An Alabama woman is pregnant with twins, with one baby growing in each of her two uteruses. This condition is very rare, with a 1 in 50 million chance of a woman experiencing a double pregnancy of this type. At 32 years old, Kelsey Hatcher says she’s very lucky to have successfully carried her twins. She has known about the double uterus since she was 17 years old, but she never expected to have a double pregnancy because of how rare it is.
Hatcher is a fitness coach, and has three children. A few minor complications with this pregnancy sent her to her OB, where she learned there was a baby in each uterus. The official name for her double-uterus condition is Uterus Didelphys, and it affects only 0.3% of the population. However, most women with a double uterus never experience the type of pregnancy that Hatcher had.
Her babies are both girls, and are considered fraternal twins. They grow and develop in a tight space, as each uterus is about half the size of a typical uterus. Two separate eggs and sperm create the babies, which also happens in the usual set of fraternal twins. The only difference in this case is the extra uterus that keeps the babies in their own environments, instead of holding each other.
Hatcher has no additional risks with her double uterus, so she just has to focus on the normal risks of pregnancy. Twins in general can increase that risk, and she was carefully monitored in her third trimester. The goal is to make sure the girls are growing as they should, and to talk about delivery options. Because double-uterus pregnancies are so rare, a high-risk team works with Hatcher’s OB on all possibilities that may arise.
Since she already has three children, the plan is to have a standard, natural vaginal birth. However, there are many factors to consider, and once Hatcher gives birth she will be monitored more closely in case she needs a Cesarean or other medical intervention to deliver her daughters safely.
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