In a remarkable medical event, Kelsey Hatcher, a 32-year-old woman from the United States with a rare condition known as uterus didelphys, has given birth to twins on two separate days. This extraordinary occurrence took place at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Hospital, where Ms. Hatcher underwent a total of 20 hours of labor to deliver her daughters.
Announced on social media as her “miracle babies”, Ms. Hatcher’s twins are described as fraternal and uniquely have separate birthdays. The family, elated by this rare event, is now back home, enjoying the holiday season. What was initially expected to be a Christmas delivery turned into an earlier surprise for the Hatcher family.
A UAB obstetrician, According to BBC, mentioned that cases like Ms. Hatcher’s are incredibly rare, often being a ‘once in a career’ experience for medical professionals. Diagnosed with uterus didelphys at the age of 17, Ms. Hatcher belongs to the 0.3% of women affected by this congenital anomaly. The chances of a double uterus pregnancy with twins, as in her case, are even slimmer, estimated at “one in a million.”
Despite having three previous healthy pregnancies, this particular pregnancy was a shock for Ms. Hatcher. Initially, she believed to be pregnant in just one uterus until a routine ultrasound revealed the presence of another baby in the second uterus. “I gasped… We just could not believe it,” she recalled.
Documenting her unique pregnancy journey on Instagram, Ms. Hatcher shared updates and expressed her astonishment at how far they had come. Prof Richard Davis, who co-managed the delivery at UAB, highlighted that each baby had its own womb, allowing more space for growth compared to a typical twin pregnancy.
The labor was induced at 39 weeks, necessitating double monitoring, charting, and staffing due to the unique circumstances. Dr. Shweta Patel from UAB’s obstetrics and gynecology team noted the lack of substantial evidence or data for such cases, requiring the application of knowledge from typical pregnancies.
The twins, named Roxi and Rebel, were delivered through different methods. Roxi arrived vaginally on December 19th at 19:45 local time, followed by Rebel, who was delivered via C-section more than 10 hours later. Prof Davis explained that the girls could be classified as fraternal twins, each developing from a separate egg and fertilized by separate sperm.
“At the end of the day, it was two babies in one belly at the same time,” he said. “They just had different apartments.”
This rare and fascinating case of a double uterus pregnancy resulting in twins with separate birthdays adds a remarkable chapter to medical and birth histories, showcasing the wonders and complexities of human reproduction.