A mother-of-four who had such heavy periods she needed 30 pads was told by her GP that ‘some women bleed heavily’ before scans revealed she has two uteruses.
Jade Williams, 31, from Basingstoke, started having problems after she gave birth to her first child Elouise in November 2012, when she was 19.
Even after she had three more children – Ajay, seven, Maisie, five, and Sienna, four – Jade’s bleeding continued and doctors struggled to determine the cause.
Mrs Williams, who wore diaper-sized sanitary pads and two pairs of pants to prevent leaks, was given several medications to control the bleeding but still nothing helped.
But at the end of 2023, Ms Williams transferred to another hospital, where exploratory surgery revealed she was bleeding from two uteruses.
Jade Williams, 31, from Basingstoke, started having heavy periods after giving birth to her first child Elouise in November 2012, when she was 19
The rare condition, known as uterine dielphys, was missed despite Mrs Williams having four children and having numerous scans as a result.
The condition is congenital, meaning babies are born with it.
It occurs while a female fetus is developing and is rare; it probably affects only 0.03 percent of the population.
Often called a double uterus, women with the condition typically have two separate cervixes – the name given to the opening at the base of the uterus – and, even more rarely, two vaginas.
Uterus didelphys is often not picked up until after puberty when it is noticed during a routine physical exam or scan.
Women with a double uterus are at greater risk of pregnancy problems such as miscarriage and premature birth.
‘I started bleeding heavily after my first daughter. I could barely leave the house – I was wearing underwear, pads, leggings and trousers, and then I still had to go home and change,” Ms Williams said.
‘Doctors gave me pills but nothing helped and I became so bloated that I became bigger than when I was pregnant.
“They told me it would stop on its own, and not to worry, but of course I was worried.”
Ms Williams, a McDonalds manager, explained that the heavy bleeding started after her first pregnancy in 2012.
The symptom worsened over time and caused painful cramps.
When she went to her GP with her debilitating symptoms, she claims she was told that ‘some women bleed heavily’ and was prescribed hormonal contraception to control the bleeding. But it didn’t work.
For ten years she had no idea what caused her extremely heavy periods He eventually moved to another hospital hoping it would be taken seriously.
‘I thought, ‘I can’t keep living like this.’
“I knew it wasn’t normal and it wasn’t going to go away,” Ms Williams said.
In October 2023 she went for a scan and shortly afterwards was called in for an emergency biopsy.
Ms Williams had needed treatment to remove pre-cancerous cells from her cervix immediately after her first pregnancy, more than a decade earlier.
The rare condition, known as uterine dielphys, was missed despite Mrs Williams having four children and having numerous scans as a result
After further biopsies and keyhole surgery the following month, Mrs Williams got the all clear.
But the doctors went on to tell her why her bleeding was so heavy: because she was bleeding from two uteruses.
She said: ‘They said the condition causes premature labor, and all my babies were premature, so that makes sense.’
The doctors also removed nine uterine polyps during the procedure.
Doctors didn’t know why, but after the surgery her second uterus started to fail and eventually blocked.
Ms Williams, a McDonalds manager, has since had an IUS coil fitted, a form of hormonal contraception that the NHS says can also make periods lighter, shorter and less painful.
Ms Williams has since had an IUS coil fitted, a form of hormonal contraception that the NHS says can also make periods lighter, shorter and less painful.
The IUD was placed in her only remaining functional uterus and it has helped her return to her daily life without having to worry about heavy periods.
She said: ‘Since the bleeding has been controlled I have been able to return to work – and this summer I will be able to wear shorts and dresses for the first time.
‘But this condition has ruined my life for ten years and we need more research into it.’
She added: ‘My situation is a lot better now.
‘I used to use heating pads all the time and had to go through thirty sanitary towels a day, it was that bad.
‘In the summer I would have to wear a jacket in case I had to tie it around my waist – people would ask “are you warm?” and I would say “yes!”.
‘Now I can go swimming with my children, if they asked before I had to say no.
‘Finally I know why and I can live a normal life.
‘But there’s not much awareness yet and I’ve still never really gotten any answers.
‘I want more women to be aware of it and for more information to become available.’