Bicornuate Uterus

Yes! I have a bicornate uterus. My daughter was born 11 years ago, by planned C-section. I, too, had wanted to deliver naturally. But my daughter was in a breach position, and my doctor did not want to try to manually turn the baby to a different position to allow me to try to deliver naturally. Apparently, this can be done manually (prior to delivery date), but the baby might revert to the breach position, anyway! It just might be that the baby fits in that position better, or more comfortably, in the bicornate uterus. I liked my doctor, but later felt she was kind of conservative. However, having a healthy baby as the end result was all I wanted, so looking back on it, I am happy with the results! If you wish to explore alternatives, ask your doctor about manually turning the baby from a breach position, and check into accupuncture for turning a breach baby. Good luck!!!

K.

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Hi Presilla. My name is M.. I have something similar. I have a dydelphis (not sure of the spelling) uterus. I have a a uterus that is split into two halfs. I was told that I would never carry a baby. My first two pregnancies were misscarried. It was awful. Then for the 3rd pregnancy, they gave me very high doses of pregnizone to strengthen the uterus. I delivered my child three weeks early by a C-section. He was a very healthy boy and still is. He's 12 now.

I wanted to deliver naturally like you, and my baby wasn't in a breach position. His heart was racing so they had to do an emergency C-Section.

Does this help?

Hi P.:
Yes, I too have a bicornuate uterus. I have two healthy children...a three yr old and a four yr old. I did have an emergency c-section w/ my son at 36 weeks because he was basically stuck w/ the umbilical cord wrapped around him. My daughter was a scheduled c-section w/ no problem at all. Both were breach.
My best advice is to make sure you're feeling good movement from the baby AND ask you doctor about non-stress tests...we did a lot of thees to make sure the babies weren't in any stress. Since both kids were breach, natural child birth wasn't really an option. I totally let that desire go and focused SOLELY on what would be the easiest and least risk for my kids.
Having that "funky shaped uterus" (that's what we started calling it) was just the "condition" we had to deal with. If having a c-section was one of requirements to delivering babies w/o putting them at risk...I considered that NO big deal.
Good luck to you.

I was also diagnosed with a bicornate uterus (or "heart-shaped") after a hysterosalpingogram - HSP- was done prior to me having babies. (I'd had some abdominal pain from a ovarian cyst and the ultrasound revealed this unusual shape. It was confirmed by the HSP, and I got to see the exact shape of my uterus on x-ray. Kind of interesting actually.) Anyway, I was told there are varying degrees of uterine abnormalities, and apparently mine wasn't too bad. However, it still made me nervous when I was pregnant with my first.
Just so you know, by the time I hit 20 weeks and had my ultrasound, the uterine walls had stretched to accomodate my baby, and they were unable to detect any abnormal shape at all. My little girl was born naturally at exactly 40 weeks. I'm now pregnant with my 2nd child, a boy, and he too has stretched the walls of my uterus to make the bicornate shape undetectable.
I agree with the other gals, don't sweat it. Just know the signs of preterm labor and make your goal having a healthy pregnancy and delivery--however it happens (by C-section or vaginally.) You will still have a "birthing story" regardless of how your baby is born. And, the blessing in all of it: holding that precious baby in your arms!

Blessings to you!

S. J.

I don't know anything about your condition, but I have fibroids and was told all sorts of scary things during my pregnancy, including high risk of preterm labor and c-section. Two different doctors told me that I had a 0% chance of having a vaginal birth. I don't know where I found the determination, but I was convinced that I could do it. I read Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth, and I believed what she said. Women have been doing this for centuries. Your body is not broken. You were made for this. I kept believing that and visualizing it happening. We used moxabustion (a Chinese medical technique) to turn the baby early on, while there was still plenty of space. I kept telling my son which way he needed to go to get out, taking deep breaths into my uterus, doing yoga to stay relaxed. Anyway, in the end, my son was born vaginally. I don't even think the doctors could believe it. I had a very long labor, and with every new doctor that came on shift, they greeted me as if I was some sort of medical miracle. So my point is: believe you can do it! I do! Good luck.

L.

Though I have never had this condition, my 1st was breech and I needed a c-section (chose to have one with my 2nd). I am writing to encourage that, if a c-section is required, try to not be afraid. I had an expectation to have a natural delivery, but it did not work out that way. As soon as I embraced my situation, my stress level decreased significantly and I was ready to greet my baby into this world. Recovery, for me, was not terribly tough. And the kicker is my husband said he respected me even more for having the c-section because he knew that I would do whatever it took to keep my baby safe. I wish you much luck and a very safe and successful delivery!!!

I personally do not have that condition, but know of a very good friend who had trouble getting pregnant with a bicornuate uterus. The drs were actually ready to do surgery to strengthen the walls because she couldn't get pregnant and during the pre-op found out she was pregnant. She ended up having a full-term, natural childbirth.
I DID have a c-section because the doctors were convinced I was having a 10-pound-plus baby (he was 8,7 I should add!) and it was a wonderful experience. So many women feel like they missed out or it was a bad thing to birth a child this way, but like so many others have said here, the most important thing is having a healthy child. And my bouncing 19-month-old couldn't be healthier! Bottom line, God is in control.

i don't know about bicornuate uterus, but i do know that a good doctor or midwife can usually turn a baby around if they are breach so you do not have to have a C-section. C-sections are an amazing thing when they are necessary, but they are overused in our society. it truly is better for the baby to come through the birth canal, as difficult as it is.

Congratulations and blessings~

Hi P.!

My sister was diagnosed with this when she was in her mid 20's (she is now 38). She didn't get married until she was 35, and one year later she was pregnant (although she did have a couple of early term miscarraiges). However, we just celebrated my nephew's 2nd birthday!!! She had a very uneventful pregnancy (although she was followed a little more closely). Her water actually broke on it's own at home, and she delivered her baby naturally with no complications.

Re the breech position. Just because the baby may be breech now, doesn't mean he/she will stay that way - those little guys can be so active - as I'm sure you know! ;) However, they can try to move the baby around, and you should ask your doctor about this.

YOU'LL BE FINE!!!!! Besides - even if you do have to have a c-section - you'll still have a beautiful baby to hold in your arms!!!

Good luck to you!!!

Hi P.
I am not familiar with your condition-but my daughter was breech and was delivered by a scheduled C section. Initially I was very disappointed that I wouldn't have my ideal natural birth...but in the end all that matters is that beautiful baby!
Good luck!
N.

At the end of the day, the most important thing is a healthy baby delivery.

At 7 months, my daughter decided to turn right side up with her ankles by her ears. My doctor told me there was NO way they would try a natural birth. (They tried several times to turn her - externally - with no success.)

I'd had wonderful visions of a natural birth, and it was hard not to be disappointed. BUT since there was nothing I could do about it, I accepted it as gracefully as possible and made it the best experience it could be.

I don't know about this problem but I do know that C-sections are not that awful and if you need to deliver that way it is OK. I think I experienced lotsless pain overall than if I had a regular delivery and was glad that my second was a scheduled C-section so I did not even have to go through any labor. Good luck and don't worry.

There's a yahoo group you'll want to know about -- the members are warm and wonderful and will tell you everything you need to know: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/MullerianAnomalies/

I highly recommend you join. Just keep in mind that many members are struggling with infertility as a result of their anomalies, so be sure to write "PG mentioned" in your subject line, and try to be sensitive to the other members' struggles. But if you do that, you will find a wealth of support ans wisdom there -- as well as real expertise on pregnancy and outcomes.

Good luck!

P.,
I'm not sure what a bicoruate uterus is but I had a similar problem. My ob/gyn said that I had a "heart shaped" uterus. (Maybe that is the same thing??) Anyway, my son's position was head down until about 7 months. He flipped around and even though they tried the external eversion? (tried to move him by pressing on my belly) it didn't work. He just wanted to stay that way. So, I had a c-section. When my doc opened me up, she said that his little head was in one of the arches (of the heart shape) and he was really comfy because he didn't want to come out. Anyway, he is just perfectly fine and almost 3. They did need to do an ultrasound on his hips (around 1 or 2 months old) to make sure that his joints were okay, and they were.
I do have some advice for you though.......one of my best friends gave it to me so I have to share it..........after your c-section, when you are ready, get up and walk around and make it a point to keep moving. She said that the more you move around and get that blood flowing, you will heal so much faster. She was right. I was feeling great after 4-5 days. People asked me if I really had a c-sec. and I said yes and they were shocked.
Hope this helps for you.
T.

I'm an obstetrician and I agree with your doc. Unfortunately, preterm labor and cesarean section is more common with bicornuate uterus. In a perfect world, all pregnancies would be uncomplicated and deliver healthy babies. The good news is, your doc is keeping you informed and will likely continue to be your babies advocate!

I have a bicornuate uterus, and didn't find out until I was pregnant. I was actually pregnant with "twins" when I miscarried the 1st one at 7 weeks. That's when they found out I was still pregnant, and that I had this uterus thing. I did deliver my son 7 1/2 weeks early, and had an emergency c-section, although we were pretty sure it was going to go that way anyway, because he was breach. To tell you the truth, I wasn't for the "all natural" way, because pain doesn't sound nice to me. But either way, my son was early but he's a very healthy and smart 3-year old now. My biggest thing with the bicornuate uterus is that I am a small person anyway, and since he only had limited space to grow in, I was very very uncomfortable very early on in my pregnancy. But I love my boy and his excitement with the world. We're actually trying for #2 now, and having some problems, and I've wondered if my uterus is the reason why. Anyway, now that I'm off subject, my c-section was an emergency, like I said. My water broke at exactly 32 weeks. They had put me on bed rest for 2 weeks, but just 3 days later, my placenta started to rupture due to lack of fluids (since my water was slowly leaking), so they pulled him quickly. And like I said, he's perfectly healthy. He was in the NICU for 18 days, but I wouldn't change anything. He's growing right along with the other kids, he's as smart as can be, and as active as can be.

I do not, but I have 2 friends who do. Both needed c-sections to have their babies. One went into preterm labor, 1 did not (and has 2 kids).
If you do need a c-section just remember, a c is better than losing you or the baby.

I became pregnant at 29 with a bicornuate uterus. I worked full time and I went into labor only a week early. The delivery took awhile, but I was able to avoid a c-section after several hours of pushing. Good luck and congratulations!

Hi!
I also have a bicornuate uterus and have given birth naturally to two beautiful girls. My first pregnancy went to 38 weeks and my second to 39. Although I had many, many contractions and was anxious about preterm labor (especially with my first!), all went well and I carried both babies to term.

Congratulations and good luck!!!

Hello...

While I have never heard of your condition, my daughter did come at 35 weeks and after 22 hours of labor, still had a c-section. We all want to deliver "naturally" but sometimes you have to do what's best for you and your baby. My daughter went into distress and as much as I wanted to enjoy the whole "painfull" experience of natural childbirth, I am so glad we did the c-section. My healing time was a little longer, but different/easier than a natural birth. My daughter just turned 8 on Tuesday and is thriving. Listen to your doctor and hang in there. A c-section is not the worst thing that could happen. You'll both be fine!

Good luck!

I also have a bicornuate uterus and was told the same thing by my doctor. I did go into preterm labor (and was on bedrest from 18 weeks of pregnancy) but was able to stop it with medication. I ended up delivery my son 4 weeks early by vaginal birth. He was not breach but was malpositioned (face up instead of face down). I have since had a 2nd baby with not problems. My Dr. told me that your uterus will usually stretch out after the first pregnancy. Therefore, the risks lower in your following pregnancies.

Hello there!

I found out I had a bicornuate uterus when I was about 22 weeks along with my son, now 22 months old. It turns out he was an even more amazing miricle than I ever thought. I was already under very close ob/gyn supervision due to other complications when the pathologist happened to notice the "heart shape" of my uterus. I had a cyst twist and rupture and my ob/gyn also had seen a solid dermoidal cyst she thought was growing at a rapid rate.

Two weeks later I was in surgery to have the dermiod removed. (it was growing so fast my son would run out of room)

My uterus did not stretch on the right side, and my belly was totally lop-sided! My son had no room to turn or really move too much, and he was in a sort of footling-breech position My ob/gyn had me ready for early labor too. At 34 weeks I had hard braxton hicks, NEVER ENDING it seemed. Then at 36 weeks I began latent labor. Day after day in and out of the hospital, no cervical change. I was exhasted. On the 6th day I agreed to have amnio done to see if the lungs were developed enough to go ahead with a c-sec. The next morning I was prepped and 2 hours later I held and nursed my beautiful baby boy.

Yes, my situation was not the norm, but my having a c-sec over my original all natural birth plan was how it had to be. I did have a few sad, "oh my gosh, I'm not really even made to be a mother" moments, but they passed. Sure I have a scar, I tell my son that's from where he stepped into the world, foot first! -- and I know I shouldn't say this, but he also had a perfectly round little head!

So, go to the march of dimes, visit the NICU, get the house ready, and be prepared.

I hope this helped.

Hi,

It sounds as if you and I are in the same place. I am almost 34 weeks pregnant and have a bicornuate uterus as well. At this point, my doctor told me that if I am not having contractions, that my uterus probably won't pose a problem...that it has more than likely "streched" to allow the baby enough room. He really just wanted me to get past 34 weeks and then after that, he says the baby will do fine if it is premature, but without contractions as of yet, he doesn't anticipate it coming early. One of my friends also had a bicornuate uterus and she was a week late, so don't worry!
Does your doctor not know if your baby is breach? My baby has been in the correct position for the past month, so your doctor should be able to tell by now.
Good luck with everything. I am sure you will be just fine.

Bicornuate uterus is one of the many variations of the term "heart shaped" uterus. Often women have this type of uterus, carry their baby to full term, and it is only discovered because they need a surgical birth for some other reason, possibly related to the shape of their uterus or possibly not related. Do not assume you will have preterm labor or preterm birth. I have had many women go full term. The excessive use of ultrasound has increased the number of women who now know that they have this type of uterus. Keep a positive attitude, but be aware of the signs and symptoms of preterm labor. Chose a provider who has faith that women with this type of uterus can and do go full term.