Saturday, March 1, 2008

Pregnancy Successes!

From carrying twins in one horn of a complete BU to having two children despite lacking a cervix, we have success stories in the archives for every kind of uterus.

Unicornuate
"At around 18 weeks, I began having some spotting and strange cramping that went across the left side of my pelvis and toward my thigh. The monitor actually showed uterine irritability which stopped after a shot of terbutaline. At that point, I was put on bed rest and various meds (over the next months, I was given: brethine, nifedipine, indocin, betamethasone steroids, and several high doses of mag sulfate.)
By 24 weeks, I was having pretty frequent contractions (which are hard to feel early in pregnancy, but I think particularly hard to feel with a UU. Only half of your stomach gets hard and it feels very much like the baby's movements.) My contractions would start very easily, even when I was talking on the phone for extended periods of time. By 26 weeks, we raced into the hospital with contractions that were 2 minutes apart. This became our routine for the next several months. It got to the point where all I had to do was call and tell the L&D nurses my name, and they would ask "How close are they?" I was fortunate that my cervix was pretty stubborn and I did not actually start to dilate until I was 31 weeks. They also did FFN testing which always came back negative.
All in all, I spent 18 weeks on bed rest. During that time, I made countless trips to L&D and was admitted several times. It was difficult, but paid off. DS was not born until 36 weeks...I even had a vaginal delivery. They used the vacuum (UU couldn't really push very well) and needed pitocin b/c contractions basically got "stuck." Otherwise, delivery was very easy. He was 6 lbs 7 ounces and other than jaundice and reflux, his health was perfect. I'm still in awe when I look at him!"
Uterus didelphys
When I was 15 I was diagnosed with UD. The doctors removed the v septum but left everything else alone; seeing as there really is nothing one can do to 'fix' UD. I was told then that I would probably never be able to have children. Which of course totally devastated me.

I could bore you with the details of my life story but to cut a long story short my third IVF cycle eventuated in a successful pregnancy (I was 38 at the time). The doctors warned me that the baby could come early due to 'lack of room' etc and I was put on limited activity at 30 weeks.

My baby boy was born via csection at 41 weeks pregnancy! I went to bed that night; my waters broke at 10.30 pm and he was born at 12.40 am weighing 8 pounds and 51 cm long. I wish now I had faith in my body to give birth naturally as my labour was very quick and the doctor said afterwards that the baby was already 'engaged' in the birth canal. Which one could tell immediately by looking at Jake as he had a bruise around his head from the cervix! Anyhow I did not want to risk a dangerous labour hence went the csection route.

So there in a nutshell is a UD success story! My darling boy will be 4 on July 27. I still marvel that he is actually here!!

Bicornuate
"I have a bicornuate uterus with a septum and 2 cervices. So the joke was that the baby could pick the exit when the time came. But that never happened because my daughter was, of course, breech presentation."
The beginning of the pregnancy was really bumpy; first they thought I was a tubal because I was having a lot of pain and just had my first positive prego test. After many ultrasounds in the ER, they saw no evidence of a tubal, but instead saw fluid (probably from a ruptured ovarian cyst) and the smallest of gestational sacs...with no fetal pole. So I was sent home and told to wait...and to see an OB/GYN which I did. I did not know that I had a bicornuate uterus until I got pregnant.
I had bleeding (nothing major but definitely not normal) for the first 20 weeks of my pregnancy along with intermittent cramping. I had a lot of ultrasounds, including 2 level 2 ultrasounds, to make sure she was growing normally (and she was even BIG, 8 pounds, 12 ounces at birth, which shocked everyone). She lived on my right side throughout most of the pregnancy, practically in my rib cage. We knew about the bicornuate uterus, but did not know about the septum until they were performing my c-section...at 38 weeks!!!
In the end I was so fortunate to have carried such a beautiful daughter to term, fully knowing that things very well may not have gone so well...and all the problems that might happen in the meantime."
Septate
"Inaccurately dx by HSG in 1995 (I think?) with BU. In 2001, got pregnant twice, miscarried at 12 and then 8 weeks. Finally correctly dx with SU bicollis. Found the MA group (my lifesaver!) and decided the lap/hyst to resect the septum was the choice for me. Had one surgery in January, 2002.
It was very successful, and I am left with a slight residual septum, making me somewhat BU — still have 2 cervices and vaginal septum (and one kidney). Post surgery had long, wacky cycles. Got pregnant on day 34 ovulation in July, 2002. Great pregnancy (although paranoid) and I was able to keep active throughout. No bed rest, no preterm labour. My son was breech from the start, and didn't turn despite lots of mellow encouragement (didn't even attempt a version). Went into labour at 39 weeks, and he was born by c-section.
And hopefully I will have a second success story to share in November, as I am currently 6 weeks pregnant and saw the HB today (despite a few days of spotting last week). Still nursing my almost 2 year-old son (who needs to be weaned otherwise he will BF until he is a teenager)."
Septate
"After 4 miscarriages, including one involving incompetent cervix, I was diagnosed as having a complete SU in 2000. A resection was partially successful, although the surgeon perforated my uterus high up on the fundus. Had a second resection 6 months later, leaving me with segments of the septum intact, but a window between the two horns.
I miscarried once more and then conceived my DS. had a cerclage at 11 weeks and had some slight trouble with bleeding and contractions during the pregnancy. I was worried about possible rupture, so we planned on a c-section at 37 weeks, before prodromal labor got vigorous. All in all, I spent 23 weeks on modified bed rest and had a lot of cervical monitoring. The cervix held up splendidly, although my uterus was irritable. I took terbutaline for that up until about 21 or 22 weeks, and in retrospect, I would have taken far less of it.
The septum resurrected itself during the early part of the pregnancy, and I was worried about that, but by 20 weeks, the fetus had squashed it back into the uterine walls. He was still able to flip from vertex to transverse and back again at 36 weeks, and was born by planned c-section at 37 weeks on the dot, weighing 7 lbs., 3 oz., and in perfect health."

8 comments:

Christy said...

I just found this website, less than a week after seeing a specialist about my uterus didelphys, and desire to try for a second child after delivering my son Elias between 24 and 25 weeks. I didn't think surgery was an option for me but I learned its possible and in my search to find more information I found this great site. Thanks for putting it together.

I did notice that you are short on stories about women with my particular condition and so I wanted to share a link to my blog that I write for Parents magazine about mothering a former micro-preemie, now special needs preschooler and now, our decision to try for a second pregnancy, as a women with two wombs: www.parents.com/followingelias

I just wrote a post this week about my meeting with the specialist and my questions about a possible surgery to combine my two uteri into one. I'm off to join the yahoo group now. Thanks again, Christy

Katia said...

Hi there. I just found your website and I want to compliment everyone involved in a job well done.

I had a miscarriage two years ago at 15 weeks. It was my first and only pregnancy.

I began having problems with bleeding at 6 weeks and so I was sent for an ultrasound.

I was told at the time that I had firboids and a BU. Bleeding increased as the weeks moved along until week 15 where I miscarried.

I felt that I was not getting the proper support and medical care from my Dr and seeked a second opinion.

I am now told that what was thought to be a BU is actually a SU (length is 2.5cm). In addition, it is suspected that I have PCOS and I know for sure that I have multiple firboids.

So, going on the age of 34 and with all of these problems I am torn between whether or not I should go for surgery before trying to get pregnant again.

If I wait for surgery, it will be another year before I can try to get pregnant again as they book surgery 6mths out and I am told it would be another 6mths for recovery.

Does anyone have any advice?

Thanking you in advance,

Katia

Cameron said...

I wanted to offer some words of encouragement that not only was I able to get pregnant with a uterus didelphys, but my husband and I are expecting twins in a couple of weeks (carrying both in the right side of my uterus). We have seen a perinatal specialist once a week during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, and we had a couple of trips to the hospital with early contractions around 27 weeks...and I've been mostly on bedrest/houserest for awhile now - but it is possible! When I first got pregnant I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to carry twins successfully this far, and couldn't find any stories online of successful twin pregnancies in the same horn of a uterus didelphys, so we are needless to say very pleased.

Cameron said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mynix Blue said...

Its really touching. I found it very useful related to my wife's pregnancy. Thank you.
Beclovent
Brethine

Unknown said...

Amy
I was diagnosed with this 20 years ago after I had my 3rd child. I was so lucky only having a half uterus 1 tube and 1 ovary. I carried the first 36 weeks. the other 2 38 weeks. My gyn new I had a septum. I had been checked for a double cervix with my 1st one and didnt have one. And then after my tubal when my doctor received the labs and was told my right tubes were only scar tissue. It then dawned on him and he ran a dye test. I am so thankful not knowing until after, even tho for years I was so in tune with my body there and always new i carried my children on the right side of my body. They would have never let me have a child back then. I was so lucky.

krick said...

I have a didelphic uterus. They discovered it when I was 19, because of some irregular bleeding I had experienced. I was a newlywed at the time, and when we found out I might have fertility issues, I felt like I was letting my new husband down. I read stories online that terrified me.

Then we got pregnant. It was a surprise actually! And I carried her to 40 weeks. My sweet Annie is now 7 years-old, and has a four year-old brother and a two year-old sister. All were full term, healthy, vaginal deliveries.

There have been bumps along the way. I found out I only have one kidney (which is common with MA). So a kidney stone during pregnancy turned into a hospital stay. I also just recently found out I have an arthritic lower back that is causing major discomfort. I think it may all be related, because I had a random herniated disc as a young girl which resulted in surgery. I've been researching to see if all these anomalies go hand in hand. And my research has reminded me of how grateful I am. Grateful for a patient and optimistic husband. Grateful for modern medicine. Grateful for my three healthy children. Be positive!

Unknown said...

Hi All. Hopping on the hope train.

Lost our boy at 25 and 5 in Feb after 3 days in the NICU. I just had partial septum resected ( about 3 cm) and I have bicornuate- indentation takes up the rest of the space. I had atelectasis causing me to cough horrendously day before going into labor. My water never broke. Since the surgery is done- we are gearing up to try again in another few months but are terrified.