By Melissa Meehan
Sophia and Briana Borg are not your average twins.
Not that being twins is at all average.
But one thing that makes them extra special is that they were each conceived differently.
After a long journey to get and stay pregnant, their parents Kate and Simon were ecstatic to find out they were pregnant.
They had implanted one embryo after years and failed IVF attempts – and couldn’t believe their luck.
But they never expected to find out they were pregnant with twins – one of them conceived naturally ‘spontaneously’.
Married in 2016, Kate hadn’t experienced a normal cycle for many yeas, so was concerned about her fertility.
After trying to conceive for six months, she knew it was time to seek assistance.
“I was referred to a local gynocologist and fertility specialist who diagnosed me with polycystic ovaries,” Kate told Kids Today.
“He suggested that if we wanted the fastest result to begin IVF.”
Lucky for the couple, Kate’s polycystic ovari meant she was over producing eggs and the process was able to collect nine embryos.
“They say it takes an average four attempts at IVF to have a successful pregnancy,” Kate said.
“And we stayed with the clinic for five transfers that were all unsuccessful.”
During that time, Kate had three miscarriages.
The initial clinic she attended were unsupportive to try new methods to improve their chances of pregnancy, so Kate and Simon decided to try “fertility queen” Lynn Bermeister.
Dr Burmeister was surprised that the couple had been unsuccessful and suggested to try using one of the four remaining embryos they had left with a new technique she had learnt in the USA.
Sadly, it didn’t take.
“We had now completed six transfers,” Kate said.
“Our bank account, my body but more importantly our hearts were breaking.”
A decision was made to discard the remaining embryos and try again.
This time they were able to collect four embryos, which were then sent to the UK for genetic testing.
There was no underlying reason why Kate would miscarriage – but Dr Burmeister discovered she had the inability to turn folate into folic acid – which was vital and embryo health.
In January 2019, they went through another cycle of IVF. It was successful.
But when they had the ultrasound, they found out that it was a blond pregnancy – all the symptoms of pregnancy with no growing baby).
“At this point I could feel our dream slipping away and I was physically and emotionally drained,” Kate says.
“We started researching adoption and surrogacy and took at holiday to Hawaii – all our friends and family were starting families and here we were not able to talk about our pain and losses.
“But Lynn never gave up on us.”
In May, they went back again.
They transferred a single embryo.
And because she was told she could never fall pregnant naturally, Kate and Simon went about their lives as normal.
“After seven heartbreaking calls and over 50 blood tests I wasn’t hopeful (that we’d be successful) and figured the result would be negative,” she said.
“I called Lynn’s office and booked an appointment with her. We had a laundry list of questions on “what do we do next” and “whats the problem… is it me?”
The appointment came around and Dr Burmeister took one look at Kate and declared she was very much pregnant.
Both Simon and Kate nearly fell off their chairs. ‘
A week later, they returned to Dr Burmeister’s office, worried that Kate had experienced a bleed a few days earlier and convinced, again, that they had lost the baby.
But Dr Burmeister turned to Simon and held up the peace sign.
Two little heart beats. Two seperate sacs. Two babies!
“We could not believe it,” Kate said.
“After the hundreds of tablets and hundreds of self administered injections we had not one baby – but two!”
One of the girls conceived through IVF, the other conceived naturally.
According to Kate, calculating their conception there is a five day difference between one baby being a spontaneous pregnancy and the date they transferred the single embryo.
Kate was scheduled for a C-section delivery on 7 January 2020 and Sophia and Briana were born one minute apart.
“We feel so blessed as our journey was difficult and very emotional,” Kate said.
“We said if we were successful with one pregnancy we would not try again for a 2nd so feel eternally grateful to the universe for completing our dream and giving us two for one.”
