A rare incident has taken place in Alabama where a woman with two uteruses is pregnant in both of her uteruses, having a baby in each, according to a report by local NBC affiliate WVTM13.
Kelsey Hatcher (32) is a medical anomaly who was born with two uteri and two cervixes. Kelsey and her husband are already parents of three children, ages 2, 4, and 7. This year, in spring, they came to know she was pregnant again, which surprised them. Kelsey is already aware that she has two uteri, each with its own cervix. Her pregnancies are considered high-risk.
Kelsey, in an interview with WVTM13, said, "I told him, 'Well, there are two of them in there.' And my husband said, 'You're lying.' I replied, 'No, I'm not.
Kelsey disclosed that she has two uteruses at the age of 17. However, she had only one child in one uterus for her previous three pregnancies. She added that her three children, who are currently seven, four, and two years old, all went to term and delivered their babies safely. All three children are living normal, healthy lives.
Dr. Shweta Patel, Hatcher’s obstetrician, was astonished that Hatcher has a double uterus—two functional uteri—and she has a baby in each of them. She remarked on the rarity of the case, saying, "Very, very rare.”
The Mayo Clinic explains that a double uterus is a rare condition present at birth in some women. In a female fetus, the uterus starts as two small tubes that usually join to form one large organ. But, in some cases, the tubes develop separately and form two separate organs. In some cases, a double uterus may have one opening into one vagina known as the cervix, and each uterus has its own cervix. This condition is known as ‘uterine didelphys’. It is very rare, and having a pregnancy in each uterus is very rare.
Dr. Richard Davis is a professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in obstetrics and gynecology who has studied high-risk pregnancies. According to Dr. Richard Davis, "A double cervix or double uterus is way under 1%; maybe three per 1,000 women might have that. And then the probability of you having a twin in each horn is really crazy."
Doctors believe that each uterus is potentially contracting at different times. Hatchers, the daughters may be born hours, days, or even weeks apart. So doctors have to keep watch on both contractions when she goes into labor.
As her due date approaches on Christmas Day, the Hatcher family is eagerly waiting for the arrival of two bundles of joy. A team of doctors will be on backup to monitor the unique birthing process, considering the complexity of the dual uterus.
(Input from various media sources)
(Rehash/KOMAL BHOI)