An Ohio woman who thought she had a tumor in her uterus actually had a much more ‘shocking’ condition.
Kelsi Baldwin, 33, and her husband Matt had been struggling to conceive for six years when they had a scan in 2023 to get to the bottom of the problem.
That’s when doctors noticed what looked like a tumor the size of a basketball in Ms. Baldwin’s uterus, raising concerns that cancer might be the cause.
However, further investigation revealed that the apparent lump was actually a second, much smaller uterus, a defect she had had since birth but was completely unaware of.
Then she and her husband started connecting the dots. The condition, which affects one in 2,000 women, makes it difficult to get pregnant and explains her extremely heavy periods: she had two uterine bleeds every month.
Kelsi Baldwin, 33, from Ohio, was diagnosed with uterine didelphys, a three-in-a-thousand condition that caused her to develop two uteruses and cervixes
Mrs Baldwin and her husband Matt (pictured here) had struggled to conceive for six years. Doctors believe that uterine didelphys may have caused this infertility
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Mrs Baldwin, now 33, said: ‘It was a shock and learning experience for both me and my husband.
‘At first I was very ashamed and didn’t want to tell anyone I had it. I felt alone – I couldn’t find many others like me and there wasn’t much information about it on the internet.’
When a woman’s uterus normally forms in the uterus, it begins as two ducts that join to form the organ.
But in people with a double uterus, medically known as uterine didelphys, the ducts do not join together. Instead, each duct creates its own uterus.
It is unclear why this happens.
Ms. Baldwin also has two cervixes, which are canals that connect the uterus to the vagina. She still only has one vagina.
She said: ‘It affects the ability of the sperm to meet the egg depending on which side ovulation occurs – which I don’t know [beforehand].’
Problems with infertility can result from the uterus being smaller than average, leaving less room for a fetus to develop properly.
The complex anatomy can also make it difficult for an embryo to implant successfully.
Other than infertility, her only symptom was extremely heavy periods, which caused her to “bleed through tampons.”
Doctors believe Ms Baldwin’s condition is likely the reason why she has had difficulty conceiving.
Ms Baldwin has undergone multiple fertility treatments as a result of her condition, including injections (left) and IVF
Ms Baldwin, pictured here during a fertility appointment, is now focusing on sharing her story to help other patients with uterine dysphysis and infertility
According to the Cleveland Clinic, people with a double uterus are at increased risk for miscarriage, preterm labor, cesarean sections, low birth weight, growth retardation and babies born in the breech position — when the baby sits on its feet or buttocks first. the uterus, which can be dangerous and complicate childbirth.
The smaller size of the uterus can force the fetus into awkward positions, making it necessary to deliver it early or by cesarean section to avoid birth injuries.
In addition to two miscarriages, Ms. Baldwin has undergone multiple fertility treatments, such as intrauterine insemination (IUI), in which sperm is inserted directly into the uterus to increase the chance of pregnancy.
“We are currently doing IVF so that we can transfer the embryo into the right uterus – my larger one – with the hope of a successful implantation,” Ms Baldwin said.
She will also need to have two regular smear tests, which involve taking samples of cervical tissue to check for cancer.
After her diagnosis last winter, Ms. Baldwin is focusing on sharing her story to help other patients with uterine dysphysis and infertility.
She said: ‘It’s important for me to share my story so others don’t feel so alone.
“I want there to be as many resources and information as possible for others who have been diagnosed with this condition and are struggling with it or having difficulty conceiving.”