Uterus Didelphys: 5 Surprising Facts About Having Two Wombs

Many human organs come in twos; kidneys, eyes, ears, hands and legs but Uteruses? albeit extremely rare — women can have dual uterus, or in layman’s language: two wombs.

LEADERSHIP had earlier shared the story of  Kelsey Hatcher, a 32-year-old American woman from Alabama who was born with two uteruses, and recently welcomed the birth of twin girls on different days. Roxi Layla, the first of the twins, arrived on Tuesday at 7:49 pm (0149 GMT), followed by Rebel Laken on Wednesday at 6:09 am.

What is Uterus didelphys?

Uterus didelphys is a rare condition that causes a person to develop two uteruses or two wombs. LEADERSHIP reports that uterus is the medical term for the womb. It is also the Latin word for womb.

According to Mayo Clinic, women who have a double uterus often have successful pregnancies but the condition increases the chances of a miscarriage or premature birth. The cause of this anomaly remains unknown. 

As news of a 32-year-old American woman who gave birth to two healthy daughters in two days made international headlines, here are five shocking facts about Uterine didelphys

1. It has been estimated to occur in one out of 3,000 women.

2. It is slightly more frequent within the population of women with a history of abortion and infertility. 

3. Cesarean section was performed in 82% of patients. 

4. It may go undetected in the absence of medical and reproductive complications.

5. Babies could be born months apart as in the case of a Romanian woman, Maricia Tescu of Iasi, who gave birth to a premature son on December 11, 2004. Her second baby boy was born via C-section at full term 59 days later, in early February 2005.