After making headlines for her “one-in-50-million” pregnancy, Kelsey Hatcher, 32, gave birth to twin daughters just in time to bring them home for Christmas.
The Alabama woman has a rare condition called uterus didelphys, which means she has a double uterus.Â
Only about 0.3% of the population has this condition.
In this pregnancy, which was Hatcher’s fourth, her twins were separated — one in each uterus. The odds of any given woman having this type of pregnancy is about one in 50 million, as an OB/GYN at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston told Scientific American.
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Hatcher arrived at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital on Dec. 19 for a scheduled induction, according to a press release provided to Fox News Digital.
After 20 combined hours of labor, Hatcher gave birth to two girls, who ended up entering the world on different days.Â
Kelsey Hatcher, 32, gave birth to twin daughters just in time to bring them home for Christmas. (Kelsey Hatcher / University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital / Andrea Mabry)
Roxi was born on Dec. 19.
Rebel was born on Dec. 20.
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“Never in our wildest dreams could we have planned a pregnancy and birth like this, but bringing our two healthy baby girls into this world safely was always the goal, and UAB helped us accomplish that,” Hatcher said, according to the press release.Â
“It seems appropriate that they had two birthdays, though. They both had their own ‘houses,’ and now both have their own unique birth stories.”
The nursing team arranged for the first baby’s bassinet to be in the operating room when the second baby was born via C-section. (Kelsey Hatcher / University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital )
Hatcher first found out about her condition when she was 17.
Her first three children — Raelynn (6), River (4) and Rhemy (2) — were the result of “normal” pregnancies.
After 20 combined hours of labor, Hatcher gave birth to two girls — who ended up entering the world on different days. (Andrea Mabry)
For Hatcher’s latest pregnancy, it was discovered at her eight-week ultrasound that she was carrying twins in two different uteruses.
“All I could do was laugh,” Hatcher told Fox News Digital last month. “I immediately called my husband, Caleb, to tell him, as he was not at the appointment with me. He and I just laughed together.”
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Hatcher’s doctors were also in shock, she said — repeating how “rare and special” her case was.
Kelsey’s obstetrician, Shweta Patel, M.D., assistant professor in the UAB Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, cared for Hatcher during her third pregnancy and the most recent “miracle” pregnancy, which Patel referred to as a “true medical surprise.”
With the addition of the twins, the Hatchers now have five children. The first three babies were born in traditional deliveries. (Andrea Mabry)
“I knew I would need additional expertise,” the doctor said in the press release. “Luckily, I was able to reach out to my UAB maternal-fetal medicine colleagues who specialize in high-risk obstetrics cases and unique pregnancies.”
Other than a few additional appointments, Hatcher’s pregnancy was routine.
“At the end of the day, it was two babies in one belly at the same time — they just had different apartments.”
“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 Richard O. Davis, M.D., professor in the UAB Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, in the release.
“With Kelsey’s babies, they each had their own womb, sac, placenta and umbilical cord, allowing them extra space to grow and develop,” added Davis, who co-managed Hatcher’s pregnancy.Â
Hatcher is pictured at one of her ultrasounds toward the end of her rare pregnancy. “With Kelsey’s babies, they each had their own womb, sac, placenta and umbilical cord, allowing them extra space to grow and develop,” said a doctor who co-managed Hatcher’s pregnancy. (Jennifer Alsabrook-Turner)
Although Hatcher had one baby in each uterus, two eggs were released that were fertilized during the same ovulation cycle — which meets the criteria of fraternal twins.
“At the end of the day, it was two babies in one belly at the same time,” Davis said in the release. “They just had different apartments.”
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The main uncertainty was how the babies would be delivered.
While C-sections may be a “more controlled delivery option” for high-risk cases like Hatcher’s, Patel noted, the doctors wanted to honor Hatcher’s wishes of having the same birth experience as she had with her other children — as long as it was safe.
C-sections can be a “more controlled delivery option” for high-risk cases like Hatcher’s, but the doctors wanted to honor Hatcher’s wishes of having the same birth experience as she had when delivering her other children — as long as it was safe. (Kelsey Hatcher / University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital)
When Hatcher didn’t go into labor on her own, she was induced at 39 weeks.Â
She was assigned two labor and delivery nurses to monitor each uterus and baby.
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“As my contractions began, they were not consistently together but were within a few seconds of each other,” Kelsey told UAB. “I felt each side contracting in different areas as well. I felt one consistent with the monitor that started on the left side and moved to the right.”
The baby in the right uterus, named Roxi, was delivered vaginally at 7:45 p.m. on Dec. 19, weighing 7 pounds, 7 ounces.
The odds of a woman having this type of pregnancy is about one in 50 million, as an OB/GYN at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston said. (Caleb Shaver/Kelsey Hatcher)
“There was a cheer from everyone in the room when the first baby was delivered, but there was another baby left,” Patel said.Â
“Kelsey was essentially laboring in the left uterus while simultaneously undergoing the postpartum process in the right.”
“After such a long and crazy journey, it meant the world to see both of my girls together for the first time.”
“She was having contractions with Baby B while breastfeeding Baby A.”
When the induction process moved more slowly than the doctors anticipated, the decision was made to deliver Baby B, named Rebel, via C-section.Â
Rebel was born on Dec. 20 at 6:10 a.m., weighing 7 pounds, 3.5 ounces.
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The nursing team arranged for Roxi’s bassinet to be in the operating room when Rebel was born.
“After such a long and crazy journey, it meant the world to see both of my girls together for the first time,” Hatcher said.
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Melissa Rudy is health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.Â
