Pregnancy is considered high-risk and is closely monitored. The babies could each be born within hours, days or even weeks of each other.
A Christmas miracle? A woman living in Alabama (USA) is pregnant and has two children in two different uteruses, according to local media WVTM 13, reported by several American websites. The due date for the new arrivals is Christmas Day.
Kelsey Hatcher was born with two functioning uteruses, each with its own cervix. She and her husband are already parents to three children, ages 7, 4 and 2, and found out they are expecting a new child in the spring.
At the first ultrasound, they discovered that Kelsey was carrying a baby in each of her uteruses.
High risk pregnancy
According to the Mayo Clinic, a double uterus is a rare condition that is “present at birth” in some women. Kelsey Hatcher’s obstetrician, Dr. Shweta Patel, said her patient’s pregnancy was “very, very rare.” While “perhaps three in 1,000 women” can be affected by a double uterus, the chance of pregnancy for both is very low.
Because of this rarity, the pregnancy is considered a high-risk pregnancy and is closely monitored. The growth of the babies, two girls, is proceeding as planned for the time being.
Contacted by WVTM 13, Dr. Richard Davis, who specializes in high-risk pregnancies, ensures that the timing of delivery is subject to particular scrutiny. Chances are, he says, that every uterus begins contracting at different times. Babies could therefore be born a few hours, days or weeks apart.