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Ultrasound image of a fetus. |
Claire Miles, a 35-year-old British woman, has an incredibly rare congenital anomaly: she possesses two uteri, each only half the size of a normal uterus. Once believing that motherhood was merely a dream, she has now given birth to healthy twins from both uteri.
The two “angels” of Miles were delivered via cesarean section and are completely healthy. Baby Noah Henry came from the right uterus, while Masie Rose was born from the left.
“I thought I would never become a mother, and now I have two miracles. My life is no longer just about two uteri, but it will be about two children,” Miles expressed.
Miles first discovered her condition at the age of 20 after experiencing severe menstrual pain. She also has two cervixes and two vaginas. By the age of 21, one of the vaginas was surgically fused into one, but doctors deemed it too risky to apply the same procedure to her two uteri.
Just a month after her wedding, Miles and her husband were surprised to find out they were expecting. A series of anxious days began. It was believed that there was only a 25% chance of survival for one or both children because the mother’s two uteri could not expand sufficiently as the pregnancy progressed. “I was overjoyed to hear the heartbeat of my baby, only to feel like I had fallen into a pit when the doctor asked me to choose one of the two,” Miles recalled. However, the couple decided to take the risk and keep both.
By the 31st week of pregnancy, Miles’s two uteri began to contract. To ensure the health of the fetuses, the doctors decided to deliver the twins at week 33. The two “angels” were born healthy, each weighing 1.8 kg. After two days in special care, Miles was finally able to hold her babies in her arms. “I felt joy, gratitude, and overwhelming love. This is the most wonderful feeling in my life.”
Miles is one of about 70 women worldwide who have been pregnant in both uteri since 1905. In the UK, 50 years ago, only 1 in 5 women with this condition gave birth to a living child.
M.L (according to AFP)
