The nurse at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s hospital spread gel on the opposite side of Hatcher’s abdomen and went over it with the wand. They couldn’t believe what they saw on the screen.
Another fetus was growing in Hatcher’s second uterus. One in 1 million women become pregnant with two fetuses in separate uteruses, according to Richard Davis, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist treating Hatcher.
Since that May appointment, Hatcher’s doctors have been monitoring a pregnancy unlike any they have witnessed. Hatcher, 32, is now 34 weeks pregnant and expecting healthy fraternal twin girls next month.
But around 28 weeks into her pregnancy, Hatcher began thinking about the possibility of upcoming challenges. Each uterus could contract at different times, meaning the babies could arrive hours, days or weeks apart. If one baby is born before the other, Hatcher said she will likely undergo a Caesarean section to give birth to the second twin within a few days.
