No, a woman typically does not produce another egg while already pregnant. Hormonal changes during pregnancy usually suppress ovulation. However, a very rare phenomenon called superfetation can occur.
Understanding Superfetation
Superfetation is an extremely rare occurrence where a woman releases and fertilizes another egg after she is already pregnant. This results in a double pregnancy with fetuses of different gestational ages. Cleveland Clinic explains that superfetation is rare due to hormonal changes that generally prevent further ovulation once pregnancy begins. But if ovulation does occur and the egg is fertilized and implants, a second pregnancy can result. Health and CNN both report on the rarity of this event, emphasizing that it's a scientifically documented but exceedingly uncommon circumstance. BabyCenter adds that there's a lack of statistics on the frequency of superfetation due to its rarity.
- How it happens: A woman's body releases a second egg after conception. This egg is then fertilized and implants in the uterus.
- Result: A double pregnancy, often resulting in twins born at different gestational ages.
- Rarity: This is an exceptionally uncommon event.
While fertility medications can stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs before pregnancy (as noted by MedlinePlus), this is different from producing an egg during an existing pregnancy.
In summary, while theoretically possible via superfetation, producing another egg during pregnancy is highly unlikely due to hormonal suppression of ovulation.
