We're grateful but will always wonder,"What if?"

Sam and Briony Aston exclusively reveal they are expecting their third child. But their news is bittersweet, as the couple tell OK! they were originally expecting twins

From their beautiful wedding day to starting a family together, OK! has been there every step of the way with Coronation Street actor Sam Aston and his wife Briony. So we were over the moon when the couple told us they are expecting a sibling for their little boy Sonny, three, and 18-month-old daughter Daisy.

Having previously endured two tragic miscarriages within four months of each other, a viable pregnancy is a wonderful life event for the couple to celebrate. However, they tell us that they received some heartbreaking news during an early scan – Briony had initially been pregnant with twins but sadly lost one of the babies.

“It was very bittersweet – that’s exactly how I’d word it,” Briony, 28, explains to OK! as we settle down for a chat after our exclusive family photo shoot.

“We were excited and thankful, because we always wanted a baby that was healthy. Then we started thinking, ‘We could have had two… Will the living twin always wonder, “What if?” and will they feel lonely?’ We found ourselves questioning what could have been, while feeling grateful for what we’ve got.”

Briony explains that their sad loss was the result of “Vanishing Twin Syndrome”. It’s a condition in which one of the babies stops growing and the mother’s body then absorbs the embryo and tissue. The midwife discovered Briony had been expecting non-identical twins (developing in two separate amniotic sacs with their own placentas) after locating the lost twin’s remaining amniotic sac during the scan.

“If we hadn’t had the early scan, I wouldn’t even have known,” she adds. “But it does explain why I was so sick and tired this time around compared to my other pregnancies.”