Alabama Woman with Dual Uteruses Delivers Healthy Twins

TL/DR –

Kelsey Hatcher from Alabama recently gave birth to two babies who developed in separate uteruses, a condition known as uterus didelphys that occurs in one in every million pregnancies. The first baby, Roxi, was delivered naturally followed by a C-section the next morning for the second baby, Rebel. Hatcher, who already has three other children, was born with this rare condition that increased her chances of miscarriages and premature births, however, all her pregnancies have been without complications.

Alabama Woman Delivers Twins from Separate Uteruses

Kelsey Hatcher delivered twins last week, a rare event as she was pregnant with two fetuses in separate uteruses, a condition that occurs in one of every million pregnancies. After seven months of preparation, doctors successfully delivered the babies, with Roxi, from Hatcher’s right uterus, born on Tuesday and Rebel, from the left uterus, delivered via Caesarean section the next morning.

Hatcher, her husband Caleb, and the fraternal twins returned to their Dora, Ala., home on Friday to spend their first Christmas together. Hatcher was born with a rare condition called uterus didelphys, which forms two uterine cavities, increasing her chances of miscarriages and premature births. Despite this, she and her husband had two daughters and a son born without complications.

In March, Hatcher unexpectedly became pregnant with what she and Caleb initially thought was their fourth child. However, they soon discovered through an ultrasound that there were fetuses in both of Hatcher’s uteruses. Hatcher said she laughed in disbelief. She started feeling both fetuses kicking about 16 weeks into her pregnancy and learned that the babies could arrive hours, days or weeks apart.

With the goal of spending Christmas together as a family, Hatcher wanted to have both babies before the holiday. Her original delivery date was Dec. 22, but her doctors moved the date in hope of meeting her goal. At the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) hospital, doctors gave her Pitocin, a labor-induction drug, to prompt contractions in both uteruses. Doctors monitored both fetuses through ultrasounds to judge which baby should be delivered first.

Doctors noticed that the fetus in the right uterus was further along and hours later, Roxi, who weighed 7 pounds and 7 ounces, was born at 7:45 p.m. However, the fetus in the left uterus wasn’t dropping into Hatcher’s pelvis, leading the doctor to suggest a C-section. The next morning, Rebel was born at 6:10 a.m., weighing 7 pounds and 3½ ounces. “There was more cheering, clapping and crying. I carried Rebel above Roxi’s bassinet so the sisters could meet,” said Patel, Hatcher’s obstetrician at UAB.

After Hatcher returned to her recovery room, she held the babies together for the first time. When Hatcher lays Roxi and Rebel beside each other, she said, they inch closer and touch each other. Hatcher believes that the twins have a unique bond. “There’s that connection there. How strong it will be as they grow up, we’ll see, but they definitely have a bond,” she said.

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