Mom Gives Birth To Single Boy Then Four Weeks Later Doctor Finds Unborn Twins In Undiscovered Second Uterus

Imagine giving birth to a baby, only to give birth to unknown twins less than a month later. Seems impossible, but I assure you that it’s not. That is exactly what happened to this woman in Bangladesh when, 26 days after giving birth to her first child, she found out she had a second uterus. Not only that, but in that uterus, she was carrying twins – and they were ready to be born.

Woman Gives Birth To Unknown Twins 26 Days After Her First Child

Arifa Sultana in Bangladesh and her husband were overjoyed at the birth of their first child – a baby boy. Their joy, however, turned into shock and surprise when just 26 days later, the woman went into labor again. She then gave birth to twins via c-section. How is this possible? Because she has something called uterus didelphys – or two uteruses. (1)

“When the patient came in we performed an ultrasound on her and found there were twin babies,” Dr Poddar said. “We were very shocked and surprised. I have never observed something like this before.”

You’re also likely wondering how the doctors did not know that she had two uteruses already. According to Dr. Poddar, the woman and her husband are quite poor. For this reason, they had never had an ultrasound prior to the one in the emergency room.

Twenty-six days after giving birth to her son, she and her husband were at home adjusting to new parenthood. Suddenly, Arifa began to experience intense stomach pains. They went to the emergency room where the doctors discovered her second pregnancy, in her second uterus, with not just her second baby, but her third.

Read: Nine-Year-Old Son Supports His Mom Through Labor and Birth

Uterus Didelphys

Uterus didelphys is a rare congenital abnormality in which the uterus and cervix are completely duplicated. There is no communication between the two, however, and it is really only detectable via ultrasound. The incidence is one in a million. (2)

When the female reproductive system is forming, it starts out as two tubes. As the fetus grows, the tubes eventually join together to create the uterus. In uterus didelphys, these tubes don’t join and instead become two separate structures. They can have one cervix (opening to the vagina) or two. In many cases, there is a thin wall of tissue that runs down the length of the vagina and creates two openings, as well.

These women, as we already know, can still have successful pregnancies. They are, however, more prone to miscarriages. They also can have issues surrounding periods. Both uterus and vaginas will bleed, and if you’ve put a tampon in one but not the other you will likely be confused as to why blood is still escaping.

“It is not very common to have two uteruses. When the uterus develops, it comes from two tubes, and those tubes fuse together. For some women, the fusion does not occur, and the dividing wall does not dissolve,” said Dr. S.N. Basu, head of obstetrics and gynecology at Max Healthcare hospital in New Delhi. (3)

In rural areas, many people don’t have access to health care or any education. They often deliver their children without any assistance from doctors at any point during pregnancy and delivery. In many cases, they might not even know they are pregnant – they just think that something is wrong with them.

Three Healthy Babies Born

In the case of Arifa and her three babies in Bangladesh, all four are healthy and doing just fine. The twins, one boy, and one girl were born via c-section. The twins were perfectly healthy and were discharged from the hospital without issues.

Though the new family of five is happy with their three babies, this certainly has not come without its additional stress. Naturally, they are now first-time parents to three babies, not just one. More difficult are the financial pressures now placed on the family. They were already poor before having their child and knew providing for one child would be a challenge. Feeding and clothing three growing children will be something else entirely. Still, the family feels blessed.

“It was a miracle from Allah that all my children are healthy. I will try my best to keep them happy.” said Arifa’s husband.

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