One in 50 million: rare ‘twins’ a Christmas miracle

When Kelsey Hatcher went to her routine ultrasound appointment, eight weeks into her pregnancy in May, she was in for a surprise.

Kelsey Hatcher with her healthy babies Roxi and Rebel.

When Kelsey Hatcher went to her routine ultrasound appointment, eight weeks into her pregnancy in May, she was in for a surprise.

The 32-year-old American was told she was having not one child, but two, each developing in a separate uterus in what medical experts say is a one in 50 million pregnancy.

Roxi and Rebel were born overnight on Tuesday and Wednesday last week at UAB Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. Both are doing well and recovering at home.

Ms Hatcher unveiled her “miracle babies” on her Instagram account on Friday: “Our team was incredible and we couldn’t have had a better experience,” she said.

“While we are all home now, we will take the time to bond, recover and enjoy the holidays.”

Roxi and Rebel were born a day apart. Ms Hatcher had known since she was 17 that she had two uteruses – a rare congenital condition known as uterus didelphys. It is believed to affect about one in 2000 women worldwide with only one in 25,000 of those becoming pregnant with twins.

Although referred to as twins, Roxi and Rebel are not genetically identical as they came from different eggs.

According to experts at the Cleveland Clinic London, uterus didelphys can cause infertility. Many women with the condition experience heavy periods and miscarriages.

It can also increase the risks of having babies prematurely because each uterus is smaller, restricting the growth of the foetus.

Most women do not know they have uterus didelphys as it has no symptoms. It is caused in their mother’s womb when the foetuses’ two ducts fail to combine. Each duct goes on to be a uterus. Some women can have two vaginas and two cervixes.

Ms Hatcher, who works as a massage therapist, said her babies were induced after a healthy pregnancy with monitoring by a high-risk pregnancy team of doctors.

She was told that if she did become pregnant she would probably miscarry or her baby would be born prematurely.

She already has three children, two of whom were born at 41 weeks.

In October 2020, British mum Kelly Fairhurst from Essex gave birth to Watson and Bonnie by caesarean section after they developed in separate uteruses.

Ms Fairhurst, 31, said it was “amazing news” to hear of Ms Hatcher’s successful birth.

She discovered that she had two uteruses during a scan, having already had two premature children, Agnes, now eight years old, and Margot, six.

She said: “It was an incredible shock. It makes me wonder how many people have it and don’t know. This is quite rare, so you feel quite lucky and privileged to be their parents.”

The Sunday Times