A woman who has a rare double uterus recently gave birth to a healthy set of twin girls in what doctors are calling a "one-in-a-million" delivery.
Kelsey Hatcher, of Dora, Alabama, delivered one girl on December 19 and another on December 20 following 20 hours of labor, according to the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
"Never in our wildest dreams could we have planned a pregnancy and birth like this," Hatcher said in a statement released by the university. "It seems appropriate that they had two birthdays, though. They both had their own 'houses,' and now both have their own unique birth stories."
Hatcher was 17 when she was diagnosed with a double uterus, also known as uterus didelphy -- a rare condition where a female has two uterine cavities, each with its own fallopian tube, ovary and cervix.
Hatcher had three prior typical, healthy pregnancies -- but this fourth one was anything but normal. An early ultrasound revealed she was pregnant with a baby in each uterus.
While it's not uncommon for women with a double uterus to have a pregnancy with one baby in one uterus, having a baby in both — also known as a dicavitary pregnancy — is an estimated "one-in-a-million chance," the university explained.
"In a typical twin pregnancy, the twins share one womb, which can limit the amount of space each has, making preterm or early birth a high possibility," said Dr. Richard Davis, who co-managed Hatcher's pregnancy. "With Kelsey's babies, they each had their own womb, sac, placenta and umbilical cord, allowing them extra space to grow and develop."
After an otherwise uneventful pregnancy, Hatcher was induced at 39 weeks. Baby A, named Roxi, was delivered vaginally on Dec. 19 at 7:45 p.m. weighing 7 pounds 7 ounces.
"There was a cheer from everyone in the room when the first baby was delivered, but there was another baby left," said Dr. Shweta Patel, Hatcher's obstetrician. "Kelsey was essentially laboring in the left uterus while simultaneously undergoing the postpartum process in the right. She was having contractions with Baby B while breastfeeding Baby A."
A little over 10 hours after her sister was born, Baby B, named Rebel, was delivered via c-section on Dec. 20 at 6:10 a.m. weighing 7 pounds 3.5 ounces.
"After such a long and crazy journey, it meant the world to see both of my girls together for the first time," Hatcher said.
While a typical twin pregnancy is defined by two babies in one uterus during the same pregnancy, doctors consider Hatcher's babies to be "fraternal twins" since both eggs were fertilized during the same ovulation cycle.
"At the end of the day, it was two babies in one belly at the same time. They just had different apartments," said Davis.