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July 22nd, 2010
12:51 PM ET
Woman with 2 uteruses carrying a baby in each
A woman who has been pregnant for more than 20 weeks is due to give birth to two babies. But they're not twins, because they’re growing inside separate uteruses and one is four days older. Angie Cromar, a Murray, Utah, woman, was born with two uteruses, according to CNN affiliate KSL. The condition is known as uterus didelphys. Read and watch her video here. CNN.com spoke with Dr. Peter Greenspan, an associate chairman in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, about the condition. He is not involved with Cromar's care. Usually women aren’t even aware they have double uteruses, he said. This condition occurs during fetal development, when the two small tubes that would normally fuse together to create the uterus fail to join. This creates two separate uteruses. Greenspan said he has seen several pregnancies in women with this condition and most of them conceive in one of the organs. “I’ve a patient who had a baby on her right uterus, then come back pregnant years later in the left side and have a baby out of that side. It’s kind of interesting,” he said. While it's rare to conceive in both at the same time, it has happened, he said. Doctors usually don’t remove an extra uterus unless it creates complications such as repeated miscarriages. “The issue is preterm labor, because it is a smaller cavity. It’s half the uterus,” said Greenspan. “There are premature contractions. The other issue is they have trouble and can’t remain pregnant when they get to a certain point because the uterus is too small or too tight.” Cromar, a labor and delivery nurse told KSL that she knew that risk of miscarriage or premature birth is slightly higher in double uterine pregnancies. "I'm a little nervous, just because I know what can happen, but I'm really excited," she said.
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Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love. Recent Comments
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Wishing you a healthy pregnancy and two beauitful healthy babies.
Facinating story. Best of luck to her and wishing a healty pregnancy and children!
not to be a sticker, but it took me all of 2 second to realize that "uteruses" is not a word... the plural of "uterus" is "uteri"
may I suggest finding a dictionary to the "fine" author...
You are so smart..
It's "stickler," grammar police 😉
I love it when the police get "policed" -
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uterus
Either form is fine, according to Merriam Webster. Try being more correct than pompous next time.
Oops...someone isn't feeling so smart now...are they?
I agree with Patrick. I can't stand bad grammar, especially when it comes from the World of Journalism. It takes a few seconds to run an article through a grammar/spell check. If a person who gets paid to write for a living can't be bothered to check his/her article for grammar or spelling errors, then I can't be bothered to read it.
patrick
uteruses and uteriare are both correct. Shouldn't you check before making yourself look silly. BTW it's stickler
Except both uteruses and uteri are accepted plural forms of the word uterus.
lol.....maybe i should spell check myslef:)
uteri
lol.....maybe i should spell check myself:)
uteri
Uteruses is correct professor .... so is uteri.
To paraphrase Shakespeare, "He who [grammar's] sword would bear should be as [correct] as severe!"
same baby daddy then or what?
so are you gonna acknowledge your error, since you were so quick to point out what you thought was someone else's error?
n. pl. u·ter·i (yōō'tə-rī') or u·ter·us·es
A hollow muscular organ located in the pelvic cavity of female mammals in which the fertilized egg implants and develops. Also called womb .
A corresponding part in other animals.
[Middle English, from Latin.]
patrick – You're quick to criticize but slow to respond when your error has been pointed out. C'mon. Man up to it.
Better yet, just check your facts first, the next time around.
Actually, both are correct. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/uterus
Dude, look it up... uteruses is an accepted plural for uterus.
I agree!!!!
eyem gud cpelar
Hahaha! Owned!
You are 100% right
In the medical field, uteri is more scientific and more professional
Maybe it's because Patrick doesn't have a uturus..............................
Chuckle – by the way the plural of "second" is "seconds"
0wned
Well don't forget to renew your Mensa membership!
Good catch, kind of like dice and di , mouse and mice ox and oxen i have heard people say stubborn as oxes
@ Patrick the plural of uterus is uteruses or uteri
Holy effing replies... GEES PEOPLE! You're ALL "stickers". =O
Fire your proofreader. The plural of uterus is uteri.
Actually, uteruses is also acceptable.
Actually uteruses is now considered acceptable just like nauseuos (originally ONLY meaning to cause nausea) is now acceptable to use in place of nauseated (the condition or feeling of nausea). Heh, when someone says he (she) is nauseous, I think to myself, "Yes, you are." An unfortunate side effect of live languages is that they continue to evolve.
REFUDIATE!!!
Jjessica – I'm glad you're not in charge of proofreading.
haha wrong.
is womb or wombs?
Wishing you a healthy pregnancy and delivery. You are special.
Would have been even more interesting if the child in each uterus was concieved with a different father.
I agree Jeff – otherwise the story's not really all that interesting...
I thought this was a very interesting story as it taught me something about the human body which I did not know. In addition, the comments from the readers added a lot to it such as the actual definition of twins and the question about periods complemented the story. Even the debate on the plural of "uterus" was interesting.
Would have been real interesting if it was about NASCAR.
Unbelievable! Small mind would come up with that. Jeez!
actually, the article never claims that they didn't come from different fathers. Although i fail to see why that would be more intersting? Grats to the women on to future children. Ignore this guys commment as he's just jealous you have a close relationship (>1 time per week)
why? So you could call her names like slu t and wh0re? If you want scandal pick up a tabloid paper. This is a medical story, not some sleazy Maury "who's your baby-daddy" crap.
Best of luck to her!
Ummm does that mean she is constantly on her period? Good god, hopefully they occur at the same time of the month.
that's a great question
No she wouldn't have more than one period. A woman's cycle is controlled by the endocrine system, not by the uterus itself. Simply put, glands secrete hormones which tell the uterus and ovaries when to cycle. So in her case both uteri would likely have a cycle at the same time.
So likely no to periods a month. Though the one might suck really badly.
Ok. One period. Got it...
Is the period "double strength"?
I believe the proper punctuation is called a colon :
Actually some women with this condition do have two periods. My mother had this and doctors discovered it because she had two regular periods, each two weeks apart.
Are the docotrs sure the two uteruses/uteri caused the second period or that they were coincidental? Women do have irregular periods with just one uterus
No, I have the same condition and I only get one period a month!
My cousin had the condiition and had to have the 2nd one removed... it was bleeding internally and causing her discomfort (every month for YEARS). That's the only reason they finally found it.
I have a similar physical anomaly, a bicornuate uterus. It's good to see that this is getting press. When I was pregnant I searched frantically on statistics for miscarriage rates and pre term birth weights for people with my condition or similar. At that time very little information was available. I knew my experience was not going to be typical so I wanted to be prepared. Best of luck to her and her new family!
I'm glad that you did well and are willing to share. Our friend (who is in her 70's now) told us her "hush-hush secret". She had 5 healthy children but long ago women's reproductive health was not an open topic. She felt needlessly embarrassed by a medical condition that is probably more common than we realize. I applaud you for educating others.
I too had that condition, I was told my uterus was heart shaped and that the smaller "horn" made it harder to have full term babies. I had three healthy boys only 3 weeks early.
I have a unicornuate uterus (only one side developed). Since, I only had half of a side developed, I carried both my babies on the left side. The left side of my abdomen is now a bit mishapen from that "one sided stretching" but I was lucky not to have any signficant complications. Had to have a C-section, of course, because my first child was breech. My uterus was too small for her to turn when the time came. Both my mom and a maternal aunt have bicornuate uteri.
Good luck! I hope you have healthy, happy, wonderful babies!
Well, yes, they are twins. Fraternal twins.
Technically, they are not even fraternal twins. They weren't conceived at the same time (four days apart) nor do they share same amniotic fluids, etc., which makes them simply siblings, not twins. Fraternal twins must be conceived in the same womb, at the same time. They will share the same space, fluids, blood supply, even some characteristics. Saying these two child are twins is the same as saying any two siblings, born years apart, are twins.
I disagree. They were concieved at different times. They can't be twins, they will be brother and sister.
Actually, fraternal twins are *not* conceived at the exact same time. Conception can happen within minutes to may hours between. Also, fraternal twins *do not* share amniotic fluid or blood supply. Each is in it's own amnioitc sac and has it's own placenta supplying it's blood. I would consider these children fraternal twins because they were carried at the same time within the same mother. Another thought......in a case of some triplets the pregnancy began with two fertilized eggs (fraternal twins) but later (sometimes several days later) one egg splits and creates an identical twin. Would you not consider these children triplets because the third did not exist until days after the first?
I completely agree – these are twins. Fraternal twins are sometimes conceived days apart., and they do not share a placenta or sac. If they were both in the same uterus they would be twins unquestionably? So is it the shared womb which some of you define as "twins"? In which case, do you agree that identical twin embryos could be implanted in separate women and they would not be twins?
These are twins. I have 7 months old fraternal twins and they were conceived a few days apart. At the beginning of my pregnancy I had hemorraging and bleeding around the twins, and doctors followed them very carefully. They were able to tell the conception dates throughout the pregnancy with os scans and measurements and tests. My daughter was actually conceived 3 days after my son. Fraternal twins are usually di di twins, which also means two separte eggs and two separate sacks. Just an FYI
I'm pretty confident they will have the same birth date and the doctors will consider them to be twins.
I agree. How do they even know that the fetuses (feti?) are four days apart? From what I know, they usually are measured via ultrasound technology and compared the size to a universal avearage, which is extremely difficult to do acccurately. Twins frequently measure apart, even if conceived at the exact same time. I gave birth to IVF twins who had the exact same time of conception (in a lab) and they always measured 1-3 weeks apart at any given time during the pregnancy and were 2 lbs apart in weight at birth. So, according to the measurements, they were conceieved at least week apart, which of course was incorrect. It is also pretty much humanly impossible given how the female hormonal balance changes after ovulation and conception to prevent further ovulation and also given the short life span of female egg cells.
@ SMP, great argument. I was convinced this case could not be considered fraternal twins, now I totally believe that they are twins.
Good luck with the pregnancy.
Does that mean, when not pregnant, she could have two separate periods at different times of the month! Yikes!
I just read the article and came across the comment section and could not help but comment about the comments made regarding the writer of this article. While it is true that the plural of uterus can be "uteri", it is also quite common and acceptable for "uteruses" to be used.
Wow pretty amazing stuff! I wish you all the best and that you have two healthy babies. Thanks for sharing your story.
Jeff
Would have been even more interesting if the child in each uterus was concieved with a different father.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Maybe if this were Fox News, but this is CNN.
This is an interesting story, but it's totally absurd to say that these aren't twins because one pregnancy is four days older than the other! Ultrasounds, even when done early in pregnancy, can be off by a few days one way or the other. It's totally possible that conception didn't occur at the same time, but there's also no way to rule that out with estimates this close.
Please look up the definition of twins.
They were conceived on two separate days in two separate organs. Because the sperm came from the same man doesn't make them twins.
Maybe you should look up the definition, MJ. Actually, I've done it for you:
Twin: Either of two offspring produced at a birth
And Amy, my point was that although the pregnancies are occurring in separate organs, we cannot conclude that conception happened on different days based on an ultrasound's estimate of a 4 day difference. Ultrasound technology simply isn't accurate enough to say this definitively. If the woman has a double vagina, which is common with uterus didelphys, we would be able to say with much more certainty that conception happened on separate occasions. Either way, it's probable that these babies will be born at the same time, from the same mother, which technically makes them twins.
*dugg for 'double vagina'
To Amy-There is no way to determine whether the babies were conceived on different days. They're saying that one fetus is four days "older" than the other, but in reality one is just measuring larger than the other. It doesn't necessarily mean the one was conceived four days earlier.
Even on wikipedia it's mentioned that twins can be conceived days apart:
Among dizygotic twins, in rare cases, the eggs are fertilized at different times with two or more acts of sexual intercourse, either within one menstrual cycle (superfecundation) or, even more rarely, later on in the pregnancy (superfetation)
Her periods would be at the same time because its controlled by hormones released by the pituitary gland. The gland controls both uteri at the same time.
I don't understand how they can say with such certainty that one fetus is "four days older" than the other. Even by measuring, there is no way to know for sure, especially when you're talking only 4 days. During my pregnancy my baby measured differently than my due date, these babies could just be growing at a different rate than the other.
That is so bizarre, but really neat! Praying for a safe pregnancy and delivery for mom and child! Actually, I guess it would be children and not child. 🙂
Aw, its all the inbreeding in there.
...make that inbreeding there, even.
Cool, I have a similar situation and had a child. Can't imagine what it would be like to be pregnant in both at once. Good luck
There's a "grammar and spelling police" on these forums EVERY damn time! Give it a rest already!
I am hoping for a healthy pregnancy and healthy babies... but must admit this was hilarious...
If there is a God, this proves its sense of humor
If I had a second nipple would someone do an article on me? Go get 'em Angie. I wish you a healthy birth!
You only have one nipple?
LOL. That's what I was thinking Fred!! :O) Ha!
Does that mean you only have one nipple...that might be a pretty interesting news story.
You are a complete idiot! " hope she loses them both" what kind of a person are you ? These are babies you evil fool!
I found out about 8 years ago that I have this condition after miscarrying, and I seriously asked my Mom if my Dad was really my uncle... i totally felt like an inbred 🙂
Unfortunately, jillybilly, life is unfair but to wish that a mother would lose her children is callous and cruel. Even if there were a reason for your response, a civil person would keep it to themselves
Alot of these comments are really rude. Seriously, inbreeding, wishing she has a miscarrage, wishing there were two fathers for entertainment value?
I hope she has a healthy pregancy and healthy children. End.
I have two colons.
Speaking of grammatical errors....
One being your mouth
All you closet wanna be english majors need to take the poles out of your a$$'s and get a life
Me too! Actually, one and a half. One is a semicolon.
@jake... Funny
Jon: is one a semi-colon?
Man, I wish I could go back in time and punch your mother's uterus to prevent the tragedy of your birth. Such is life.
Aimed at jillybilly. Excuse my mistake.
Wow – why so bitter and hateful jillybilly? Someone evidently needs a hug...or a smack upside the head.
I would love to try to explain this to a kid. "You see son, babies actually grow and come from a woman's uterus...unless of course she has two uteruses and they both have babies inside them. In that case just put on a helmet because your head will probably explode."
***CNN***
Please update this story once she delivers and let us know how it turns out.
I've seen this before, it's a genetic variant with the uteri. Some women also have two vaginas. Now thats the subject for a movie. Wait, there was one – Dead Ringers by Cronenberg. The main character had a Uterus didelphys.(Wikipedia it) Each brother had his own vagina on one woman. Ah woman.
1 article. 2 gross.
Yet...you read allll the way through didn't you? 😉
@ Patrick....It should have taken you 2 more to realize you were wrong. Nobody likes a dumb smarty pants.
I am curious if she has two.........forget it.
To the poster regarding periods: I have a similar condition and am currently pregnant in only one side. I've had bleeding from the non-pregnant uterus about every 30 days, though. While I'm not ovulating the lining of my other uterus has figured out it isn't pregnant and IS shedding like normal. It's a very interesting condition 🙂
My mother was what the doctors referred to as a "mirror image twin". Her twin was stillborn, but was conjoined to my mother at the hips. She was not told any of this until she reached her 20s and started having kids. As she had double urterus. She also had her period while she was carrying my brother and I.
LOL Ok, Senator Kelly! =)
P.S. yes, some of us have two cervixes and a split (or double) vagina as well. Really, it's only interesting in that it increases risk for miscarriage in some and pre-term labor in all. Not interesting for guys at all. Just ask my husband 🙂
It's usually a small septum that divides the vagina. You can have it removed if it causes dyspareunia.
Wow, what people say on this thing. Can't belive they are more worried about correct spelling or that it would be more interesting if she slept around, blah blah blah... Having my self gone through two tough pregnancies, I wish this women a healthy delivery! Couldn't imagine having to go through this. It's amazing how the body works but can be frightening at the same time. You are in my prayers!
thank God Octo-mom didn't have more than one Uterus.
LOL!!
I wish the 5 of them the best.
My aunt Kala has 3 clitoris' (clitori?) and a prosthetic head.
WTF?
That's an interesting condition, dingleberry. I am half of a siamese twin, or "conjugal". I was born on a Tuesday and my twin was born the following Monday. We share a belly button.
anyone want to wager give it 7 days they will say its out right lie they just did it for 15 min of fame??? slow news day where is the ultrasound pictures to back it up
There have actually been other documented cases of this. There have been about 10 in the last 50 years or so. it's the same idea as someone with a single uterus. If you ovulate from EACH ovary in a month (which happens a lot more often than a uterus didelphys) then both eggs CAN become fraternal twins. (and for those who say they won't be twins, fraternal twins come from two seperate eggs, so it's based by CYCLE not when they were actually fertalized...)
Okay.... So does she have 2 ovaries or 4? The person who said she had two uteri and still had a period from one while she was pregnant in the other... Wouldn't the hormones from the pregnancy prevent the period from the other uterus? I'm so confused.... Does this mean there are two cervix as well? There would almost have to be. A diagram would be helpful in this instance. I can't wrap my brain around the "engineering" of it all.
Most women with this condition have normal tubes and ovaries. They're formed at a different time during fetal development than the uterus, cervix and vagina. A full uterus didelphys will have two cervixes, yes. And a septum sperating the vagina. but each vagina will only have one ovary. So my right ovary is connected to the right uterus and my left to the left. Trust me, it IS confusing. You can google the condition and find some pictures. I needed them when the doctor described it to me.
And the pregnancy hormones keep me from ovulating (so getting pregnant agian while I'm like 6 months pregnant isn't a worry, thank goodness) but because my left uterus is thickening like my right because of the hormones, that causes issues. The thickening of the right is creating the placenta and other things the baby needs, but the thickening of the left is just thickening with no purpose. My periods are definately NOT as bad as a normal period, but when the left lining gets to be too much and there's nothing for it to do, it starts to shed again... Some women with uterus didelphys have this, some do not. It's making it VERY nerve wracking trying to figure out if bleeding is "normal" and nothing to worry about or not normal and something to worry about, let me tell you! 🙂
oh, speaking of fetal development, the kidneys form from the same system that creates the uterus and cervix, so about 50% of the women with the condition only have one kidney.
Doubleuterus,
THANK YOU for being so open and honest about your situation. I was recently diagnosed with a unicornuate uterus. I am 31 and have no children and recently married. I've seen a specialist who told me that I only had to worry about preterm labor and breech position. I've read many horror stories about this condition as far as miscarriages, and it was/is scary. I've never encountered anyone with this condition, but then it's not something that comes up in conversation. I read this story because I felt an obvious "kinship" for the subject. I wish her the best, and thank you for sharing. Regardless of what some of the people are saying, it's a very real condition. I am thankful for both kidneys, and time will tell on the child/children. I pray the woman in story has a healthy pregnancy and two healthy babies.
actually, dictionary.com allows uteruses so shut your pie hole........
n. pl. u·ter·i (yōō'tə-rī') or u·ter·us·es
A hollow muscular organ located in the pelvic cavity of female mammals in which the fertilized egg implants and develops. Also called womb .
A corresponding part in other animals.
[Middle English, from Latin.]
Best of health to you and your babies!