15/11/2023 13:05, updated 15/11/2023 15:16
American Kelsey Hatcher, 32, was born with two uteruses and is pregnant with both. In March of this year, she and her husband discovered that they were having twins, but each one is being gestated in one of the mother’s wombs.
Kelsey has a condition called uterus didelphys, an embryonic malformation problem that she discovered at age 17. She has two uteruses, two cervixes and only one vaginal canal, which allowed the implantation of one egg in each organ.
“I have known since I was 17 that I have uterus didelphys, which means I have two uteruses and two cervixes. So I have an ovary attached to each of them. I was always told that if I managed to get pregnant, I would probably have a premature baby or a miscarriage. However, I have 3 babies and I’m about to have two more,” said Kelsey, in a post on her social media.
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Births are scheduled for Christmas Day (12/25). According to the couple’s doctor, Richard Davis, the double condition itself is rare, but being able to get pregnant using both uteruses is a very rare event, a one in a million chance. “The rarity of the case is the reason why there are no experts in this,” said the doctor, to the local press in Alabama.
Uterus didelphys
Signs of uterus didelphys include pain during sex, menstrual cramps, and heavy bleeding. The condition can lead to miscarriages and premature labor.
It is estimated that 0.3% of women have a didelphys uterus. It is usually detected during a routine gynecological exam.
The anomaly can cause infertility in some patients: the didelphys uterus is generally smaller and can restrict the growth of the fetus, increasing the risk of miscarriage.
Doctors believe that everything will be fine for the twins’ birth, as both babies are developing normally. Special care will be taken to monitor the contraction of each uterus, as sisters may be born every few hours, days or even weeks apart.
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