The sound of giggling erupted from the living room, and I poked my head around the door, stopping to watch my daughter Molly, 14, and my son George, 10. They were laughing together on the sofa and I thought how nice it was to hear them having fun, rather than bickering. All mothers will tell you how special their children are, but when I watch my two together and admire how different they are, yet still so similar in many ways, it strikes me just how true that sentiment is for them. Despite being my biological children and me carrying and giving birth to them both, they were actually conceived and carried in two different wombs.
RARE CONDITION
I first realised something was different about me when I was 14. My friends were all starting their periods and yet mine stubbornly stayed away. Until one day I suddenly felt an odd popping sensation. In the bathroom, I found blood in my underwear. Calling for my mum, she took me to the hospital because the bleeding was so heavy. They suspected a cyst had burst. Only, after more scans they actually discovered I had two wombs, two cervices and two vaginas - a rare condition known as uterus didelphys. And I'd actually been having periods for a while but a blockage caused by my condition had stopped them from making themselves known.
As if that wasn't enough to take in, the doctor had even more shocking news. "It'll be really difficult for you to have children,' he said. And if I did, it would be impossible for me to give birth naturally. At 14, I wasn't thinking about my future family plans and was simply relieved when the specialists said they could turn my two vaginas into one with surgery, and that my two wombs were small but functioning at least.
This story is from the October 02, 2023 edition of WOMAN'S OWN.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 02, 2023 edition of WOMAN'S OWN.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Is it ever OK to lie about your age?
Kaye Adams has done it, and even Mel B jokes that she doesn't believe friend Geri Horner is 51. We ask...
‘I DIDN'T THINK.I'D SEE MUM AGAIN'int ICAT AFAR
MelB on rebuilding her life rebuilding her life after her abusive’ marriage
8 WAYS TO BECOME A MORNING PERSON
Improve body and mind with just a few simple tweaks to your daily routine
WHY YOU NEVER FORGET YOUR FIRST LOVE
(laire Dore, 50, learnt a lot from her first serious relationship
WHAT'S THE NAKED ATTRACTION ?
After a host of celebrities admitted to stripping off behind closed doors, Natalie Brown, 43, decided to bare all to find out just what all the fuss was about
MY FURY AT BEING A GRAN AT 52
Shona Sibary was far from excited when her eldest daughter welcomed her first child
A YEAR IN THE MAKING
Many of us shy away from drastic change but for these three women, it was just what they needed
I LOST 6ST AND FOUND THE REAL ME!
Shay Al-Ajami May, 32, was fed up pretending to be happy, so she decided to make it a reality
WHAT DO YOUR FEET SAY ABOUT YOUR HEALTH?
From heart disease to arthritis, here’s what they might be trying to tell you…
HOW CAN WE HELP OUR CHILDREN?
With more young people facing mental-health crises, we investigate what needs to be done