A mother has expressed her surprise in having two children in one year, each of whom she carried in two different uteruses. After being diagnosed with uterine didelphys, which means she was born with two reproductive systems, Caroline Wortman, 30, of Woodstock, Georgia, was informed that she might be infertile. She gave birth to her daughter Josie in January 2021, but six months after she was born, she learned she was expecting again.
She stated that she and her husband Nate were perplexed at learning of her second pregnancy, adding, “We were giggly with excitement but also still terrified.” Although her pregnancy was healthy, she gave birth to their son, Brooks, on Boxing Day 2021 at the age of 33 weeks and 5 days. When Caroline first saw the gynecologist, she was 18 years old. After the examination, the doctor informed Caroline that she had two cervixes.
The uterus begins as two tiny tubes known as Mullerian ducts when a female fetus is forming, and this is what causes uterine didelphys. Eventually, during a process known as embryogenesis, these will come together to form the reproductive system. “I did ask the doctor what having two cervixes meant, and I remember her telling me that I may not be fertile and that if I did become pregnant, it would probably be difficult and high risk.” I suppose it took years and meeting my spouse for this to fully set in, but it was always on my mind, she continued.
A few months later, she underwent an internal ultrasound when it was determined that she had two full uteruses and was given the diagnosis of uterine didelphys. Also mentioned was the possibility that future pregnancies would prove challenging for her.
As she grew older, her diagnosis had no effect on her life, but when she met Nate Daniel Wortman, 35, when she was 23, things began to alter. Nate served in the Army and was stationed close to Caroline in Savannah, Georgia when they first met; their common acquaintance introduced them. She finally told him about her uterine didelphys. Following their September 2019 wedding, the couple immediately began attempting to create a family.
On April 25, 2020, Caroline left for work, but she had to turn around since she began to feel odd and short of breath. She took a pregnancy test she had purchased months before when she realized her cycle was a few days late. ‘Once it came back positive I had ideas in my head all these cute ways I wanted to tell him the news, but freaked out in the moment and just rushed downstairs and showed him the test.’
The happy couple went to the doctors and found out she was seven weeks along, and continued to have monthly appointments and internal ultrasounds to check she was progressing smoothly. Her uterus that was not carrying her baby was simply pushed aside as it grew, and little Josie Magnolia Wortman was born on January 2 2021 at a healthy six pounds. Before Caroline started feeling sick while out to lunch with her parents the following June, the family of three had a wonderful six months as just that.
The couple hadn’t been trying for a second child, but at Caroline’s subsequent appointment, she learned she was about 10 weeks along and the baby was developing in her other uterus. Josie was in the right uterus, and Brooks was in the left, she claimed, adding that the infant was always small enough to view the other uterus and confirm which side it was in. She was pregnant normally up until 33 weeks and 5 days, when she went into labor and was fully dilated when she arrived at the hospital. The clinicians felt the baby’s feet when they checked my cervix in triage, the patient said. Born on Christmas Day 2021 weighing only 5lbs 5oz, Brooks Daniel Hayes Wortman spent nine days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
She used TikTok to share her unusual pregnancy tale, which has since received over 930,000 views and nearly 39,000 likes, in an effort to spread awareness of fertility issues.
“For ladies with my exact diagnosis, I just hope that this is one narrative that they can turn to and say, “Look, this girl was told no and she had two healthy babies in a year,” she added.
