A woman in Alabama is pregnant with twins, with one baby growing in each of her two uteruses. This condition is extremely rare, with a 1 in 50 million chance of a woman experiencing a double pregnancy of this type. At 32 years old, Kelsey Hatcher says she’s very blessed to be carrying her twins successfully. She’s known about the double uterus since she was 17 years old, but never expected to have a double pregnancy because of how rare these are.

Hatcher is a fitness coach, and has three children already. A few minor complications with this pregnancy sent her to her OB, where she found out that there was a baby in each uterus. The official name for her double-uterus condition is Uterus Didelphys, and affects only 0.3% of the population. However, most women who have a double uterus never experience the type of pregnancy Hatcher has.

Her babies are both girls, and are considered fraternal twins. They’re growing and developing in a tight space, since each uterus is about half the size of a typical uterus. Two separate eggs and sperm created the babies, which also happens with standard sets of fraternal twins. The only difference in this case is the extra uterus that keeps the babies in their own environments, instead of touching each other.

Hatcher doesn’t have additional risks with her double uterus, so she only needs to focus on the standard risks that come with a pregnancy. Twins in general can increase that risk, and she’s being monitored very carefully in her third trimester. The goal is to ensure the girls are growing like they should, and to talk about the options for delivery. Since double-uterus pregnancies are so uncommon, a high-risk team is working with Hatcher’s OB on all the possibilities that could arise.

Since she already has three children, the plan is to have a standard, natural vaginal delivery. However, there are plenty of factors to think about, and when Hatcher goes into labor she’ll be monitored even more closely in case she needs a Cesarean or other medical intervention to deliver her daughters safely.

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