After more than 2 miserable years of infertility in spite of good sperm, normal hormone levels, and good timing I was, at my request and my reproductive endocrinologist’s agreement, booked to have an investigative laparoscopy, dye studies and hysteroscopy. With this being my first real surgery and having a fear of needles I was terrified. I also feared the worst – that my doctor would open me up to find horrible deformities. One never actually expects these “irrational” fears to actually happen.
When I woke in recovery my reproductive endocrinologist’s assistant broke the news to me as gently as she could – I had severe endometriosis and only half of my reproductive organs. I especially remember the reference to my half-uterus. I sobbed, absolutely sobbed, and the doctor told me that she was sorry. Then my reproductive endocrinologist came to see me, something he doesn’t usually do, so I knew I was special. He repeated the news, and I cried again. He told me the nurses would arrange for an MRI to be done to try to get a better idea of what was going on in there. I was devastated, absolutely devastated, and asked him about my chances for pregnancy. He was confident that I could get there with IVF.
I had the nurses call my friend who lived nearby. She had told me she’d be available for me should I need anything, and I was grateful for that. She arrived after I had been moved to the recovery lounge, and sat with me for several hours while I waited for the MRI appointment.
Knowing how afraid and upset I was, the staff left my drip in so that I could be sedated for the MRI if needed. However, by the time of my appointment it was too late for a doctor to come down to do that, so I was left to attempt to allow an MRI to be done on my extremely claustrophobic self. I tried to relax as I lay on the MRI table and was strapped in, with a heavy plate across my recently-operated-upon abdomen. As soon as they put me into the machine I panicked and had to be let out. They tried again, and I barely got my head in before panicking. It was decided that I would get a Valium prescription from my GP and come back the following week.
I did this, and after taking the maximum 4 tablets the pharmacist would allow, I made it through the MRI, and a few days later had my follow up appointment with my reproductive endocrinologist.
He made me look at photos from the surgery, in spite of my squeamishness. I have a Mullerian Anomaly – a random birth defect occurring when the Mullerian Ducts (which become the female reproductive system) are forming at around 6 weeks gestation. I have a right unicornuate uterus, a right ovary, a patent right tube, and a very crooked cervix that made the hysteroscopy impossible. The endometriosis was probably caused by retrograde menstruation due to my crooked cervix.
I was sent for a renal ultrasound as kidney anomalies are often seen with Mullerian Anomalies, due to them forming at the same time. I was not the least bit surprised to learn that my left kidney, ureter and adrenal gland were completely absent.
My reproductive endocrinologist was confident that I could fall pregnant via IVF and carry almost to term. The biggest challenge would be to try to straighten up my cervix enough for a normal embryo transfer. This was successfully attempted, along with resection of the endometriosis, in August 2006.
I have been fortunate in finding a wonderful internet support group for women with Mullerian Anomalies. I have received and continue to receive such wonderful support and information there. I have even become friends with a woman with uterus didelphys (double uterus) who lives nearby.
The group has been most helpful in learning about my condition, as there is so little good information available. I certainly didn’t receive a Mullerian Anomalies handout at the hospital.
Receiving my unicornuate uterus diagnosis has been a crushing blow, and very difficult emotionally. It is an unusual condition, so I feel like something of a freak. I feel defective, deformed, as though I am half a woman, and the infertility side of things certainly doesn’t help alleviate these feelings. The impact on my self esteem and body image has also been awful, I feel so ashamed to have this imperfect “half-woman” body. I am so lucky to have the girls in the internet support group to rely upon, as they really understand.
I am shocked that it has taken 29 years to receive this diagnosis. I have ultrasound pictures from over a decade ago that show a “left renal area” and “right kidney” but make no mention of the absent left kidney. I also have many pelvic ultrasounds that proclaim my uterus to be “of normal volume and contour”, which, of course, simply is not true. I even have an ultrasound report counting the follicles on my left ovary – the one that does not exist!
If I am lucky enough to get pregnant in the future, I know that I will face risks due to my unicornuate uterus such as increased risks of premature labour, incompetent cervix, breech presentation, caesarean section, intra-uterine growth retardation, and late trimester loss. While I’m not glad to have these risks, I am very glad to know about them so that I can insist on being monitored closely.
I encourage anyone with a Mullerian Anomaly to educate themselves and seek support from other women with similar conditions.
K77
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36 comments:
Dont give up hope..
I have an unicornuate uterus, only one tube, one ovary, one kidney and a strange cervix that they cant seem to find the opening of..
But, I am pregnant with my second child in week 32.. my first daughter was breech and taken with c-section and my secon daughter is also breech so i probbably are going to have another c-s in april..
it took me 2 months to get pregnant both times..
hope you get pregnant soon and relax..
Wish you the best of luck!!
Hege
"I feel like something of a freak"
This echos my thoughts after recently being asked if anyone had ever commented on the unusual shape of my uterus. Lab tech without tact. I am somewhat obsessed right now and cannot stop thinking that no one should have such intimate knowledge of their insides. I keep thinking of all those years of thinking physical has nothing to do with femininity, and now I am the circus freak in my own mind.
It is overwhelming, and I can only deal with this issue by looking away from it and around it - a little like staring right into the sun, I know I cannot look right into this head on. Maybe one day, but not for now.
At 34 and after a year of AI with donor sperm I found out that I have a unicornuate uterus. My Dr. didn't wait for me to be able to sit up after a very painful HSG before saying "the good news is that your existing fallopian tube isn't blocked, you'll be at a higher risk for preterm birth" then he left and I haven't been able to get in touch with him since. It has been a week.
I am on an individual health plan which doesn't cover maternity. It certainly won't cover fertility treatments. What kind of option does that leave me with?
I was finally diagnosed with a unicornuate uterus after doctors first thinking my womb was heart shaped or bicornuate. I didn't have any problems conceiving but both my sons were born preterm - Gabe at 28 weeks and Adam at 34 weeks. Both are very healthy now (aged 5 and 2). No-one has offered me a scan to get my kidney(s) checked out even though I have a very long history of pelvic pain (from before I started my peroids) so I will definately ask to get this checked out. I am considering writing to my consultant to explain a bit more about my condition (I have a degree in human anatomy so I find it very interesting.) One thing I think I'd like to pass on to other pregnant unicornuate uterus ladies is that on both pregnancies, my labour contractions weren't picked up very well by the monitor - probably as my uterus is in a funny position so get the doc/midwife to check on your cervix asap! They were about to send me home when they finally examined me and saw baby's foot peeking out!
Good luck to all of you not yet pregnant and trying - my prayers are with you.
Katharine (UK)
I have a UU on the right side, with one attached ovary. It took me 8 years to become successfully pregnant (I had an early m/c 3 years ago, while taking a break from TTC). I tried Clomid, since that was the only IF treatment I could afford (no IF insurance).
In June of 2008 I finally gave up, and at the end of August I realized I was PG. I had a c-section at 38.5 weeks in April of 2009. My daughter is 3 months old now and is the BEST surprise blessing!
I know the statistics online are scary but I used to belong to a UU email group and EVERYONE had at least one child. Most of them hadn't tried for a long time at all, and some didn't even know they had a UU until delivery.
My only advice is to not let the diagnosis freak you out, it does not mean you will struggle with IF or have a premature baby. AND, both those things can be overcome anyway.
Good luck to everyone out there still trying, my prayers are with you!!
I have a unicornuate uterus, one tube, one ovary, one kidney and partial ribs. When i was 18 I had a cyst that eventually was determined to be on my left 'deformed' ovary. It was removed during exploratory surgery along with the malformed fallopian tube and a 'fibroid cysts'. Fast forward to age 34, after one miscarriage i was pregnant with my son, who was standing breach. As my ob ordered the path reports from my earlier surgery, she discovered the 'fibroid cyst' was uterine tissue.... the unformed horn! She put the pieces together and explained the mullerian abnormality to me. After some research in the literature we discovered that often the preterm labor in women with unicornuate uterus were caused by hormonal 'miscommunication' from the unformed horn... the treatment for this issue is removal of the unformed horn. So, my earlier surgery had fixed this issue for me (without the surgeon or anyone else realizing it!!) and i only had one miscarriage and two beautiful babies (now 7 and 9). Even though our condition is unusual, there is some medical literature out there. You can have children (if miscarriage is your issue, you may want to explore removal of the unformed horn as a treatment) and we can all remind each other that our womenhood is not based on our anatomy!! It's progress not perfection. How nice to find this website. Blessing to you all, Julie
Thank you so much to all of you for leaving your comments, and telling your stories. I was just diagnosed 2 days ago, and felt alone, devastated, and defective. I spent the entire day today absolutely hopeless, thinking I would never have children, would never experience their life milestones. Now I have hope. Thank you again.
hug, from one UU to all those out there.......my one friend yelled at me when i said i was deformed. She said "you are just a special mould"
Unicornuate Uterus Success Story
I went in for an u/s at 6 weeks due to light spotting. The technician noticed a mass on my left side near/on the left ovary and said that it was most likely a corpus luteum cyst. However, right before we wrapped up the u/s, she positively identified the corpus luteum cyst on my right side and after following up with the dr., said that it was most likely a benign mass and not to worry. At my next OBGYN appointment, my dr. didn’t mention anything about the u/s and when I asked, she said that the technician didn’t mention anything in her notes. When I explained what I was told, she scheduled a follow-up u/s at another clinic. When I went in, the technician guessed that the mass was either a separate uterus or a separate uterine horn. She made this preliminary diagnosis due to the size, position and most importantly, the blood flow to the mass (blood flows differently to a mass vs. an organ).
At my next appointment, I was diagnosed with either an asymmetrical bicornuate uterus (one lobe bigger than the other) or a unicornuate uterus with a rudimentary horn. Since I was pregnant at the time of the diagnosis, they weren’t able to make a conclusive diagnosis b/c things stretch during pregnancy. Luckily, my dr. was positive that the baby was implanted in the lager lobe, she just didn’t know how much it would stretch to accommodate the baby.
After researching for HOURS online and on the blogs, I was terrified - which is why I am sharing my novel of a story. The most common risks associated with this condition are c-sections (due to breech position), preterm labor and IGR (growth restriction). My doctor said that I would almost definitely have a c-section, she wasn’t too worried about the pre-term labor, since most of the cases she sees deliver around 35-36 weeks and she almost never sees IGR. To be safe, I had an u/s every other week to measure the length of my cervix so that we could proactively mitigate pre-term labor and a growth u/s every month to make sure the baby was growing well.
I made it to 39 weeks, had a scheduled c-section due to breech presentation and delivered a 6lb 1ouce very healthy baby boy. When doing the c-section, the dr. was able to positively diagnose a unicornuate uterus w/ a rudimentary horn. Luckily, the rudimentary horn did not have any endometrial lining, which means an embryo will never be able to implant in the small lobe. It also means that I have one functioning fallopian tube/ovary, which lowers my chances of conceiving by ~10%. However, seeing as how we conceived during the first week of our honeymoon, we weren’t too worried
Lessons learned: Be your best advocate. If something does not make sense or if you notice a discrepancy in what you were told vs. a report, address it. Find a great dr. that you trust and who answers your questions. Also, make sure that your dr. consults w/specialists if you have this condition. My dr. had about 18 other dr’s look at every one of my u/s – it made me feel much better. Do your research, but try not to be too freaked out and try to enjoy your pregnancy. One of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t enjoy my pregnancy b/c I was so scared. Get a dr. note to take it easy. I did, and I was put on reduced hours and got to take off work completely at 36 weeks (all covered by STD due to my diagnosis). I am sure that all my rest and relaxation made my positive outcome possible.
Hello,
I am fresh to this game and still on the emotional roller coaster. I was originally diagnosed with uterine didelphys, with two cervix and partial vaginal duplication in the upper vagina from MRI. The next move was surgery-laparoscopy and histeroscopy. I woke up to the doctor telling me that I was a big "question mark". It appears that the top of my uterus is full, but during vaginal ultrasound, there is a clear and thick seperation. There is also a blockage from the left side of my uterus to the fallopian tube. This led the Dr. to believe that is possibly complete septate with a hidden accessory cervix. It's ironic that I always thought my left side was my good side, because I felt it throughout my cycle. Now I realize that what I was feeling is part of this anomaly. I am supposed to undergo the same procedures again in a couple of weeks and am having much anxiety. It still seems that my case is not clear cut. I will undergo anethesia not knowing if I will wake up to a one or six week recovery. My frustration is that I have to do this again, my advice is that you ask to perform these procedures at a hospital if possible. If I wasn't in a surgery day center, I could have possible been fixed the first time around. Any advice or words of hope?
Hello All! This is such a wonderful site! I suffered two early pregnancy losses and was miserably depressed as I always dreamed of being a mother. After begging to get to the bottom of my miscarriages I had several tests and was diagnosed with a unicornuate uterus with a functioning left ovary only and a right pelvic kidney. I was told that this was the reason for my high miscarriage rate and that I would likely have pre-term labor. I successfully became pregnant for the third time and was immediately put on progesterone daily to help maintain the pregnancy. It was a miserable time when It should have been happy because I feared each day would be the end of the pregnancy. I made it to 26 weeks and begin to dialate. I was terrified. My doc put me on bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy. My precious daughter was born a week late at 9 pounds and 4 oz! Can you believe such a big baby fit inside half a reproductive system?! Due to my small uterus and the odd shape my belly was off center during the pregnancy and when my daughter was born her leg was folded up behind her head--a very scary sight! The doc said because of the tight uterine space she didn't have much room and her leg got caught behind her head and was stuck there for months but that it would go down. Soon after we brought her home and had her x-rayed and MRI's done sure enough her little leg moved into position and now she runs circles around us at 16 months! I wanted to share because I really believed I would never be a mother and I was in the deepest and most painful despair I have ever experienced. I know now that with a little faith and a great doctor even those of us with only half a reproductive system can enjoy the beauty of motherhood. Thanks!
Hi!
I am 22 years old and I have recently been diagnosed with Unicorunate Uterus (well technically over 24hrs ago).
I would love to be able to talk to other women - I'm numb - not too sure what to feel or think.
Any advice would be great =)
Jewlia88 - I feel your pain and remember how scared and helpless I felt after my diagnosis (which I received early on in my first pregnancy). My advice would be learn as much about your specific condition b/c there are so many variations that could impact your efforts to try and conceive and carry to term. If and when you decide to have children, I would recommend finding a clinic or doctor who has experience with your condition. Where I go, they don't even blink an eye b/c they see so many women w/ unicornuate uteruses that I am the least of their worries. Have hope though! I went for 28 years w/o having a clue that I had a unicornuate uterus. When I did find out, I was early into my first pregnancy (honeymoon baby). I successfully delivered a healthy boy at 39 weeks via c-section with no complications. I am now in week 22with baby boy #2 (took 1 month of trying) and so far, so good. Just wanted to let you know that there is hope, though I know that so many women w/ this diagnosis struggle with heartbreak and my heart goes out to them.
I was diagnosed with a unicornuate uterus in March 2007 after my 3rd miscarriage and was completely crushed by the news. I felt like a freak and a failure to my husband. I have the right half of my uterus with the corresponding fallopian tube and ovary and a rudimentary left horn and ovary, but no fallopian tube. I am lucky, however, in the fact that I have both kidneys and they function just fine. We were told that our best chances of having a biological child would be to use a surrogate. This news came 1 week after the birth of my brother's first child and my sister discovering her first pregnancy, which made everything 100 times worse for me emotionally. We gave up trying to conceive and I found a job to keep myself busy. I found out I was pregnant in July of 2007 and prepared myself for another miscarriage (the longest I had carried was 13.5 weeks). Somehow, everything was perfect with this pregnancy and I carried our daughter to term. I was actually induced twice and my cervix wouldn't budge! I ended up having a c-section and our healthy girl was born at 38 weeks! I had another miscarriage in December 2010 and am now 31 weeks pregnant with a son. So far, this pregnancy has gone smoothly as well. I have the BEST ob/gyn possible. She is so understanding and is keeping a very close watch on the baby's growth. We are planning on having a c-section in the beginning of December when I am 39 weeks along. Don't give up hope! It is so scary, but worth every worry and struggle and it CAN happen! I had a hard time finding a support group, if anyone needs someone to talk to my e-mail address is susan.grogg@gmail.com.
Hi everyone... I am so glad to see that I am not alone!!! I was diagnosed yesterday with unicornuate uterus and I am still in shock. I am 34 years old and my husband and I started fertility investigations after a miscarriage in January and not being able to conceive since. I have an MRI scheduled for this Friday to see what it all looks like and if I have both kidneys. I want children more than anything in the world, and your success stories have given me a glimmer of hope....
I would greatly appreciate support and any advice you might have.
I was diagnosed last week with a unicornuate uterus. Both ovaries, but only one fallopian tube and one "horn." My fertility doctor has been mentioning it as a possibility ever since she couldn't find the right half when she did an HSG last month, but I didn't believe her because I've had so many ultrasounds that have all been normal, and the techs have even said that it seemed a normal size and everything, just left-leaning. But she did a hysteroscopy last week and confirmed it. I've got an intravenous pyelogram scheduled in a couple of weeks to see if I've got two kidneys or not.
My dr. wants to put me on letrozole to get my left ovary (the one that's attached) to drop an egg each month and increase my chances, and then she wants me to keep coming in for ultrasounds and to do IUI whenever the left one gets a big enough follicle (this past week it was the right side, unfortunately).
The only thing is, I've just turned 39, so I'm already at high risk for miscarriages and birth defects, and I've just spent some time googling this condition and it seems to be quite risky as well. So I'm wondering if it's really wise to keep trying? There are some happy-ending stories out there, including some great ones on this blog, but they all seem to be for women much younger than I...
I'm 32 years old and found out about my uniconuate uterus when I was 23. I had always had problem periods and bleeding in between cycles. Dr discovered the anomaly during a surgery on my uterus to try and correct the bleeding situation. While I was engaged I started seeing an amazing ob specialist and was immediately under his care for any future pregnancies. My first was at age 29 and was an early miscarriage. Second pregnancy was ectopic at the end of my ovary. During my third pregnancy I was diagnosed with pprom at 17 weeks (leaking probably began around14 weeks). I was advised to abort pregnancy by 2 specialists and told my baby would probably die in utero. I didn't abort and was placed on moderate bed rest. Moderate because my dr didn't have much hope due to such an early rupture. At 24 weeks I fully ruptured and was admitted to the hospital for the remainder of my pregnancy. After many visits by my dr and NICU specialists (who never had anything hopeful to say about the possible outcome of the birth) it was decided I would have a c-section at 32 weeks. I had 2 rounds of steroids to try improve lung function. My daughter was born March 1, 2010. She had severe lung issues and spent 2 months in the NICU and is now a very active, amazing and healthy 22 month old. I decided not to try again after having my wonderful miracle but got pregnant 2 more times after she was 12 months. I had another early miscarriage and am now 20 weeks pregnant with my son. This is my fifth pregnancy and definitely my last. Due to the high risk and my previous experiences I don't want any more surprises! So far my pregnancy is normal but I have been advised to be reasonable with the amount of walking I do but continue my day to day activities as normal. I have hope that I will have a healthy baby and can't wait to meet him. Have hope and don't give up trying no matter how difficult it gets. Miracles do happen!
Hey everyone.. I just created an account just so I can post on the subject because I find all of your story's very heartbreaking, heartwarming, and Imspiring.. I am 25 yeArs old and a little over a year ago I had an HSG done just to see how everything was functioning since my mother had PCOS and my sister, endometriosis.. The procedure was the most excruciating test I thought I'd ever received.. Almost indicative of my soon to come results. The test showed that I have an asymmetric bicornuate uterus and a blocked left Fallopian tube.. I was devastated.. I didn't know where to turn or who to talk to.. And really still don't. My husband and I haven't quite decided we YES we are going to TTC, although we haven't been preventing it.. And haven't for about two years.. I had alot of stress for the most part of that time and my cycles basically stopped, or would come every few months so I figured that was the reason we had not "accidentally" conceived. And maybe since the cycles returned to basically normal (have always had very irregular cycles) things will look up.. But recently, over the past month, I have returned to my distraughtness over the idea I wont be able to give us a child at all. I mean the we kinda figured when it happens, we're ready.. But didn't discuss IF it happens.. And I have no one to pour these emotions onto.. My doctor said there is hope and it is possible with various treatments.. and from you all, who have struggled so much and most have overcome, I am beginning to believe it is.. But I still feel deformed, and worthless as a female.. And am terribly scared of the complications I'm almost destined to face.
So - I did want to update that a year after posting on here in 08, I was a mom. I am now spending Christmas with my amazing 2 year old. It hasn't been all easy, we are still paying on our IVF debt, and have had miscarriages since. But with IVF we conceived through PCOS, and the bicornate didn't have any adverse affect on the pregnancy.
I got back on to write Meladozik - I was young and terrified. And my husband was still saying "when" we were ready, and not really feeling ready. It was really hard, and while I was a wreck we had to talk about what our options were, and what our boundaries were. I didn't want to go making decisions in desperation, and wanted to know we were both ready to try ivf, both willing to consider adoption later on.
The turning point for me was getting a card from my gyn to a fertility clinic, and instead of a lot of maybes or what ifs, I had answers. And while I finally had answers when I was ready to do the ivf, it is at least a way to know your next step when you are ready. Also, don't just go to whatever one, look at experience and think about how you feel. I've had the best experience with mine and I know that they put a lot of effort into dealing with people who are falling apart and want to make people feel better.
Good luck to everyone, and know that this moment of shock diagnosis is not the end, but the beginning of a new journey. Work through with yourself and your partner how much you want kids, when you want them by, and what you're willing to do (and spend) to get em. I am so very glad I found out early (in my 20s) and had time to work through it in my own way.
I cannot believe I have not seen this website until today. SO encouraging! I was diagnosed with a UU in late 2009. It is on my left side, with an ovary, but not connected. I have an ovary on my right side, but it is up by my ribs. I do not have a right kidney. I have been through IVF and FET's since with no luck. My RE will only transfer 1 embryo per transfer given the size of my uterus. We are now proceeding with looking for a surrogate. After reading some of the comments on this thread, I am almost wanting to try some more myself. I am in the Chicagoland area, wondering if anyone has any success stories with specific Dr.'s or clinics? Maybe I need to try a new RE?? I am 36 and the pressure with wanting a family, and getting older and seeing the years just pass by is really stressing me out. Is it too much to want to experience pregnancy? Is it too much to want a baby? I am near desparation, hence why we are searching for a Gestational Surrogate.
Thank you to all with UU's out there that have posted. You have made me hopeful and boosted up my spirits. I wish all of you the best of luck!
Can anyone give me sites to go to, where we can chat or help find more women with UU's to connect with?
I have a left unicornuate uterus with 2 ovaries, but only the left side attaches. No renal abnormalities. I was diagnosed in 2008 after a year of TTC.
After the diagnosis I spoke with my fertility doctors and they recomended getting a transabdominal cerclage (TAC) placed prior to starting any IVF treatments. This is a permanent "band" that goes around your cervix to keep it from dilating too early. I decided to get it done because I did not want to go through all the stress of IVF only to be scared my entire pregnancy of my cervix dilating too soon.
I live in PA but was referred to Dr. Arthur Haney at the University of Chicago Hospital to do my surgery. He is a phenomenal man and is basically the best at this procedure.
So fast forward a few years, and I am now 37 weeks pregnant with my first baby... a girl!! I have had a wonderful pregnancy, although I am currently struggling with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) which is an issue for women with a Unicornuate Uterus. My baby is below the 10th% for weight, but is still thriving, so we are just watching til my c-section at 39 weeks.
Just wanted to share my story because I know how stressful it can be when you feel like you are the only one with IF issues. Good luck to everyone!!!
I am a 30 and was diagnosed with left unicornuate uterus approx 2 years ago after suffering through four miscarriages. I have two ovaries but only the left side is connected. When I was diagnosed, I was told that UU does not cause miscarriages, but rather can cause pre-term birth and a higher risk of c-section due to breech positioning. This of course had me still wondering why I was having repeat miscarriages.
My husband and I wanted to become parents so bad that we never gave up trying to conceive, but we took a break for about 10 months while I lost 65 lbs because my weight was the only thing we could think of that was maybe preventing us from carrying a baby to term. When we started trying again, it took eight months since I only had a "good" ovulation every other month being that my right ovary was not connected.
I was terrified every day that this pregnancy wouldn't last just as the others because the only thing that had changed was my weight. Our doctor had a very close eye on us checking HCG counts weekly and having an ultrasound at 6 and 8 weeks to check for growth progress. After the 8 wk u/s where we saw the heartbeat we had a long three week wait to actually hear the heartbeat. I tried not to freak out when the heartbeat was not detected via doppler at 11 weeks. I was immediately sent to another u/s due to my history (even though it's common not to hear a heartbeat at 11 weeks). I was so happy when the u/s tech found a heartbeat immediately. This was the first time that we saw a heartbeat this far along.
After consulting with the doctor, we decided that I would get weekly progesterone injections in an effort to keep the pregnancy progressing (weeks 16-34). He also warned me that I would probably be put on some form of bed rest at 25 weeks to lessen the risks of pre-term labor. My doctor has been saying all along that I would DEFINITELY be having an early baby. Specifically between 25 and 34 weeks and that if I made it to 36 weeks that someone should make me a cake for a celebration.
I cannot believe it, and I am so thrilled to say that everything about this pregnancy has actually been "normal." No complications whatsoever and our baby has actually been measuring 1-2 weeks bigger at every u/s. We are now 35.5 weeks pregnant. I never thought that I was going to go through all of the milestones and blessings of having a child. The first movements in my belly were so special...even now when they are painful it still makes me smile.
I just wanted to let you all know that UU does not mean you cannot have a child on your own. Sure there are some risks, but I've read a lot of blogs about this condition and I see that a lot of women didn't even know they had it until after having one or multiple children.
Don't give up hope!
I also have a unicornuate uterus (although thankfully I have two kidneys) and when you described your experience in the recovery room it matched mine almost exactly. We are pursuing adoption to grow our family. Good luck with IVF, I'll be praying for your success.
Katie
www.waitgain.blogspot.com
I'm 27 will be 28 in aug and have been undergoing numerous tests due to birth defects. My ob gyn mentioned to me that it was possible that I have a heart shaped uterus today 7.10.12 I got a call from the nurse t my gi doc to tell me the results of my ct scan that of which is the unicornuate uterus . I was born with no left kidney so i was aware of that part already. Even though you know these are possibilities actually hearing the news hurts so bad . The thought of all the difficulties from not conceiving to miss carrying its hard to cope with any advice out there..?
I'm currently 34 and I was diagnosed with a UU during my c-section of our first son (at 32) after my water broke at 37 weeks. He was 7lbs and 5 oz... very healthy. After breast feeding for 9 months and then resuming my cycle, we immediately got pregnant with our 2nd baby girl. I'm currently 35 weeks and holding strong! Our first was breeched and she is transverse head down. I didn't really do any research on this until after I was pregnant with our girl. I have no idea if I have one or 2 kidneys but getting that checked out after this birth just so I know. There was some concern about my cervix since I had leep surgery 2 years prior, but I was on so many good supplements with had a ton of folic acid in them my cervix is long and strong prayerfully. I'm blessed beyond measure to have had 1 successful pregnancy and prayerfully this one will be just as beautiful as the last. I will say it's best to relax and rest as much as possible in your 3rd trimester. It's hard with another toddler running around and still working part time, but I know it's so much better for my body and the baby knowing what I know now about having a UU.
This is an amazing blog and I am so happy I found it. I was diagnosed with uu in December 2009. My first son was born premature at only 26 weeks in August 2007 and only survived 7 days. I was on bed rest for a few weeks leading up to his birth. I found out after the emergency csection of my second son at 37 weeks due to breech presentation and my water breaking that I have uu. I was monitored every 2 weeks and taking weekly progesterone shots to try and prevent preterm birth. We were successful and now have an amazing toddler who is almost 3! Now my hubby and I are beginning the process to try for another but I am a bit scared. How can half a uterus stretch, get cut open, sewn back together and stretch again? How many have had a successful 2nd or 3rd pregnancy with uu after csection?
Hi Christy,
I have a uu (2 tubes, 2 ovaries, 2 kidneys and normal cervix) and have had two successful pregnancies and deliveries. Baby #1 was conceived on our honeymoon and I found out about my uu at 11 weeks. I was monitored closely and made it to my scheduled c-section at 39 weeks. Baby boy #1 was 6lbs, 1 oz and totally healthy. Since the doctors weren't sure how difficult it would be for me to conceive again, we started trying for #2 sooner rather than later. We conceived baby #2 after 1 month of trying when baby #1 was only 10 months. I went into pre-term labor with baby #2 at 32 weeks. I was put on bedrest and ended up delivering baby #2 via c-section at 36 weeks. He was 5lbs 9oz and is now a healthy 8 month old. I am grateful that we had two almost back-to-back healthy pregnancies b/c I know that isn't often the case. If I had to go back and do pregnancy #2 over again, I would have taken it much easier. Hope this helps!
I found out I had UU (with only left functioning ovary and tube and both kidneys)during my csection of my first son b/c he was breech at 36 weeks and I had preeclampsia. He was 6lbs 12 oz and is now almost 4 years old. I had first gotten pregnant after one month of trying and soon after had a miscarriage. I got pregnant with my son during the second month of trying. I then got pregnant with my daughter (who is now 2) when my son turned one and had no problem conceiving right away. She was also breech but I started having contractions at 37 weeks and was taken for a csection right away. She ended up being 8 lbs 6oz despite her being a little early. During the second csection I was told my uterus was REALLY thin and they were worried about me having any more (risk of uterine rupture, preterm labor, early delivery). I am now thinking about #3 and wondering if anyone has had 3 successful csections and carried to term. Thanks!
I was diagnosed with UU in 2010, while trying to diagnose reasons for secondary infertility. My son is 5 years old and was born via Csection at 37 weeks due to breech presentation. We have been trying to get pregnant for 4 years now with no luck. Went through 4 IUI's and just found out a few days ago that our second attempt at IVF has failed. Wondering why I can't get pregnant again...so heartbreaking and frustrating!
It's been years since I first found this blog when I was completely devastated about the news that I have a unicornuate uterus (and one fallopian tube). My infertility specialist at the time suggested I had a 10% chance of conceiving by IVF and it was likely the only way I would conceive (as I also have PCOS). Two months later after having been told I'd failed a clomid cycle, I was actually pregnant! My son was born 38 weeks later. He was breech and thus I had a c-section - and we tried a version that didn't succeed - but both pregnancy and birth were amazing. Three years later, after a year of a more challenging time trying to conceive my second child and ultimately succeeding with IVF, I have a beautiful baby girl born at 37 week (because I had gestational hypertension).
The truth is that there is amazing variation amongst women and our bodies and this diagnosis is likely one that many more women have but never know because they do, in fact, have healthy term pregnancies and vaginal births so no one knows. Yet the limited research and some reported bad outcomes lead many health professionals to make quick, negative judgements about our prospects for reproductive success.
When I sought a second opinion about the prospects for my pregnancy by a high risk obstetrician during my first pregnancy (and I felt I was walking on egg shells praying every day that I could keep the pregnancy one day longer, one day longer), she said "you have one of the least concerning problems among uterine anomalies and your chances for carrying this baby to term are extremely high".
I am elated to see after a few years how many more women have posted to this blog and the success stories I'm reading. I hope that someone who is in tears now, as I was when I first sought out information, finds hope here. Keep trying as long as you have the will to do so.
After a few years of ttc my husband and I fell pg in July 2012. At my 8 week ob appt. my Dr. performed a transvaginal u/s and said it looked like I had a BU. Around 31 weeks the baby slowly started measuring behind and was diagnosed with IUGR. I was induced at 37 weeks and in labor for 26 hours, finally ending in a c-section for failure to progress. During my surgery my Dr. informed me I had a UU instead (right horn w/ Fallopian tube and ovary, nothing on the left side, severe endometriosis and normal kidneys). My baby boy was 5lb.8.7oz. and spent four days in the NICU for hypoglycemia. Today he is a healthy and happy 6 week old and weighs in at 8lb.3.5oz. I'm so incredibly grateful to have been given the gift of motherhood. I loved being pregnant and hope to someday experience again. On a side note, I was 32 when we conceived and 33 when I delivered. Good luck to those f you ttc...there is so much hope for us now.
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