Woman Born with Double Uterus Delivers Twins after Being Pregnant for Only 22.5 Weeks

A woman with a rare reproductive condition became a mom to twin girls, who were born prematurely at a little over 22 weeks. This was barely days into her second trimester.

Nebraska mom Megan Phipps, who already had two children, discovered she had a rare uterine condition after getting pregnant again. Doctors diagnosed her with uterine didelphys or double uterus.

This means that Phipps has two uteruses and two cervices. However, it took a long time to discover this because she had her older kids through the right uterus.

Phipps told GMA that doctors thought her other uterus was inactive, but after she got pregnant again, it was discovered that she was pregnant with twins and both uteruses were active.

After the 24-year-old entered her second trimester, she started spotting. Phipps felt excruciating pain when she was 22.5 weeks into her pregnancy and had to go to the hospital.

She was admitted to Bryan Health hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska, where she felt like something was wrong with her body. While at the hospital, Phipps' cervix gradually shortened, leading to the risk of preterm labor.

A nurse on duty would later discover that Phipps was going into labor at 22 weeks. She was immediately transferred to the neonatal area, where the neonatologist explained the risk of having the babies to her.

Usually, parents of premature babies or preemies were briefed on the risks of having the babies. Phipps recalled that she was told her babies had a 1% chance of surviving, and in their case, it was severe prematurity.

Dr. Mark Brisso, a neonatologist in charge of the Phipps twins, shared that the babies' survival was almost impossible because of the special circumstances of the mom's pregnancy.

Phipps received a detailed explanation of the situation with her twins, but she decided to give birth to them and ask the doctors to resuscitate them. Ultimately, Phipps had the first of the twins, Riley, on June 11, while the other twin, Reece, was born on June 12.

Phipps had twin girls, but Riley passed on a few days after being born, while Reece continued to be a little fighter. Their mom made it known that she kept Riley's ashes in an urn and placed her close to her sister.

Reece remained in the NICU for 144 days before she was allowed to join her family at home. Through the 144-day duration, no family members were allowed to visit Phipps and her daughter due to the risk of COVID-19.

Phipps shared that the nurses, nurse practitioners, and doctors were her only support system. Within this period, Reece had over a dozen blood transfusions and was on a ventilator for 45 days.

She also became the youngest premature baby to survive in the NICU history of the hospital. At the end of 144 days, little Reece could go home with mommy but had to return to the hospital after a while.

The little one is currently under care in the NICU after developing metapneumovirus. Reece has been placed on oxygen to aid her breathing while a gastronomy button was connected to her stomach for feeding. Phipps is proud of her baby and has deemed her a success story through it all.