Bicornuate Uterus?

[Runningfromreality]

Hello sage members of FJ! I've been lurking quite a while and have read so many stories of pregnancy and birth here over the years. So I was wondering if anyone had dealt with this particular issue. I went in for an ultrasound last week to check my ovaries after having really irregular periods for about 6 months. My gynecologist told me I have a bicornuate uterus and because my husband and I are planning on pregnancy within the next year, I should go see an infertility specialist to get some additional testing. I googled the condition (why did I do this?!?!) and I'm frankly terrified now. I have a higher than normal risk of miscarriage (especially second trimester miscarriages), early labor, breech birth, and birth defects. A lot of stories from other women involve several miscarriages and premature deliveries. Has anyone dealt with this before and has any advice? I'm young (26) and healthy, so I really didn't expect that pregnancy would be this big of an issue. We're still waiting on an appointment with the infertility doctor, but any advice in the meantime? My mind is all over the place right now. 

*for this that don't know, a bicornuate uterus is heart shaped instead of the normal uterine shape. It's a congenital abnormality, so I was born with it, I just didn't know until now. 

[candygirl200413]

Hi and welcome!

I just saw this while browsing. I don't have the condition but one of my good friends got diagnosed with it 5ish years ago cause of a lack of her periods. Her doctor said that while issues may result that being young and healthy will help out a lot when it comes for her to have children (she's 2 years younger than yourself). It is totally normal though to of course look up when you get a new diagnosis. To calm down my friend her doctor mentioned it is a lot more prevalent than we think so I hope that might help?/ I hope this was somewhat helpful? sorry I felt like I just kept saying a lot of words so I really do apologize!

 

[Runningfromreality]

1 hour ago, candygirl200413 said:

Hi and welcome!

I just saw this while browsing. I don't have the condition but one of my good friends got diagnosed with it 5ish years ago cause of a lack of her periods. Her doctor said that while issues may result that being young and healthy will help out a lot when it comes for her to have children (she's 2 years younger than yourself). It is totally normal though to of course look up when you get a new diagnosis. To calm down my friend her doctor mentioned it is a lot more prevalent than we think so I hope that might help?/ I hope this was somewhat helpful? sorry I felt like I just kept saying a lot of words so I really do apologize!

 

Thank you! It probably is underdiagnosed, and I know that women do have successful pregnancies with abnormal uteruses (uteri?) 

I had never heard of this before last week, but was hoping someone on FJ has. I didn't get much from the doctor's appointment, either because I was having a hard time paying attention or because she didn't say much about possible complications. I've tried doing research, but as a degreed law professional, not a medical doctor, I'm a little out of my range! 

[candygirl200413]

I will definitely ask my friend about anything she has experienced since the diagnosis but sorry that she won't be helpful in the fertility development.

[Blahblah]

Hi, I have a bicorneate uterus. I have had four pregnancies, ending up with  two children and two very early miscarriages that were apparently unrelated to the bicorneate uterus. It did take a while to get pregnant but I eventually did manage it naturally each time. 

My complications started when I was pregnant at around 23/24 weeks because the baby essentially was large enough by then to get stuck in place with their knees in one horn of the uterus and their head up in the other. Also they were slightly turned in and facing my spine.

This meant that all movement was restricted as they couldn’t turn, and I couldn’t feel any movement as it was directed inwards towards my spine. I also had placenta praevia (placenta on the outer wall of the uterus, and in my case covering the cervix). This was apparently just a coincidence. The placenta also absorbed the baby’s movements.

And because there was no way that the baby could turn, I knew from very early that a c-section was required. Both times, the baby ended up with their back flat against my cervix.

With not being able to feel movement, and with the placenta placement, I had more ultrasounds than usual, and more monitoring by my OB. In the final month I was having scans weekly. 

But the good news is that everything was fine. My kids are now 13 and 16. And I’m sure the monitoring etc has improved since then. 

I have no idea whether my experience is typical or not. Hopefully things work out for you. Wishing you all the best.

[baldricks_turnip]

I have a bicornuate/subseptate uterus. Rather than heart-shaped, my uterus is more like 2 bananas, and the septate (division) between the two horns is quite thick at 5 mm. I too googled all the horror stories you have and I had one specialist tell me that I would have a series of miscarriages "first one likely at about 6 weeks, then the next at maybe 10 weeks, then the next at maybe 14 weeks, until your uterus has stretched enough to make it far enough to give birth". I was terrified! When I conceived (easily, on my first cycle) and lost that baby at 7 weeks I thought the prediction was coming true. I conceived again 4 months later and spent the entire pregnancy on edge, always convinced that each day would be the end. She came from my right ovary and implanted in the right horn, at one point managing to get her feet under the septate into the left horn. She got stuck at about 16 weeks and was breech from then onwards. The pregnancy was largely uneventful- I had a short cervix that was monitored (incompetent cervixes are more common with Mullerian abnormalities like ours) and I had awful pelvic girdle dysfunction from about 28 weeks but I don't know if that was related.
Because of her position I had a c section, scheduled at 39 weeks. We made it! My surgeon told me that I will always have to have c sections because there is no way for a baby to drop and engage in my uterus. Stella is now 15 months and I am starting to think about another. I just assume everything will be fine, but every now and then I remember that it's possible it won't be. I'm hoping I can conceive on the right since that side was stretched out already.

Because of her awkward position in the womb she was born with hip dysplasia which was treated with a Pavlik harness until she was 5 months.

I wish you all the best. I know its hard to think positively with all the statistics and awful stories out there.