Lurking, just in case...

Ken&Anna

Hello!  I feel a little weird writing an introduction on here since I'm still pregnant... I'm currently 31 weeks and 1 day and this is my first pregnancy.  I've been followed all along by my regular OB and and MFM because I have a Unicornuate Uterus.  I've known this whole time that I am at high risk of going into preterm labor or having IUGR, so I've been lurking on this board just in case I end up having a preemie.  I'd like to know a little bit about what to expect.

Monday I woke up after having pretty bad menstrual-type cramps all night and went in to get monitored.  Turned out I was having contractions every 10 minutes or so.  They weren't painful, just uncomfortable.  They gave me 1.5 liters of IV fluids and 2 shots of Terbutaline and the contractions slowed down, but I've still been having little ones off and on since then.  The doctor said it's nothing to worry about at this point because my cervix is still high and closed, but that I need to keep track of them, stay hydrated, and come in if I have painful contractions or cramping for more than an hour. 

My doctor's goal is to get me to at least 36 weeks but she said that if I go into labor anytime after 34 weeks she would just let me go and wouldn't do anything to slow down or stop labor.  I guess I just want to be prepared and know a little more about what to expect if I do have a preemie, so I've been lurking on this board for a while.  I'm amazed by how open and caring all of you ladies are, and I thank you for all you've taught me already.  I'll keep you posted!

urbanflowerpot

Hi there, I don't really have any advice but I wanted to wish you luck in finishing your pregnancy and if you don't - we'll be here to help you along the way.

It sounds like you're preparing yourself as best you can. I had no idea I might have a preemie so you're def ahead of my game!

Sometimes I feel like we're looked at as a crystal ball - but we aren't. Each preemie situation is so incredibly different that you can't prepare more than having awareness. You can have a micropreemie who sails through with little to no complications or you can have a 34/35/36 weeker who has a technicality that keeps them in NICU longer than the micro. Even a FT can have more complications than a preemie. You just never know and I'm sorry that isn't an answer you're looking for - but then again, maybe it will help. 

iristony

Good luck to you.  My friend also had a Unicornuate Uterus and had a 35 and 36 weeker and was in the hospital a bunch of times with early contractions.  Her 35 weeker came home with her and was never put in NICU while her 36 weeker spent around 10 or 12 days in NICU.

CTbride79

Hi there! 

I wish you the best in getting as close to FT as possible!  Have they given you an estimate on how big the baby is at this point? 

As PP said, every preemie is different...the best thing you can do to prepare is awareness.  We only had a week's notice of my complications, which didn't allow for a ton of preparedness, but some people (as PP said) don't get any.  One thing I will say, even though I knew he would be hooked up to monitors, etc., it was still hard to see the first time.  I don't think anything can really prepare you for that.  But knowing that he was OK and would grow better on the outside was some comfort for sure. 

Feel free to ask questions at any point...there is such a wide range of experiences on here! 

Ken&Anna

Thank you all so much!  I've definitely learned a lot already just reading through some of the posts on here (and I've read some of your blogs that you link to in your siggies), and I appreciate the wealth of knowledge you all have.  At this point it seems that we are in a waiting game, just waiting to see when I go into labor.  I have not had a recent estimate of how big the baby is--I see the MFM again on 9/4 and she should give me an estimate at that time.

From what I've heard, most Unicornuate Uterus moms deliver sometime between 32 and 36 weeks but it's really different for everyone, as you all implied.  I figure it's best to just have as much information as possible and to prepare for the unexpected, so thank you for being a resource.

urbanflowerpot

Ken&Anna:

Thank you all so much!  I've definitely learned a lot already just reading through some of the posts on here (and I've read some of your blogs that you link to in your siggies), and I appreciate the wealth of knowledge you all have.  At this point it seems that we are in a waiting game, just waiting to see when I go into labor.  I have not had a recent estimate of how big the baby is--I see the MFM again on 9/4 and she should give me an estimate at that time.

From what I've heard, most Unicornuate Uterus moms deliver sometime between 32 and 36 weeks but it's really different for everyone, as you all implied.  I figure it's best to just have as much information as possible and to prepare for the unexpected, so thank you for being a resource.

I've never heard of what you have but [don't shoot me] I think it's kinda awesome that you can tell your little girl that she was a unicorn-baby. Erm, at least that's what I would do!

What exactly is it? I don't think I've ever seen it mentioned. 

Ken&Anna

urbanflowerpot:

Ken&Anna:

Thank you all so much!  I've definitely learned a lot already just reading through some of the posts on here (and I've read some of your blogs that you link to in your siggies), and I appreciate the wealth of knowledge you all have.  At this point it seems that we are in a waiting game, just waiting to see when I go into labor.  I have not had a recent estimate of how big the baby is--I see the MFM again on 9/4 and she should give me an estimate at that time.

From what I've heard, most Unicornuate Uterus moms deliver sometime between 32 and 36 weeks but it's really different for everyone, as you all implied.  I figure it's best to just have as much information as possible and to prepare for the unexpected, so thank you for being a resource.

I've never heard of what you have but [don't shoot me] I think it's kinda awesome that you can tell your little girl that she was a unicorn-baby. Erm, at least that's what I would do!

What exactly is it? I don't think I've ever seen it mentioned. 

Haha!  No worries--I've gotten very used to explaining it to people because some nurses haven't even heard of it before!  (And I actually thought it would be really funny to have my LO dress up as a Unicorn for Halloween!) 

So a Unicornuate Uterus is one type of Mullerian Duct Abnormality... basically, when fetuses are developing their genital-urinary tract, sometimes things go wrong, and the uterus in a baby girl can develop in funny ways... there are several common ones: Bicornuate Uterus (a heart-shaped uterus), Uterine Didelphys (literally having 2 Uteruses), a Septate Uterus (where there is either a partial or a full septum going down the middle of the uterus), etc. and one of the ways it can develop is as a Unicornuate Uterus. 

Basically, I have a uterus that is about 1/2 the size of a "normal" uterus, and then there's a little part called the "Rudimentary Horn" that never connected to the rest of my uterus.  The "main" part of my uterus has a fallopian tube and ovary connected, and the Rudimentary Horn also has a fallopian tube and ovary connected, but because the Rudimentary Horn is so small, it's "noncommunicating."  It doesn't ever develop an endometrium, so luckily I will never be able to become pregnant in that side.  It would be very unlikely (but theoretically possible) for me to become pregnant when the ovary connected to the horn ovulates, so I also basically have only one functioning ovary.  Some women have a "communicating" rudimentary horn, which is very dangerous because if they become pregnant in that side, they are at risk of having it rupture.

Before you get pregnant, there's no way to know how stretchy your uterus is and how much it will grow to accommodate a growing baby, so because of the smaller size (or weird shape) of the uterus there is a much higher risk for women with Mullerian Duct Abnormalities to have 2nd trimester miscarriages or even 3rd trimester losses, IUGR, preterm labor, incompetent cervix, breech babies or transverse babies (especially for Bicornuate Uteruses).  I was lucky in that I knew about my condition before I even got pregnant, but a lot of women don't find out until after having trouble with IF or they have a complication during their pregnancy, or until they deliver by C-Section (usually because of breech presentation). 

Women who have Mullerian Duct Abnormalities are also more likely to have Kidney abnormalities, since the kidneys are part of the urinary tract, which develops at the same time and from the same cells as the genital tract.  I am lucky in that I have both of my kidneys and they are both functioning just fine, but a lot of women will have just one kidney, sometimes they have a "horseshoe kidney" (which is exactly what it sounds like--2 kidneys connected together in the shape of a horseshoe) and some will even have an extra kidney! 

I hope that answered your question... and if anyone has any additional information or wants to correct anything I said, please feel free! 

urbanflowerpot

Ken&Anna:

urbanflowerpot:

Ken&Anna:

Thank you all so much!  I've definitely learned a lot already just reading through some of the posts on here (and I've read some of your blogs that you link to in your siggies), and I appreciate the wealth of knowledge you all have.  At this point it seems that we are in a waiting game, just waiting to see when I go into labor.  I have not had a recent estimate of how big the baby is--I see the MFM again on 9/4 and she should give me an estimate at that time.

From what I've heard, most Unicornuate Uterus moms deliver sometime between 32 and 36 weeks but it's really different for everyone, as you all implied.  I figure it's best to just have as much information as possible and to prepare for the unexpected, so thank you for being a resource.

I've never heard of what you have but [don't shoot me] I think it's kinda awesome that you can tell your little girl that she was a unicorn-baby. Erm, at least that's what I would do!

What exactly is it? I don't think I've ever seen it mentioned. 

Haha!  No worries--I've gotten very used to explaining it to people because some nurses haven't even heard of it before!  (And I actually thought it would be really funny to have my LO dress up as a Unicorn for Halloween!) 

So a Unicornuate Uterus is one type of Mullerian Duct Abnormality... basically, when fetuses are developing their genital-urinary tract, sometimes things go wrong, and the uterus in a baby girl can develop in funny ways... there are several common ones: Bicornuate Uterus (a heart-shaped uterus), Uterine Didelphys (literally having 2 Uteruses), a Septate Uterus (where there is either a partial or a full septum going down the middle of the uterus), etc. and one of the ways it can develop is as a Unicornuate Uterus. 

Basically, I have a uterus that is about 1/2 the size of a "normal" uterus, and then there's a little part called the "Rudimentary Horn" that never connected to the rest of my uterus.  The "main" part of my uterus has a fallopian tube and ovary connected, and the Rudimentary Horn also has a fallopian tube and ovary connected, but because the Rudimentary Horn is so small, it's "noncommunicating."  It doesn't ever develop an endometrium, so luckily I will never be able to become pregnant in that side.  It would be very unlikely (but theoretically possible) for me to become pregnant when the ovary connected to the horn ovulates, so I also basically have only one functioning ovary.  Some women have a "communicating" rudimentary horn, which is very dangerous because if they become pregnant in that side, they are at risk of having it rupture.

Before you get pregnant, there's no way to know how stretchy your uterus is and how much it will grow to accommodate a growing baby, so because of the smaller size (or weird shape) of the uterus there is a much higher risk for women with Mullerian Duct Abnormalities to have 2nd trimester miscarriages or even 3rd trimester losses, IUGR, preterm labor, incompetent cervix, breech babies or transverse babies (especially for Bicornuate Uteruses).  I was lucky in that I knew about my condition before I even got pregnant, but a lot of women don't find out until after having trouble with IF or they have a complication during their pregnancy, or until they deliver by C-Section (usually because of breech presentation). 

Women who have Mullerian Duct Abnormalities are also more likely to have Kidney abnormalities, since the kidneys are part of the urinary tract, which develops at the same time and from the same cells as the genital tract.  I am lucky in that I have both of my kidneys and they are both functioning just fine, but a lot of women will have just one kidney, sometimes they have a "horseshoe kidney" (which is exactly what it sounds like--2 kidneys connected together in the shape of a horseshoe) and some will even have an extra kidney! 

I hope that answered your question... and if anyone has any additional information or wants to correct anything I said, please feel free! 

Oh, wow. Thank you so much for taking the time to explain that to me - I just learned so much! You should definitely save this so your fingers don't fall off; I'm sure you have to explain it a lot! Please let me know if you'd ever like to contribute to the preemie blog - we don't have a story like that and I'm sure you aren't alone.

I'm glad you knew about it beforehand; I can imagine the shock of finding out in the process. That would be a lot to take in.

I'm also glad you plan to dress her like a unicorn - so cute!