Does anyone else here have a uterine anomoly? [Archive]

RileyMom

09-23-2005, 09:46 AM

I can't be the only one, can I? :o I think I remember at least one other person on here talking about an unusual shaped uterus.

For the record, I am talking specifically about UU (unicornate uterus) SU, (septate uterus) or BU (bicornuate uterus - which is what I *think* I have.)

I would love to chat with someone about how you were diagnosed, if you have any children, how TTC is going, if you have ever miscarried or not, what your prognosis is, etc. (As you can see, I really want to chat. :p )

I have one perfectly healthy daughter who went full term. Although I have been tentatively diagnosed as BU, that is a best guess just based on ultrasound. From what I understand, the only way to get an accuate diagnosis is MRI, which I am considering.

Anyway, please jump in if this applies to you so I won't feel so alone! ;)

bunky

09-23-2005, 10:20 AM

Hi RileyMom! I have a uterine anomaly. My OB/GYN first mentioned the possibility that I had a bicornuate uterus to me during a follicle check u/s (she put me on Clomid for some ovulatory problems I was having). She was very nonchalant about it. I went home and researched it on the internet and completely freaked myself out! About a month after that u/s I had an HSG which showed a very wide dip in my uterus and that my left tube was blocked. I was devastated. My OB/GYN said that it definitely looked to her like a bicornuate uterus and that there was nothing to be done. She said we should continue on the same course (Clomid and then IUI after a few cycles) since she had seen people get pg and have healthy babies with a bicornuate uterus.

Well, I decided that I wanted some more answers. I just didn't feel like my OB/GYN was taking my condition as seriously as I thought she should. So the day after my HSG I made an appt with an RE. I requested the films from my HSG to take with me to my RE appt and that was the first time I saw the actual radiologist's report from the HSG. It said that I had a bicornuate OR septate uterus. My OB/GYN had always said that I had bicornuate so I was intrigued. At my first RE appt he looked at my films and told me that HSGs are not able to distinguish between bicornuate and septate uteri (just as the radiologist report said). He suggested I get an MRI ASAP and that we TTA until we knew which condition I had. I had an MRI 9 days later that showed that I had a septate uterus. The next step was to get the septum removed which I had done during a laparoscopy/hysteroscopy on July 21. During the surgery it was 100% confirmed that I have a septate uterus and I also had mild endometriosis which the surgeon also removed (my RE said endo is common in women who have uterine anomalies). I had a follwup HSG this past Monday that showed that my uterus is now 100% normal and both tubes are open. DH and I are thrilled and we have started TTC again (I am in the middle of a Clomid/trigger/IUI cycle with my RE). :)

During my internet research I found a great yahoo group that is really informative: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/MullerianAnomalies/
I would really encourage you to have an MRI done. It can give you more information than just an u/s. Also, from my reading it seems that a lap/hyst is really the "gold standard" in differentiating between BU and SU (more accurate than an MRI and u/s) but since that is so invasive I would see what the MRI shows. I have read SO many stories of women (like me) who were told they are BU when they are really SU. And a septate uterus can be rther easily fixed... I am proof of that!

Sorry this is so long! If you have any more questions I would be happy to answer them (if I can). Having a mullerian anomaly is such a scary thing. It is not a fun club to be in.

Scooter

09-23-2005, 10:41 AM

I can't give you much info, just an anecdotal story that may give you some hope. My mom told me she had a bicornuate uterus. She had 2 miscarriages and then had 2 children.

RileyMom

09-23-2005, 10:41 AM

Hi Bunky! Wow, I never expected a response, let alone one so quickly. First of all, let me tell you that if you go out and research this on the internet, it will scare the pants off you. :eek: I keep telling myself I am not going to the internet anymore, because I get so depressed!

I was diagnised many years ago, way before I was even thinking about TTC (hadn't even met DH or anything.) At a routine pap, the OB thought she "felt" a 2nd cervix. :eek: I was like "a what??!!" She said it was super small, but she thought she felt a second opening to my uterus. She referred me to a high risk specialist and I had an U/S that showed a BU. They were very non-chalant about it, told me that many women have this and it is no big deal. Okey-dokey. So I go on my way.

Seven/eight years later, I get pg. I start to freak about my earlier diagnosis, so I go back to the same specialist again for my pre-natal care. They told me the biggest risks with BU are incompetent cervix, breech presentation, and of course, pre-term labor. I have ultrasounds every 2 weeks throughout my entire pregnancy. My cervix stays long/closed the whole time, DD is NOT breech, and she goes full term! (even born exactly on her due date.) I am amazed, and feeling so lucky.

This past August, we got another BFP. I am elated, and thinking that since I had no problems with my first pregnancy I can breathe a sigh of relief. At 9 weeks, we found out the baby did not make it. Although the pregnancy was viable, and we saw a heartbeat twice, it died at about 7 weeks. This sends me into a panic, thinking it was my uterus so I begin to research more, and that is when I found the Yahoo group you mentioned. I read that BU cannot be diagnosed by U/S alone. (why hasn't anyone told me that?? :mad: ) and the only way is either through hsg/MRI or lap. I also read that if you do in fact have a SU, 1st trimester losses are not uncommon. (Less so with a BU.) BU tends to have lower risks all around. But right now I am not comfortable with a diagnosis based on just US. I think I have been brushed off and given a "best guess" and that is just not okay in my book.

So I talked to my OB yesterday, and she told me if I wanted to, she would set me up for an MRI, so I am waiting for a call back from her office to get me an appointment. DH thinks I am crazy, and he thinks this is going to be a big waste of $$. His reasoning is that we delivered a healthy daughter full term with no problems, and if I had SU, we wouldn't have had such an easy time. He's probably right, I don't think its possible to go full term with a SU, is it? Anyway, I don't want to take any chances. Do you know if insurance covers this? I am kind of freaking out that its goin g to be around $1,000 and not covered by ins. This is what is freaking my DH out the most.

Anyway, sorry for writing a book, but that is my story. I would love to stay in touch!

ETA: for the record, no one has been able to locate this "second cervix" since that first OB several years ago. :rolleyes: But she told me it was so tiny, you had to really be searching for it. So who knows.

RileyMom

09-23-2005, 10:50 AM

Thanks Scooter. I am really hoping a BU is what I have. I am thinking it is, since my 1st pregnancy was so uneventful. Those who have a full septum down the middle of the uterus (like the pp did) have a much harder time of it. We'll see what the MRI says.

bunky

09-23-2005, 03:31 PM

RileyMom, you are right about internet research. Everytime I read anything before my surgery I would get so upset and scared. But it is hard to stay away. ;) Thanks for sharing your story. I can't believe your docs were nonchalant about your diagnosis too. What is wrong with them?!?

I am so sorry for your recent loss. What a horrible thing to have to go through. I really do think it is worthwhile to have the MRI done so you can be more sure of your BU diagnosis. My MRI was completely covered by insurance (I didn't even have a copay). I have great insurance coverage that even includes infertility. I would think that your MRI would be covered even if you don't have IF coverage since it is to diagnosis a birth defect and is not really infertility related. But I would check with your insurance just to make sure. In case you are wondering I looked up my insurance statement and the MRI cost $392 (much less than I would have guessed).

Your success story with your DD (full term... wow!) is very encouraging. I am not sure though that it means that you are more likely BU. I have read stories (on the internet :) ) of women who have a SU and had healthy full term babies too. Whatever anomaly you have though I think your chances of having another healthy full term baby are very high since you already had one.

Oh, I guess I should have been more clear in my first post. My septum did not go down the entire length of my uterus. It only dipped about 40% of the way down (but was very wide) and so what I had is called a partial septum.

I would love to stay in touch too. Feel free to email me through my profile or send me a PM. Those of us with mullerian anomalies have to stick together. :)

RileyMom

09-24-2005, 05:48 AM

I forgot to say earlier -- huge congrats on everything being "opened" up now. :) That must have been such a relief, I know it would have been for me. I wish you the best with TTC. :)

Its good to know your insurance covered the MRI. Ours is pretty good. We didn't pay anything for DD's prental care or birth (even all those zillions of u/s's were covered!!) So I am thinking they should cover this, huh?

I noticed you mentioned you were on clomid. Not that there is anything wrong with that (many women without our anomolies are on clomid, obviously) but have the docs said anything to you about how your fertility struggles relate to your (previous) SU? I have been told that having a BU does not affect your fertility at all. I am so confused about all of this, even now. :rolleyes: There seems to be so much "doubletalk" out there on the subject, you know?

Thanks for the enouraging words on the fact I've had one successful birth. I felt that way too, until this last m/c. Of course the m/c could have been totally chromosomal and NOTHING to do with my uterus at all. The thing is, I will never know. :(

bunky

09-26-2005, 10:15 AM

Thanks for the congrats on my new roomy uterus and open tubes! I had my first IUI yesterday so I am really hoping that this is my month to get pg. :D

Since you said that your insurance is good then I am almost positive that it will cover the MRI. Do you have the MRI scheduled yet? Be sure to let me know what the results are! Also, if you want I would be happy to email you a picture of my uterus from my HSGs and MRI. Email me at *email address removed* if you are interested. :)

Everything I have read states that my SU shouldn't have effected my fertility at all. That uterine anomalies effect your ability to sustain a pregnancy but don't effect your ability to get pg at all. Sounds like you have read the same thing. When I was discussing what should be my next step with my RE after my surgery he mentioned that my inability to get pg could have been due to my endo or uterus. I didn't press him for details so I don't know exactly what he meant by that. The reason I started Clomid is because I have had some irregular cycles since going off BCP. Sometimes I ovulate on my own and have normal length cycles (ranging from 30 to 40 days) and other times I have really long cycles (53 and 96 days).

I think my inability to get pg up to this point was most likely due to my left tube being blocked and my irregular cycles. I looked back over my charts and I have only had 4 cycles in the year that we have been TTC where I ovulated and we were allowed to TTC (considering that for two cycles we had to TTA after surgery and when we started to TTC I had a 96 day anovulatory cycle).

I am so sorry that you will never know what caused your m/c. Hopefully the MRI will help you have some peace of mind about your uterus. Good luck TTC again and I hope you are able to get pg again soon and deliver another healthy full term baby. :)

Sparkles P

10-13-2005, 09:25 PM

Hey I also found out I had a Uterine abnormality.

It is late and I wanted to bump up this thread. We have been TTC for 2.5 years, since March 2003.

I'll add more tommorrow...

skb

11-16-2005, 06:51 PM

Hello to Bunky. I again want to thank you.

clzj

11-17-2005, 10:41 AM

I was diagonised 6 years ago with a septum in my uterus. At that point my now DH were not even talking marriage. It was confirmed through a lap and hysterscopy for endo. My tubes at that time were both functioning. In July on 2002 I concived my DS with only 2 monthes of the atittude if it happens it happens. I carried him to full term. He was breech and I had a c-section at 39 weeks. I did have some pre-term labor but that was after I feel down our stairs. In December of 2004 we took the approach of what happens happens. In February I had concived again. The baby was due to be born 11/14 via c-section. On 10/26 I had lack of movement and went in and found out that I had lost the baby at 36 week almost 37. The baby had moved from head down to breech and pinched its cord.

Both times I have conceived I h
2ave released more than one egg. I know that I am a rare case because I don't have a problem getting pg. My dr is very proactive. My septum goes about 2/3 down my uterus. My dr has never talked about fixing it. I have never had medicine to get pg either.

skb

11-17-2005, 08:17 PM

clzj.....I don't know where to begin.

First, I'm very sorry about the loss of your baby.

I just recently had a HSG and was given the differential diagnosis of bicornuate or septate uterus. We have been trying to get pregnant without success and this recent development has really thrown me. I will meet with my ObGyn next week to see where we go from here. In the meantime, I've been cruising the internet learning about uterine abnormalities. I've been feeling very emotional, overwhelmed and discouraged. I'm very happy to hear about your son's delivery at 39 weeks. It makes me feel hopeful.

I will be thinking of you. Take care.

la_bride_2004

11-17-2005, 08:57 PM

My HSG revealed I have an arcuate uterus, which means it has a slight depression (heart shaped versus V shaped). I may or may not have a septum, I will be having a hysteroscopy to find out.

We've been TTC almost 2 years and I have had two chemical pregnancies, but we are dealing with severe male factor.

skb

11-18-2005, 10:42 AM

la bride I will cross my fingers and toes that your hysteroscopy reveals good news. Take care.

CityGirl

11-18-2005, 06:11 PM

Just some more good anectdotal stories to share.

Both my friend and my SIL have a bicornate uterus. I know my friend had no problems conceiving either of her babies (she was preggo with #2 before her period had even returned from #1). She had a happy, healthy 9 months. At the end her baby was lying transverse, and the doctor saw that there was no way for it to rotate for a vaginal delivery. She had a scheduled c-section with a vertical incision. Second baby, same thing.

My SIL also had a happy, healthy 9 months. She labored for a long time and made no progress. She ended up with a c-section. Her poor daughter's nose was completely pushed flat and to the side becasue she had so little room in the uterus. But it returned to normal in a few days, and all is well :)

RileyMom

11-22-2005, 10:48 AM

Wow, I just noticed that this thread got rejuvenated. :)

clzj I am so incredibly sorry to hear of your loss. :( {{{HUGS}}} I know that most doctors won't consider surgery until you have a history of losses. This has never made any sense to me though. From the literature, it seem obvious that septums have a very high rate of miscarriage (some say up to 90%), so why would doctors want to wait for a miscarriage before doing anything? Is your doctor considering surgery now? Do they attribute your infant loss to the septum? I hope you can find some answers soon.

skbJust a warning, HSG is not the most accureate way to make a definitive diagnosis. 3-D ultrasound and MRI are usually recommended. The "gold standard" is a laproscopy and/or hysteroscopy but obviously that is more invasive. Good luck.

labride I will be curious to hear what the hysteroscopy reveals. An acruate uterus doesn't sound like its a big deal at all.

Since I started this thread, I was diagnosed through MRI and Sonohysterogram as having a septum that is about 1cm wide and 3 cm long. I have delivered one daughter who went full term (40 weeks) and was born via emergency c-section. I had a loss in August, which prompted me requesting the MRI/SHG. After talking with my RE yesterday, I have scheduled a date to remove the septum.

I don't want to scare anyone, but my RE said that the live birth rate with septums is only around 10%. I sort of find that hard to believe that I somehow managed to be in the 10% with my DD. I can't seem to wrap my brain around that. I mean, how do they know that? If a woman has a septum and she goes full term, she may never even know she has a septum, right? There is no way to know how many women go through life with a septum, deliver a bunch of kids and live happily ever after. Those women simply are not part of the literature.

So, right now I am stuck on what to do. I could try to beat the odds (once again) but that just doesn't seem likey given those grim statistics. Or, I can "bite the bullet" and go the route of surgery which entails a process including a week of recovery with a catheter, hormone therapy for 60 days, and a 3 month wait to ttc after surgery.

Both options scare me, but for now I am electing surgery. To be honest though, I am skeptital of the whole thing. I really am. Part of me would just like to try one more time, without surgery but I don't think I can endure another miscarriage. The whole thing is just so confusing.

skb

11-22-2005, 11:15 AM

Thanks for the warning Rileymom.

As I explained, the HSG provides a "differntial" diagnosis which includes bicornuate and/or septate uterus. My doctor did mention the lap/hys procedure which will provide a "diffinitive" diagnosis. We will be speaking about this option more in depth at my next appointment.

I am sorry to hear of your recent loss. The next time you conceive hopefully will be a healthy and happy 40 weeks as with your DD.

RileyMom

11-22-2005, 11:20 AM

skbOh, good. :) Sounds like your doctor is on top of things. The only reason I mentioned the MRI is because it is painless and can also differentiate between BU and SU. Some women have had painful HSG experiences. But I have also heard of some that had no problem with the HSG. Anyway, good luck!

skb

11-22-2005, 11:30 AM

Not to be pickey rileymom but I hear you on the painless thing. My HSG was painful. I am not expecting that the laproscopy/hysteroscopy will be *painless* but wouldn't that be nice. I guess that it why they call it the "gold standard." Of coarse the most invasive procedure would have to provide the most information! I've read mixed opinions about an MRI providing the same information. But sign me up if it could!

RileyMom

11-22-2005, 11:37 AM

I had the MRI, which did indicate that there was definitely a septum. Interestingly though, the radiologist doing the report did not indicate the outside contour of the uterus to differentiate between BU and SU. He was so clear that he saw a septum, I guess he saw no need to make mention of the outside shape.

Because I was skeptical, I had a SHG (sonohysterogram) and 3-D ultrasound which also showed a septum. I think the message here is to get as many tests as possible!

I will be getting the lap/hyst when I get my surgery in January, but luckily (I guess) I will be under general anesthesia. :)

clzj

11-22-2005, 02:09 PM

Rileymom-Thanks for you support. I carried this one to full term (36w 3d). The reason I lost the baby is because the baby flipped from head down to breech and piunched the cord between its head and septum. My dr is very proactive so they have not talked about fixing it. I have not had a problem getting pg and as you see I went full term for a second time around. I will have to ask at my next appointment.

My understanding of the uterine abnormalities it is very common and people just don't know.

I have always had the surgey. My dr saw the septum on a regular ultrasound at their office. I think it depends on the trainning the tech has. She did the lap/hstyscopy for endo and do get a better look at the septum.

crazycaro

11-22-2005, 02:16 PM

I have a UU. I had my first daughter at 31 weeks last year because of it (which was when I found out about it). I had a very early m/c this July when ttc #2, we were fortunate enough to fall pregnant again the next month, and things are progressing well to date. I am nearly 17 weeks and being monitored quite closely. I will go early again, but my doctor hopes to see me go as far as 35 weeks this time. I hope so! DD spent 52 days in hospital after being born prematurely, that's really hard to deal with.

We've been lucky as we TTC both kids for a total of 8 cycles and I fell pregnant on 3 of those. I seem to beat the UU stats when it comes to getting a BFP.

DD has just woken up, will come back and read the thread later.

Caroline

PS - my Mum has a BU, not sure if my UU is a coincedence or not or related to genetics??? She had 2 kids (11 years apart) and many miscarriages.

skb

11-22-2005, 04:07 PM

rileymom- I pretty much agree. I fall into the camp.."the more you know the better." I'd like to know all the details so that I can make informed decisions. Although sometimes knowing too much can be difficult! With that said, it proabably would've been nicer to be one of the women who deliver several healthy children completely unsuspecting of any potential problems. I guess we're hoping that discovering this before pregnancy will be a blessing in disguise. Now...if I could only get pregnant!!!

crazycaro- Congratulations on your first 17 weeks!! I hope you motor right past 35 weeks. Having a premature baby is one of my concerns/fears. It must have been a very difficult time. I'm sure DD has made up for all the hard stuff. I wish I had your luck with the BFPs!

skb

11-28-2005, 10:05 PM

Having an MRI this week to determine if the uterus is septate or bicornuate.

RileyMom

12-05-2005, 08:47 AM

skb Any news?

skb

12-05-2005, 04:51 PM

No news! The MRI report is supposed to be faxed to my ObGyn and family doc tomorrow. I don't follow up with my ObGyn until next week. So I think I may try to crash my family doc tomorrow or the next day.

.......a little nervous.

Thanks for keeping tabs though...hopefully I'll have some results soon!

How are things for you?

RileyMom

12-06-2005, 06:51 AM

Skb Please keep us updated! As someone with a uterine anmoly, I can tell you that there is a lot of incorrect diagnosis/information going on out there. I really think that those of us with these anomolies need to stick together! Here's a recap of my situation

10/02 - Get pg with DD. Told I am bicornuate (was also told this several years earlier before getting pregnant.)

7/14/03- Have DD after a very easy, uneventful pregnancy (but trememdously difficult childbirth.) :(

8/05 - get postive HPT

9/7/05 - at 8.5 weeks was told the baby stopped developing at 7 weeks (at u/s)

9/9/05 - have a d&c

10/10/05 - Have an MRI done to further evaluate my uterus. MRI states there is a septum that extends toward my cervix but not attached. It is long and narrow.

11/16/05 - Have a sonohysterogram with at an RE's office, who confirms the MRI results. She finds a septum that is 1cm wide by 3cm long.

11/21/05 - Have consultation with above RE. Schedule date for surgery to remove septum with laproscopy and hysteroscopy 1/9/06.

So, that was my path to get here. I had a successful pregnancy, and then a miscarriage before being correctly diagnosed. I considered trying again without the surgery to remove the septum, but the statistics are just to grim for me. The RE said there is a 90% loss rate with septums. That may be a little skewed on the high side given her clientele, but my OB said the most optimistic statistics are still around a 60% loss rate at the very best. So, off to surgery i go! Wish me luck!

clzj

12-06-2005, 07:43 AM

Rileymom-What is involved with the surgey? I have my 6 week pp appointment on friday. I am going to ask about removing the septum.

RileyMom

12-06-2005, 07:59 AM

clzj I am not sure I can give you a very precise description of what will happen since I havent' had it yet. But this is my understanding:

I will be put under general anesthesia for the whole procedure. She will probably do a laproscopy (making a small incision in my abdomen so they can see the view from the top) as well as hysteroscopy (where they look in through the cervix.)

To get rid of the septum, they do not actually go in and "cut it out" exactly. Think of it like a rubber band that extends from top to bottom and front to back. It is rubbery and gently "snaps" back. When they make an incision in the septum, it will naturally recess back. I will be put on hormones for 60 days after the surgery. The hormones are supposed to help any remaining part of the septum act like normal uterine tissue as in recesses back into the uterine walls. (I am probably not explaining this very well at all.) The hormones will also prevent scarring (from my understanding.) Once I am off the hormones, af will arrive a few days later. (the hormones prevent you from getting your period.) Once AF shows up we can ttc again.

I will also have a uterine (balloon) catheter for about 5 days. The catheter also supposedly helps the uterus heal. Some OB's/RE's don't beleive the catheter does anything at all and don't use it. Many think the hormones are enough to help the uterus heal. My RE is on the conservative side and uses a combination of the hormones and catheter. She said she has always had great success with using both, so she continues to do it.

Hope that helps some. :) Good luck to you at your appointment. If I can be of any help at all, please let me know. Its now my mission in life to provide as much information I can to others in this situation. :)

skb

12-07-2005, 03:52 PM

I've had similar discussions with my doctor. If the MRI indicates a septate uterus I will also choose to have the surgery. The information that I was given seems to be consistant with the literature ie. peer-reviewed journal articles. The articles I read tend to agree that pre-surgery there is aproximately 60% successful outcome and post-surgery an 80-90% successful outcome.

Rileymomyour surgery is quickly approaching! I'm sure you are anxious to get the ball rolling. Good luck!

I believe Bunky also had the surgery performed. Maybe she'd be able to share more information about her experience.

Once diagnosed the wait list here for sugery is 4-5 months. I'm unlcear about how long one must wait afterward before TTC again. A bit discouraging if the earliest we can get back to it is next summer!

Thea

02-16-2006, 06:30 AM

I was talking to my girlfriend the other night and she was just diagnosed with a SU. I have read through this thread, and I will have to ask her how they diagnosed it. But she was told by the specialist she went to as a follow up that her septum is very small and that they do not reccomend surgery. Does this seem normal? She has been TTC for about a year now, but all other diagnostic tests for her and her DH were normal. She was told to keep trying, and if she has a m/c than they will consider surgery to remove the septum. She was a little freaked out by this.

Asha

03-14-2006, 04:50 PM

i didn't read through this whole thread, but yesterday at my hsg test, the radiologist said that it looks like i have a wide uterus. she said i might need to go for an mri for further observations. is this related to the abnormalities you are talking about here?

Asha

03-15-2006, 09:06 AM

Thanks for sharing your story. I can't believe your docs were nonchalant about your diagnosis too. What is wrong with them?!?

the radiologist who did my hsg test was very nonchalant about it. i wasn't worried until my internet research when it said only about 1-3% of women have this. she led me to beleive it was fairly common. geez!!

you are all right about trying to stay away from internet research bc it is scaring me.

LauraPerg

03-22-2006, 11:48 AM

I just came across this thread and read through most of it. I thought I would come in and share my story about uterine anomalies.

I was diagnosed in July of 2005 with uterus didelphys. This basically means I have two uteri, two cervices, and I had a vaginal septum, two of everything. I was having some other problems so I went to see my ob-gyn and she was specifically looking for something to be "wrong". During my exam she found my vaginal septum and second cervix. She sent me for an ultrasound and we got a pretty clear picture of the two seperate uteri.

I had my vaginal septum resected this past October and that has helped with some other issues I was having. This is something that is not always necessary, but in my case my second cervix and therefore uterus was not accessible, so when DH and I do start TTCing I will now have access to both uteri.

I feel pretty comfortable with my diagnosis due to the fact that I did get to see the u/s pictures and the uteri looked similar to bunny ears and were not even close to touching. Pretty much I'm a text book case for UD. I'm fortunate in the sense that generally the two most common problems with pg and UD are IC and pre-term labor, both can be monitored and hopefully prevented. It should not affect my ability to get pg or my ability to sustain the pg in the early stages. Mostly, I have 2 completely "normal" uteri they are just smaller and may not be able to stretch enough to comply with a full term baby. Of course that also means that I have a higher chance of having a c-section due to the baby being breech.

Whew! I think that's the longest post ever. I was just really excited to see this conversation and being able to hear everyone else's stories.

Asha

03-22-2006, 11:52 AM

thank you for sharing your story, lauraperg. that's good you got these answers before ttc.

LauraPerg

03-22-2006, 12:01 PM

Thanks asha. I feel very fortunate to have gotten all of this out of the way so that it will not delay ttc. I know someone earlier mentioned the yahoo group, I've been a part of that since I received my diagnosis and I think it is a wealth of knowledge for us anomaly girls. It is also very encouraging to read the success stories that are posted! However, after hearing of other diagnosis stories I realized even more how lucky I am to not get my diagnosis during a c-section or something of the like!

Asha

03-22-2006, 03:44 PM

why is it lucky to not get your diagnoses during a c-section?

skb

05-10-2006, 09:44 AM

Bump....in case anyboody has more to add.

Robyn's Nest

07-18-2006, 07:31 AM

Since I was tentatively diagnosed with a bicournate uterus yesterday at 7 weeks pregnant I want to see if anyone else had something to add to this thread.

I am reading stuff online but it's all so negative sounding. I need to stop doing that!

j*east

07-18-2006, 08:35 AM

Not my experience, but this might offer some hope...

My SIL has a unicornate uterus, which means that she has half a uterus, one tube, and one ovary. She and my brother tried to conceive for years but did not seek medical intervention. (I believe this is because of their religious beliefs, but I'm not sure.) They didn't find out about her UU until she was pregnant (she had an earlier pgcy that ended early in m/c) and had an ultrasound. After that, she was monitored on u/s and delivered around 36 weeks. The baby spent a few extra days in the hospital and was small for a while, but is doing well.

She's now PG again with #2. Their first child is a year old and they weren't trying! She has u/s often--every 4 weeks I believe. They're hoping she will carry to term, but will be happy to welcome another slightly early baby.

Hope that helps someone...best of luck to all who are TTC. :)

crazycaro

07-18-2006, 04:53 PM

I have a BU also. I had my first daughter at 31 weeks (took us by surprise!) and during my c'section they noted I had a Unicornuate Uterus.

So my second pregnancy was treated as high risk. I delivered at 34 weeks this time, but did have pre term labour start arounnd 31 weeks, which was stopped and I somehow went 3 more weeks. During this c'section the surgeon told me once it was over I actually had a bicornuate uterus, with a septum there perhaps also.

I had no trouble concieving either child, Ruby took 2 cycles, Chloe took 6, with one miscarriage the month before we concieved her.

Many women with BU's have no troubles! My Mum has one too, she had many miscarriages, but did have myself and my sister, I think she made it to 37 weeks or so with us both.

Apparently uterine anomalies are not genetically linked, but it seems a bit too coincedental Mum and I have the same thing! It makes me wonder if my girls are 'normal' in that area. I wonder about my sister too.

Good luck and congratulations!!!

RileyMom

07-19-2006, 06:38 AM

Hi all!!

I started this thread way back when, and I just noticed it got bumped up again. Thought I'd come in here with an update.

From reading my initial post, you will see that I was "diagnosed" (basically I know now that is was merely a guess) with a bicornuate uterus. I got pregnant with my DD in 2002, and went full term (40 weeks!!) and delivered her by emergency c-section in July of '03. It was a horrendous labor - 40+ hours, very little progress, finally made it to 9 cm and they allowed me to try to push for 2 hours and she wouldn't come out.

Fast forward to 2005 - got pregnant in July - had an early miscarriage at 8 weeks. No one questioned my bicornuate uterus as the culprit - said it was "just one of those things" attributed it to my age (I was 38 at the time) and that was that. I didn't accept that answer, luckily, and demanded further testing.

To make a long story short, an MRI and an SHG (sonohysterogram) both revealed that I had LONG septum in my uterus. It was not bicornuate at all. I had been misdiagosed years ago. I had the septum removed through a laproscopy/hysteroscopy surgery in January of '06, they put me on hormones for 2 months, allowed me to TTC in March of '06, and we got pregnant on our very first cycle - at 39 years of age, no less. I am now happy to report that I am 19 weeks pregnant today, and going in for my "big" ultrasound. :)

All this to say - DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT accept a random diagnosis given through ultrasound. MRI is preferable, but the gold standard for diagnosing and/or correcting this condition is through a lap/hyst. Also, I have found that even specialists in this area use the terms "bicornuate uterus" and "septate uterus" interchangeably. :rolleyes: They are NOT the same thing. You really have to be proactive and demand answers or some doctors will brush you off and just label you "bicornuate." This is criticial information, because if you have a septum like I did, some stats indicate that the m/c rate can be as high as 90%. I could have easily gone on to have 2-3 more miscarriages before I got an accurate diagnosis. Many women have, and I just find that heartbreaking.

Good luck to all of you! :)