Kelsey Hatcher, a 32-year-old mom of three was born with a rare uterine anomaly called uterus didelphys, or two uteruses. However, she was not diagnosed with the condition until last spring, when she discovered she was pregnant – in each uterus.

Hatcher said her husband almost didn’t believe her.

“He said: ‘You’re lying,’ I said: ‘No, I’m not,” Hatcher told NBC News.

Uterus didelphys affects about 0.3% of women. The abnormality forms in the female embryo very early in development, around eight weeks gestation, according to fertility researchers.

  • Rapidcreek@reddthat.com
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    9 months ago

    For med school students who waste time here. A question.

    These are not technically twins, right?

    • bcron@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Not a med school student but fraternal twins come from 2 separate zygotes - 2 different eggs and 2 different sperm cells. If you disregard the whole ‘two uteri’ aspect they’d be twins, fraternal twins, dizygotic. It’s all two eggs being fertilized at the same time, right?

        • Horsey@kbin.social
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          9 months ago

          A natural birth consists of a bunch of hormonal changes that initiate the process (similar to a medically induced abortion); I’d be super surprised if the younger fetus doesn’t abort when the older one is birthed on time.

          • bstix@feddit.dk
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            9 months ago

            I was going to ask if other animals were capable of multiple simultaneous pregnancies, but then I figured I should probably just google it.

            Interestingly I found that it has indeed happened to humans, but it confirms your idea, because in the latest documented example, the children were born at the same time.

            https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superfetation

            • Horsey@kbin.social
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              9 months ago

              All mammals that give birth in litters have one large and “lumpy/compartmentalized” uterus. Opossums (not mammals) for example have a forked reproductive tract which forks in the vaginal canal with two distinct “halves” leading to a different uterine compartment. I don’t think there’s any animal with two completely separate uteruses; please correct me if there is one though 😛

              • idiomaddict@feddit.de
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                9 months ago

                Opossums are mammals, just not placental mammals. Marsupials are in the class of mammals, and kangaroos have two separate uteruses

                • seth@lemmy.world
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                  9 months ago

                  True, and let’s also not leave out our fellow eggy mammals, the magnificent monotremes!

          • Perhyte@lemmy.world
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            9 months ago

            That does not necessarily preclude the younger child’s survival after delivering the older child via C-section though. Presumably if the aim was survival of both fetuses that would be the route taken?

            I’d be more curious how that second pregnancy even happened though. AFAIK a natural conception isn’t usually possible during pregnancy because no eggs are released. It might be possible via IVF or something, but who would you take that risk?

            • Horsey@kbin.social
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              9 months ago

              If they went that route, they’d probably have to block the hormonal pathway associated with labor induction anyway (because as the older fetus ages it will start that cascade toward the end of the pregnancy). Theoretically, I bet you could deliver the oldest with a c-section followed by another’s few months later, but you’re really putting the mother’s life at risk because the healing time between c-sections being 6 weeks at minimum. Continuing the second pregnancy for another 5 months could cause internal bleeding.

        • WeeSheep@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          Pregnancy hormone HCG caused ovulation to stop its normal cycle. Essentially, their are either the same age or the first pregnancy already ended and needs to be removed, but due to complications the younger embryo probably won’t make it either.

      • Rapidcreek@reddthat.com
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        9 months ago

        It’s all two eggs being fertilized at the same time, right?

        According to the article, they didn’t need to be but likely were. Makes sense, thanks.

    • Sagifurius@lemm.ee
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      9 months ago

      Basically, they are only twins if they are born on the same day, because the concept of fraternal twins is basically being born from the same woman on the same day. Identical twins with the split egg after insemination are the only real “twins” biologically (except clones, generally illegal). There’s also roman twins, but those are pretty rare, because it involves a woman releasing two eggs but having intercourse with two different men in a roughly 48 hour time period, resulting in half brother fraternal twins.