Double uterus or uterus didelphys is a type of congenital uterine malformation in which two cervices or two uteri form together. Actually, the womb or uterus starts out as two small tubes.

When the fetus starts developing, these tubes normally join together and create one larger hollow organ called the uterus.

At times these two particular tubes don’t join completely; instead each one of these tubes develops into a separate cavity forming two different organs. This particular condition is commonly known as a double uterus.double uterus

Is it possible to recognize double uterus?

Many people will have an abnormality, without ever knowing anything about because it doesn’t show its influence on your fertility (increse fertility) or ability to give birth. Still today, many researchers don’t know what causes a uterus didelphys.

If you have a double uterus, you can never realize it even during your childbirth or pregnancy. Certain possible manifestations associated with the double uterus include:

  1. Abnormal bleeding such as unusual blood flow despite use of a tampon, during regular menstrual cycle.
  2. Unusual pain before or during regular menstrual periods.
  3. A mass in the pelvis.

The lower third of the uterus, a specific pear-shaped organ tucked away in your pelvis, hangs down into the vagina and it is known as a cervix. The upper portion is called the fundus and this is where the fertilized egg grows into a baby.

It is estimated that approximately 0.1-3.2% women have certain uterine abnormalities other than a double uterus. These specific abnormalities mainly include unicornuate uterus, bicornuate uterus and also sepate uterus.

In most cases, the double uterus is associated with kidney abnormalities, which implies that it can influence the development of related tubes before birth.

Does it have any effect on pregnancy?

The uterus didelphys is a very rare condition and at times is not even diagnosed. Many researchers estimated that the double uterus occurs in 2%-4% of women who experience normal pregnancies. Most women with a double uterus have a lot of variation in their ability to fall pregnant.

While some people never have any problems, others experience recurrent miscarriages or increased risk of second trimester pregnancy loss. A double uterus also causes premature birth or abnormal positions of the baby in the uterus.

If you know that you have an abnormally shaped uterus or abnormal reproductive organs, you can feel very anxious during pregnancy, particularly if you have any previous episodes of miscarriage in your life. It is better for you to take necessary suggestions from your obstetrician and try to stay relaxed as possible in order to avoid further health risks.

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8 COMMENTS

  1. Hi..im a asian woman i have a double uterus…its really hard to have this specially when i got period..i have a daugther shes 10 yrs old now..she is Left uterine baby..i got pregnant on right side but it was miscarriage..then this year 2009 i got pregnant with 2 uterus.. the left its 15 weeks pregnancy then the right uterine is 16.7 weeks..but unfortunately i got miscarriage again..what should i do to not pregnant again with 2 uterus..coz its really hard and painful..is there any way ? pls help me and advise me..im waiting and hoping for your reply .

  4. venus,

    i too have the double uterus and cervix. i also have a septum that runs the length of my uterus all the way down my vagina. before they knew i had the double uterus, i had an iud in. i am now 7 months pregnant with a boy, only in one side, and so far have not had complications. i had the iud taken out almost a year ago. if possible, i would talk to your ob, and see if it would be possible to insert an iud into only one side of your uterus, and see if it will allow your other side to still maintain a pregnancy. im not sure if it will work or not but its worth a try. or, once you find out that you are pregnant, use a condom for the duration of your pregnancy to prevent a pregnancy from occuring in the other side.
    i hope this helps, and good luck

  5. I have the paragaurd IUD but did not know I have a double uterus untill I went into the ER. I am 10 weeks pregnant on the right side and IUD on left side. The use of IUD increases the chances of miscairrage, so the baby has no heart beat…so dont use an IUD if you want to stay pregnant.

  6. anyone know?….In the case of a ‘uterine didelphys’, are the two uterus’ in sync with each other during pregnancy? What are the chances of falling pregnant in the second uterus, and if it is possible, how? Does uterus 1 still menstrate if your pregnant in uterus 2? If so, how does menstration of uterus 1 and the pregnancy hormones of uterus 2 coincide?

  7. i have a double uterus, and have just found out, i am worried about it, does it change anything in my life i am only 15 and not planning on getting pregnant but would like to fine out if in the furture if i will be able to have children on if the is a low chance of it, i would love to have a child of my own in time but worried incase theres any risk how will this effect my chances, thanks

  8. My Daughter is 17 and was diagnosed with double uterus, i have never heard of that?? i have so many questions…she is very young now, but i worry that she is going to have problems she want to become pregnant. she also had a sonogram of her kidneys, because i guess it can be associated with malformation of her kidneys..her kidneys were ok. She gets very painful periods, is that part of the malformation??

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