Bicornuate Uterus & miscarriage

[Confused2612]

I am approx 8 wks with my first child and found out that I have a "split" uters...But my ob/gyn confirmed that it wasn't completely split but there's a septum or something of that nature...Through ultrasound, she couldn't hear the baby's heartbeat and said mostly likely my baby's not going to survive...My question is, if I miscarry,what are my options and chances of conceiving and having a successful pregnancy and birth because I am 26 and very ready for motherhood??? Please somebody give me some insight on this matter because I am an emotional wreck....:(

[juicyjen]

I also have a bicornuate uterus, mine is 4.5cm attached, which is near enough all the way down. I have a left & a right horn,  am currently expecting my 1st baby, I am 24+5 and after 2.5yrs of trying we never thought it would happen, turns out baby got into my right horn and has kicked my left horn over, I'm 27yrs old and like you was very upset when i found out. But it can happen and it will. I am very sorry for your loss and wish you the best of luck for the future. Take care of yourself xxx

[AnnieBrooke]

Your post said that the doctor gave you negative prospects about the pregnancy, and then you said "My question is, if I miscarry, what are my options and chances of conceiving and having a successful pregnancy and birth because I am 26 and very ready for motherhood?"  I was trying to answer that question, I was not trying to address whether the doctor was right in her assessment of the prospects for this pregnancy.  I was answering the question you asked.  

I am very sorry for your loss.  Miscarriage is very sad and should happen to nobody.

[Confused2612]

thanks for the advice but unfortunately i miscarried today...my baby's heart wasn't beating

[AnnieBrooke]

I have a bicornuate uterus, and carried my son to term.  If the baby does not implant right on the septum (which theoretically might mean the baby won't get a normal blood supply and might cause a miscarriage), you have every chance to carry to term.  

Don't let your doctor (who probably doesn't have a lot of background on the issue) freak you out.  Often doctors are Chicken Little when it comes to uterine septums and all.  See a specialist if it will help.  My reproductive endocrinologist was the calmest of all my doctors (and also the most highly educated, many years of further education after getting his MD).  Garden-variety ob-gyns might only see one heart-shaped uterus (that they know about) in their career.

The research on outcomes of bicornuate uteruses is not very strong, either -- my high-risk doctor showed me one study that he took seriously, and it only had 30 participants in it, and they were all located (to be in the study in the first place) by finding women who had had miscarriages.  Talk about a biased study sample!  The best research (which has never been done) would be to follow a large group of the female childbearing population and do a 3-D ultrasound on each, then track which ones have uterine shapes that differ from the norm, and see which of those have problems.  It might be that a lot of women have an unusual thing about their uterine shape and it is never discovered, because they never have a problem getting pregnant or carrying the baby to term.  Doctors hear about women with heart-shaped uteruses who have problems.  They never hear about women with heart-shaped uteruses who don't have problems; they might not even know their patient has one.

In short, don't let the diagnosis freak you out.  An unusual uterine shape is not alone enough to harm a pregnancy.  Uteruses are very stretchy and there is room in them for multiples, so there is certainly room for one baby even if there is a septum.  (ps -- The septum is soft and flexible.  My son pushed it aside and used the whole uterus.)

Don't worry, good luck.