A 32-year-old Alabama woman, who was born with a rare double uterus, is pregnant in each of them. Kelsey Hatcher, born with a rare uterine anomaly known as uterus didelphys, is expecting baby girls in both uteri. Ms Hatcher said that when she broke the news to her husband, he was initially sceptical. She recounted his reaction, saying, "He said, 'You're lying,' and I said, 'No, I'm not,'" NBC reported.
The couple is already parents to three children aged 7, 4 and 2 years old. They found they were having two more babies in the first ultrasound.
"We were done having children biologically. And then when I found out I was pregnant, I was like, 'Oh, my gosh,'" Ms Hatcher told Today.com.
"As soon as she moved the ultrasound wand across my belly, I said, 'Oh my gosh, there's another one. Oh my gosh.' She said, 'Yes! There is,'" Ms Hatcher recalled. "I was just in complete shock and thought for the first, I don't know, two to three weeks, my husband and I just laughed."
Is this pregnancy safe?
Due to the unique nature of Ms Hatcher's pregnancy, it is classified as high-risk, demanding extra care and planning because the sisters could be born hours or days apart, given the possibility of contractions starting at different times in each uterus. Although Ms Hatcher plans for a natural birth for quicker recovery, potential complications remain, and careful monitoring is essential.
Dr Richard Davis, a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Alabama Hospital, said, "The C-section is a little more risky than usual because you have to make an incision in each uterus. That's two incisions and more blood loss."
"I've delivered several women that have a double uterus, and most of the time they have done well, but I've never delivered one with twins in each horn, for sure," Dr Davis said.
According to a study by the National Library of Medicine involving nearly 90,000 women, about 5.5% of the general population has uterine anomalies. This percentage increases to 8.0% for infertile women, 13.3% for those with a history of miscarriage, and significantly to 24.5% for those experiencing both miscarriage and infertility.
In the general population, the most common uterine anomaly is called arcuate uterus (3.9%), and its occurrence doesn't rise in high-risk groups. However, in high-risk populations, a different anomaly called septate uterus is the most common.
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