Uterus Didelphys – My Birth Story.

If you have read my previous blog – Uterus Didelphys 3rd trimester – you will know that I was booked in for an elective cesarean section at 39+2 weeks, which would have been the 24th July. This was a decision that was made purely for the safety of me and my baby due to my condition Uterus Didelphys and also because my baby was breech.

I had signed the consent forms at my last appointment with my consultant and I had read through the paperwork that went through the process of an elective c section.

I felt ready but also nervous, the main thing that I was nervous about was having the spinal anaesthetic in theatre. But I had managed to put it to the back of my mind, thinking I had several weeks before I would be going in to hospital!

Well it turns out my little one had other ideas… on Saturday 13th July at 06:45, my waters broke as I got out of bed. I was 37+5 weeks pregnant.

I wasn’t having any contractions, so I got myself ready (ish) – minimal makeup and threw my hair up in a bun!

The feeling of leaving the house that morning was so surreal- knowing that whatever happened we would be coming home with our baby. We even had time to take some selfies and one final bump picture!

Because I was not having contractions and I was still a few weeks early, they decided the best plan would be to give me steroid injections to help the baby’s lungs; one in the morning (it was around 8am by this point) and another one 12 hours later, leave me overnight and do the c section on the Sunday (14th July), unless I went into labour…

I was sent down to another ward where it was just a waiting game!

At 11:30 I felt my first contraction. It was small and didn’t last for long. My husband started to keep a note on his phone of the time in between contractions. They were about 15 minutes apart to start with and the midwife started to monitor the contractions so she could show the consultant that I was in labour – once she had the proof I would be able to have the c section that day!

The monitor wasn’t picking up my contractions to start with – even though they were getting stronger and more often! We had to reposition the monitor more to my left (baby was in the left womb) and once it had been repositioned it started picking up the contractions. By this time they were getting stronger and more often.

I was sent up to the labour ward where I was given a gown and surgical stockings to put on and my husband was given scrubs to put on in preparation for the surgery. This was approximately 3pm.

An hour went by, contractions still getting stronger, being told every 10 minutes ‘you’re due in theatre next so it shouldn’t be long’….

Another 3 hours went by… contractions still getting stronger and now roughly every 30 seconds. The midwife suggested I try some gas and air – up to this point I hadn’t had any pain relief – so from 19:00 I started with the gas and air.

We were finally taken into theatre at 20:30, where we were greeted by the lovliest team. I could see everyone getting ready – cleaning their hands/arms and scrubbing up.

It was time for the spinal anaesthetic to be administered, the part I had been so nervous about… surprisingly, it really did just feel like a ‘scratch’ and the steroid injection I was given that morning hurt ALOT more than the spinal block!

As soon as I laid back on the table all the pain was completely gone and I felt completely relaxed.

The actual c section procedure was great, the anesthesiologist and his assisant were both amazing at keeping me and my husband calm, making jokes and keeping us updated as our baby was delivered.

The lovely midwife even went to tell my Mum who was waiting in the labour room that the baby had arrived safely.

20:40 – blade to skin

20:47 – blade to uterus

20:48 – baby delivered

20:50 – placenta delivered

Sienna Paula Dee Uzzell

13/07/19 at 20:48 weighing 5lbs12oz.

Uterus Didelphys – 3rd Trimester.

I am writing this blog at 36 weeks… I can’t explain how happy i feel to have made it this far and in only 3 days I will be officially classed as ‘full term’!

At our first growth scan (28 weeks) my consultant told me I could go into labour at any point. So 8 weeks later, sat at home on maternity leave, it feels extra special that baby has kept put and is still doing well.

A real achievement with Uterus Didelphys. 😊

• 28 week growth scan:

I was so nervous about our first growth scan, I knew that from this stage onwards I was going to be monitored closley along with the baby. But the fear of the unknown was definitely the worst part for me.

We were told at the scan that baby was measuring slightly small – but not too small that it was anything to worry about. This appointment was also the first time we met our Consultant. He was absolutely amazing and still to this day is the only medical professional who has managed to make me feel completely comfortable and at ease about my pregnancy. I felt absolutely relaxed and happy that he would be making big decisions regarding delivery.

He told us that the risks going forward from 28 weeks was mainly a high risk of premature labour, or that I would get to ‘full term’ and baby would be stuck in the breech position, due to not having enough space to move around. But all in all it was a positive appointment and I was booked in for my next scan in 4 weeks time.

Bump at 31 weeks pregnant.

At 31 weeks I attended the assessment centre as after my routine midwife appointment there was some concern as to if my waters were leaking.

Me and the baby were monitored for several hours, and then they performed a test to confirm if my waters were leaking or not. Thankfully the test came back negative!

However, there was a lot of confusion among the Doctors and Midwives regarding my condition – I was even told they had been googling it… not the most reassurring thing! I was then told that the exact details of my condition had not been recorded on my file and that there was contradictory findings from different professionals over the years…

Even though I had the Uterus Didelphys diagnosis, they were unsure if I had just the 1 cervix, or if there was 2 cervixes, or 2 cervixes with a vaginal septum!

In a way, it’s not surprising that there was a lot of confusion from the members of staff – partly because the condition is rare and partly because my actual notes contradicted themselves.

Even though it was a difficult situation to be in, we both didn’t feel comfortable leaving the hospital at this point. Even though we knew my waters hadn’t broken, we didn’t feel 100% happy that there wasn’t anything else that had possibly been missed.

After raising our concerns with one of the lovely Midwives, she arranged for a Consultant to see me before I was allowed to go home.

I was reassured that the discrepancies would be explored and the exact details of my condition confirmed at my following appointment with my Consultant and then a birth plan discussed according to the findings.

Bump at 32 weeks pregnant.

• 32 weeks growth scan:

Everything was good again at our 32 week scan, baby still on the smaller side – but not too small!! We were able to see the baby’s face so clearly at this scan, it was amazing and definitely made everything feel more real.

After being examined by the Consultant he confirmed I have 2 cervixes along with a partial vaginal septum that then leads to 1 vagina. Due to the partial septum, I was strongly advised a c-section birth would be the safest option both for me and the baby.

The risk of a natural delivery with my anomaly is mainly a high risk of baby getting stuck- and if this was to happen then the partial vaginal septum could tear or need to be cut by the Doctors. There would then be a high risk of haemorrhage or high blood loss.

As much as I would have loved to be able to have a natural delivery, I would much rather listen to the experts and I would always have mine and my baby’s health and safety as my main priority over any idea of an ‘ideal birth plan’.

Bump at 35 weeks pregnant.

• 36 weeks growth scan:

Our final scan before our little one makes an appearance!

Baby was facing away from us at this scan and the ultrasound tech was struggling to record all the measurements needed so we didn’t get as much chance to be able to look at the baby this time which was a shame – but baby was measuring absolutely fine again, which is all that matters, still on the smaller side, but still not too small that we need to worry.

Baby is also still breech- but this was as expected.

We saw the Consultant again and he booked us in for the c-section at 39+2 weeks.

It is such a surreal thing having a date that you’re going to have your baby!

But the Consultant also reiterated that I could still go into labour at any time – so if this was to happen I would need to attend hospital straight away and then a c-section would be performed there and then.

So now it is just a waiting game. I am really hoping I can make it to our planned c-section date. But our little one may have other ideas!

But knowing that whatever happens…this time in 3 weeks we will be parents is such a surreal feeling. It’s scary and exciting at the same time!

For anyone at the beginning of their pregnancy with Uterus Didelphys, I hope this has helped reassure you that it is possible to make it to the end and grow a healthy baby.

Although the risks are still there and I know every situation is different – it is possible.

Completely Katie

x

Uterus Didelphys – Weeks 10-26 of my Pregnancy.

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone that read my first blog.

All the messages of support have been really encouraging and I have even had messages from around 10 different women from several countries who have Uterus Didelphys, who have either recently had a baby, or who are currently pregnant too. Its been so interesting learning about their experiences and they’ve been able to give me some insight of what possibly to expect going forward.

So again, thank you for reading!

From 10 weeks pregnant:

At 10 weeks, my morning sickness started… it was so bad when we went for our 12 week scan I couldn’t properly enjoy watching the baby on the scan – as soon as I knew everything was okay, I just wanted to go home and sleep!

After the scan I saw my consultants team for the first time. I was seen by a lovely Doctor and a few trainees who came to observe!

Due to the Factor V Leiden blood clotting condition, they started me on Clexane injections as a preventative precaution. I have to inject once daily until the baby is born and potentially for a short time after delivery depending on how the little one makes their entrance!

The Doctor explained that due to the Uterus Didelphys I would need closley monitoring during the 3rd trimester, this is due to the fact that the womb the baby is in is half the size of a normal womb, so there is a chance that my womb might not stretch as much as a full sized womb would. This could bring about difficulties as the baby grows bigger towards the end of pregnancy; such as the baby running out of space to move around, potentially ending up with the baby being stuck in the breach position, or possibly triggering preterm labour.

I was told to also expect a higher amount of ‘false labour’ contractions and also to be prepared that I could naturally go into labour any time from around 34 weeks.

It was a lot of information to take in, but I was booked in for growth scans every 4 weeks, starting at 28 weeks so they can monitor how much space the baby has and to determine if a c-section delivery will be best.

I was also told that if at any point I notice the baby moving less or the pattern of movement changing at all then to attend the assessment centre at the hospital.

I have to say this appointment put my mind at ease a lot and made me feel a lot more positive about the pregnancy as a whole.

Baby Uzzell at 12 weeks 2 days.

At 15 weeks I felt the first tiny little kicks. I wasn’t 100% sure until the kicks started to get stronger, but at around 18 weeks the kicks were visible and unmistakable! Our little one even had their own movement pattern from around 18 weeks, including wriggling and sticking out, making for a very uneven bump on occasions….

Bump pictured at 19 weeks.

(Disclaimer: bruises are from the Clexane injections).

I also began to experience sciatic nerve pain – only on the left hand side – caused by the baby pressing down on the nerve. It can get incredibly painful and a few times caused me to be unable to walk until the baby moved off of the nerve!

Although I was nervous for our 20 week scan, everything was measuring perfectly and it was great to see that our little one still had plenty of room to be wriggling and bouncing around – the ultrasound tech also informed me that I have a posterior facing placenta, so this is why I felt the movement quite early on and the kicks were visible so early!

20 week scan below.

Bump at 22 weeks.

At 24 weeks, I had a day where I only felt the odd kick and a definite lack in normal movements throughout the day – I went up to the assessment centre to get everything checked out. My main worry was about the baby running out of space and this causing a lack in movement… the midwife listened to the babies heartbeat and confirmed everything was okay but reassurred me to come back at any time if the same happens again.

As soon as I got home, baby was back to moving around as much as normal and since then their movement pattern has remained the same.

I feel really lucky that so far everything has gone so smoothly, I have to admit that heading into my third trimester the nerves are starting to creep in again, but I think I will feel reassurred once I see my consultant again at my first growth scan in 2 weeks.

From speaking with other women with UD, I’m very aware of the real citcumstances that could occur going forward, many deliveries end up being a scheduled c-section any time from 37 weeks, but I have also spoken to women who have managed to deliver naturally – I don’t particularly prefer either option at the moment, just whatever will be safest for the baby and for me. Hopefully this will be clearer in the coming weeks.

Thank you again for taking the time to read this blog.

Katie

x

My journey with Uterus Didelphys.

I want to share the story of my diagnoses and also document my pregnancy journey with Uterus Didelphys. The main reason i am sharing my journey is because when i was diagnosed with UD, i was trying to research as much information as i possibly could… with not much luck. So even if my journey can help 1 other woman going through pregnancy with UD, I can sleep easy at night!

Being diagnosed with Uterus Didelphys.

Weeks 4-10 of pregnancy.

I have always suffered with really horrendous period pain, to the point that every month i would have at least 2-3 days off school. I would be doubled over in pain and i would always be sick from the pain in my younger years.

During my young teens i was referred for an Ultrasound scan to rule out any cysts and to investigate the possibility of endometriosis. I cant remember exactly how old i was, but from the scan i was told what i ‘most likely’ had was a Bicornuate Uterus. However, there was still no explanation for the pain i was going through.

By this point i was controlling my pain with contraception, initially the mini pill – until it was discovered i have a blood clotting disorder callled Factor V Leiden which basically increases your risk of developing a blood clot, so my contraception was then changed to the Depo Provera Injection. I was on this from age 18-22.

After coming off of the Depo Injection to start ‘trying’ for a baby, the horrendous period pain returned. It was getting to the point where in the week leading up to my period i would be so down, feeling anxious and upset at knowing how much pain i was going to be in. So i decided to return to the doctors as i still had no answers. I had moved GPs and was lucky enough to find a GP that really understood what i was going through and was quick to refer me once again for more investigative scans.

As part of my referral she had to examine me, and it was then that she said ‘did you know you have 2 cervix?’ Which i obviously did not know! It was then that she began to tell me about Uterus Didelphys. It was the first time i had ever heard of it, a double womb. 2 wombs. 2 wombs usually half the size of a normal womb.

She referred me for the Ultrasound scan with specific instructions to investigate the possibility of Uterus Didelphys.

3 days before my scan, i found out i was pregnant! I arrived for the scan and informed the staff that i was around 4 weeks pregnant, it was too eary to see the baby on the scan. But they confirmed i had Uterus Didelphys, 2 seperate wombs and 2 cervix (It is possible to have 2 vaginas with this condition, but i just have the 1!). They also confirmed that the uterus lining was thick in both wombs, a positive sign for the recently discovered pregnancy. I was told at this appointment that it would be unkown how the UD would affect my pregnancy and it would just be a waiting game to discover the viability of the baby.

My first midwife appointment was at 6 weeks, due to the recent diagnoses of Uterus Didelphys and also the Factor V Leiden blood clotting disorder i was informed i would be Consultant lead throughout my pregnancy; I have to say i was relieved as the midwives i saw did not know anything about Uterus Didelphys and could not answer any questions i had regarding it, but i was reassured that my consultant would be able to answer all my questions at my 12 week scan.

Due to a small bleed at 7 weeks, we booked in to have a private scan, i still had no sickness and my only symptom at this stage was tiredness, so I felt i needed a bit of reassurance and we both just wanted to see our little baby.

It was probably the most nerve wrecking experience of my life, laying down on the bed and waiting for the lovely midwife to tell us the news.

She turned the screen round and said ‘there’s your baby!’

A little 8 week fetus, shaped like a little peanut with it’s heart beating away. Settled comfortably in my left womb. By far the best thing i have ever seen.

The lady we had the scan with was absolutely amazing, she was a trained midwife and knew so much about UD, but said over her career of 20 something years, she had only ever scanned 5 women with the condition! She showed us on the scan where my left uterus ended and where my right uterus started…. as she moved over to the right uterus she said the lining was also thick inside that womb. She found a pregnancy sac in the right womb but no visible baby.

Due to the UD, it would be completely possible to conceive 2 baby’s, 1 in each womb, with completely different conception dates.

She explained the pregnancy sac in the right womb could be a second baby with a later conception date, so it might just be too early to see this baby on the scan… or it may be the beginning of the ‘breaking down’ of the pregnancy in the right womb. We were booked in 2 weeks later to confirm if there was 1 or 2 baby’s in there.

It was a bizzare feeling to come away with, we were obviously completely over the moon to see our beautiful healthy baby growing away in the left womb. But for those 2 weeks there was a constant niggle in my head about the baby that was in the right womb. Maybe this explained the small bleed i had at 7 weeks? Maybe that was the beginning of me losing that baby? Maybe the baby is fine and just a week or 2 behind the baby in the left womb?

There was also the scared feeling of how my body would cope if there was a baby in each womb, would there be enough room to carry both babies to a healthy term?

My husband Liam was amazing and understood my thoughts and feelings but helped me focus my energy on the little life that we knew was growing in my left womb.

We went back at 10 weeks pregnant and the midwife confirmed the pregnancy sac in the right womb was breaking down and the baby had sadly not continued to develop.

But we got to see our left womb baby again and the difference in the 2 weeks was astounding, it was no longer a little peanut with a heartbeat, it now looked like a baby! Kicking away and throwing its arms around.

Again, bitter sweet emotions, but the overriding feeling of joy that we had finally made it to this point and our baby was developing as it should be at this early stage and seeing its heart beating is really the best thing in the world.

I was ready now to see my consultant at 12 weeks to find out more about how UD could affect my pregnancy.

My next blog will go through weeks 12-20 of pregnancy.

Katie x