‘There’s three inside me.’”

Further examination revealed another shock: Only one fertilized embryo had implanted. Doctors said the twins were conceived naturally.

“This is so ironic after trying for so long, and when we got the treatment we conceived naturally,” she said.

Woman who conceived twins naturally and a baby with IVF at the same time
Born at 34 weeks, the Bienias triplets are growing and thriving.Courtesy Beata Bienias

Dr. Christine Greves — a doctor at the Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology in Orlando who did not treat Bienias and can’t comment specifically on her case — said that natural and IVF conception can happen concurrently.

“One can conceive naturally when undergoing IVF treatment ... and the implanted embryo can take,” she told TODAY. “It is possible.”

Though she noted that it’s not common.

“It happens very rarely,” she explained. “A lot of the people who seek IVF have difficulty getting pregnant.”

Bienias delivered the babies, Amelia, Matylda and Borys, on Dec. 13, 2018 when she was 34 weeks pregnant. Mom and babies spent a week in the hospital and then returned home, where the triplets have been growing steadily as the new parents adjust to caring for multiple infants.

Woman who conceived twins naturally and a baby with IVF at the same time
Beata and Powell Bienias are getting used to life with triplets after they conceived twins naturally and one baby with IVF.Courtesy Beata Bienias

“It can be difficult and hard, but it’s more than 100 percent worth it,” Bienias said. “I'm tired after a night but when I look into these little faces, it melts my heart.”