IVF with a double womb

[Esmerelda1988]

Hi everyone.

Just looking for some general input- I’m 31 and have been trying for a baby for about 8 months (partner is 33), no previous children for either of us. I have a double womb which I’ve known about since I was 19 and was told at the time it was unlikely to really affect conception but would need close monitoring if I became pregnant. I went to the GP recently and had some more investigation done and she has told me today that my chances of conceiving naturally are slim due to one side not functioning (basically the same as only having one tube) and that I would need assistance to become pregnant. Obviously I’m really upset and feel quite guilty for having this abnormality, and I’m not sure how I want to proceed. I don’t know much about IVF but have seen it isn’t always successful and I’m not sure if it’s worth trying more from the emotional side of things or not or if it's best to accept we can't have a child together. I do really want a child as does my partner but it all feels incredibly painful at the moment to even contemplate having assistance. Anyone got any success stories, experiences or advice?

Thanks for reading

Having one tube/ ovary only reduces the chances by something like 30%. Unless there's more to the story, it seems like the gp was putting the cart before the horse a bit!!

Please don't have any sort of guilt. It's not like it was a choice, or something you did to cause this... it's a natural variant.

8 months into ttc is really too early in the game to say anything conclusively - there's A LOT that science/ medicine doesn't understand about human reproduction. Theres also a lot to be said about how doctors communicate news... did she say definitely or maybe? Maybe is about as much certainty as exists with anything related to infertility unless you have no womb, Fallopian tubes and/ or ovaries...

There's nothing medically wrong with me (or dh), but we still needed ivf to conceive.

I think in your shoes I would ask to be referred to gynae/reproductive medicine and talk all of this through with a specialist doctor who has access to all of your medical history. I'm not saying that the GP is necessary wrong but it does seem like a fairly extreme statement to make. They will also be best placed to talk you through the pros/cons of IVF (if that turns out to be necessary) and the risks as they apply in your case, plus what implications your womb has for pregnancy.

I think I’d ask for a referral as pp said. Good luck.

Thank you. No there isn't any more to it at all, the gp did mention she needed IVF so I don't know if this makes her a bit keener on it than most! The general gist was that it's unlikely to happen naturally and best to start the process before I get to an age where IVF is less successful. It does seem a bit premature but I get where she's coming from, it was just a bit of a shock to have it laid out in terms of 'unlikely' as I haven't been told this before by any medical professionals! Thanks for replying, definitely helps to talk to other women about the whole thing.

I had a chat with a specialist in London a couple of years ago as I was worrying about conceiving in the future (hadn't given it much thought in my twenties!) and they focussed a lot on implications for pregnancy such as pre term labour and they said it was possible I'd have reduced chances if I ovulated from each side alternately so it's kind of what the gp said.. but then she'd never heard of having a double womb til she met me! I think I will ask for a referral as I'd rather not go through the process if it's not entirely necessary at the moment. Thanks for the suggestion

Another vote for a referral from your GP. From my own experiences GP’s have little knowledge about fertility issues. Increasingly it became apparent l knew more than my GP and they were confusing things

@EL8888 thank you. The more I think about it the more I can't see how she's in a position to say what she did with that degree of certainty when the team who specialise in uterine abnormalities who dealt with me before didn't mention that being a primary cause of infertility at all. I think I'll do the initial blood tests she's asked for and rule out anything else being the matter then go back to the specialist.

That sounds incredibly sensible.

@Esmerelda1988 yeah l think that’s a good plan. At one point my partners GP couldn’t even read his sperm analysis results properly. She informed us we could never conceive naturally and then suggested an unsuitable procedure. A fertility doctor later told us she was completely wrong about both things 🙄🤯

@EL8888 Jesus. Makes you want to cry doesn't it-I know I should probably take it with a pinch of salt but now she's said it, and hustled me down the IVF route, she's made me worry she's actually right. She pretty much said the tests were just a formality anyway and a route to getting IVF, she hasn't even mentioned it maybe being my partner's issue or a separate issue with me, nor did she say I ought to keep trying naturally all of which would have helped hugely! If I was that insensitive at work I wouldn't last long I can tell you.

What do you mean by "a double womb"? Do you mean you have two uteri or that you have a heart-shaped womb?

@eurochick 2 uteri. The condition is called uterus didelphys.

Have you read the (original) Adam Kay book? He had a patient with two wombs, cervixes and vaginas. He was an obstetrician and he had barely seen it. Your GP had never even heard of it - it is unlikely that she will be able to speak expertly about it.

FWIW I guess you must be in a similar situation to a friend of mine who had an ectopic pregnancy and a tube removed. It took her longer than average but she did manage to conceive her daughter. She then misunderstood the advice from doctors - hearing “will be harder than average to get pregnant” as “so you don’t need to bother with contraception” and ended up with two under 16 months. Ooops! It seems babies are a bit like buses.....

You need more information before you can make a decision. Try to park your feelings for now, it sounds like you actually don't know anything yet. Go see a specialist first.

My SIL was told she was infertile and absolutely could not get pregnant, no chance without ivf, when she went to see the ivf specialist they had to call the whole thing off because surprise! She was pregnant. So don't listen to the GP, see the specialist first. Listen to them.

@Mumoftwoyoungkids I haven't, it is very rare but I guess as I was shipped off to specialists quickly when diagnosed I forget it isn't common! It's quite disconcerting having something your GP hasn't ever heard of especially tied in with the TTC anxiety. Let's hope my bus comes along soon..thank you

@Besidesthepoint thank you, that's good advice.