A woman who went for a routine smear test was astounded to be told she had two wombs and two cervixes.
Jane Woodhead, 38, had no idea she was suffering from a condition called uterus didelphys.
It means a woman can be born with any combination of two wombs, two separate cervixes and sometimes two vaginas.
It also makes it possible to be pregnant twice at the same time - with a baby in each womb.
Jane Woodhead, 38, went for a smear
test and was astounded to be told she had two wombs. The condition can
cause complications during pregnancy, but baby Grace, now 12 weeks old,
was born healthy
When the female foetus is developing,
two tubes normally join to create one larger, hollow organ - the uterus
(top picture). But in a minority of women, including Ms Woodhead, the
tubes don't join - allowing two hollow organs to form instead. This
means the woman is born with two wombs (bottom picture)
After
being diagnosed with the condition - which carries risks of
complications during pregnancy - Ms Woodhead was told she would need IVF
treatment if she ever wished to have children.
But weeks later, she found out she was already pregnant - and later gave birth to her 'miracle baby', Grace.
Ms
Woodhead, from Barry, South Wales, said: 'When I was told about the
uterus didelphys it was a huge surprise, as I'd been having routine
smears for years and no one had picked it up.
'They said it was possible alternate ones had been checked, which was obviously a bit of a shock.
'To think it's something I was born with, but never knew, was bizarre.'
However
sometimes the tubes don't join completely and each one develops into a
separate hollow organ - so the woman is born with two wombs.
The condition often only becomes noticeable after puberty.
Dr
Leila Hanna, a consultant gynaecologist & Obstetrician at BMI The
Sloane Hospital, said women can go for years without realising they
have an extra womb.
She told MailOnline: 'Sometimes it's discovered in a physical exam, or when they have cervical smears.
'If the lady is pregnant and they have an early scan it can be picked up then.
'But if they don't have any tests, then it's not noticed - and they can go for years and years without knowing.'
In
terms of physical anatomy, the two wombs are often slightly smaller
than average in order to fit, though they can be as big as a 'normal'
womb.
Two different pregnancies are also possible at the same time.
‘Although women normally produce only one egg a month, sometimes they can produce two,' explained Dr Hanna.
‘If they have sex at the right time, they can have a pregnancy in each womb - non-identical twins.
‘It’s a rare thing, but it can happen once in a blue moon.
Some women are also born with two vaginas, which can lead to complications with sex and during menstruation.
Dr Hanna said: 'Some have a septum in the vagina. If they have two vaginas they will need to wear two tampons.
'If they've got one vagina it doesn't affect sex. But if they have two vaginas then there can be some difficulties with sex.'
And to properly check they are healthy, smear tests should be carried out in both cervixes.
She reiterated that having two wombs can lead to complications during pregnancy.
Ms Woodhead and partner Paul Herridge
were delighted to find out she was pregnant with baby Grace, as doctors
said the condition meant she would need IVF to have a baby. The
condition is linked with higher risks of miscarriage, premature births
and bleeding during pregnancy
'They're
more likely to have a baby breach position and require a Caesarean.
These woman are also more likely to have miscarriage.'
She added: 'If they've got a small uterus, they're more likely to have a pre-term birth.'
After being diagnosed with uterus didephys, Ms Woodhead was told she would need IVF to have a baby.
She signed up for the treatment, which has a waiting list of up to 18 months.
But after feeling unwell, and doing a urine test for the GP, she was told she was seven weeks pregnant.
She
said: 'What worried me the most was that I wondered if I'd ever be able
to become a mum as they told me my chances of getting pregnant would be
slim.'
'She's our lovely, beautiful miracle' Ms Woodhead said about her daughter
'I
certainly didn't think it would be possible naturally. But just a week
before we were about to have our first IVF appointment I was given the
bombshell, brilliant news.
'I had to wait four days before having a scan which I needed for reassurance that everything was okay.
'They needed to check it wasn't ectopic and, sure enough, there was a baby in my left womb and I was very much pregnant.
'They
did check the other womb and there was a chance I had been carrying
another baby as they could see something there... but there was
definitely no heartbeat. It took a long time to sink in.'
The risks for pregnant women, include early or late miscarriage, premature or early labour, low birth weight.
Doctors normally opt for a Caesarean to avoid these complications.
Ms Woodhead admitted the risks worried her.
She said: 'I had got through the first challenge of getting pregnant and I just wanted a successful outcome.
'We had to keep a close eye on everything and I had 17 scans in 39 weeks.
'It was there that we found out we were having a little girl at 15 weeks and we were just so overwhelmed and excited.'
She
said: 'I never felt able to relax during the 39 weeks as I was aware of
the risks and I was so grateful to be able to tick every week off the
calendar and move closer to my due date.'
Grace Violet Herridge was born on July 18.
'She
was born 11 days after my 40th birthday and was the best 40th birthday
present I could ever have asked for or dreamed of. She's my little
miracle.
'I still stare at her for hours even now 12 weeks after she was born and can't believe she is really mine.
'She is our lovely, beautiful miracle.'
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