Bicornuate Uterus

[JosieK79]

Hi, does anyone have experience of a consultant led pregnancy with a bicornuate (heart shaped) uterus? I've had 2 children, my first I went full term and it was never picked up and everything was fine. But my second came unexpectedly at 30 weeks and it was only when he was breech and the cord was presenting that they rushed me in for an Emergency C section and then when removing my son (who was basically stuck in the right 'horn' of my uterus), the senior doctor noticed the BU and told me afterwards. She said at that time if I had more pregnancies they would be consultant led. That was nearly 7 years ago and I'm now 6+3 pregnant and my doc has referred me to midwife, but I just wondered how it all works and how much extra monitoring etc there might be and at what stage.
TIA

Hi, I have a (severe) BU. I'm currently pregnant and consultant led. I had an nhs esrly scan at 7 weeks (due to prev early mc and anxiety I think rather than a medical need). Had scans at 12, 16, 20 weeks. Also have a plan for 3 weekly growth scans from 28 weeks. Ive also had cervical length measurements at 16 and 20 weeks to monitor for cervical incompetence which can unfortunately be associated with BU.
It's also been suggested that I'll likely be for an elective c-section as the baby is more likely to be breech due to lack of room to turn later in. Ive also read to not allow anybody to attempt an ECV to turn the baby. Just something worth noting.
To be honest, the consultant doesn't seem very worried (which is good) but I'm very anxious so some of the extra monitoring is probably more for my peace of mind than actually clinically indicated. Good luck with your pregnancy, I hope it all goes smoothly for you.

I have a septated womb, picked up on ultrasound in my first pregnancy which unfortunately ended in miscarriage. With my DD I saw the midwives at all the usual appointments and had regular appointments with a consultant, although all they did was take my blood pressure and test wee samples. I had regular growth scans which I found reassuring. The midwife said there was no way I would be allowed to give birth in the birthing unit with the pool etc but I asked the consultant and they put me back down as midwife led towards the end of my pregnancy so I could use the birthing unit Good luck with your pregnancy!

Thanks @NervousBFP, sounds like they're taking good care of you but good that they're not massively concerned. In my experience you can have a completely normal pregnancy and childbirth as with my first, but obviously things were very different with my second! I understand re the early scan, I too had a loss last year and it's taken us 8 months to conceive again (although I am 40 this year). I'm booked in for a private early scan tomorrow to try and stop me worrying so much! Good to know re turning the baby, although I think I'll be heading down the c-section route again given my last emergency section. Saying that I had a beautiful vaginal water birth with my first so you never know! Wishing you all the best with everything xx

Thanks @moomin11, I definitely won't be allowed to give birth in a midwife led unit after what happened with my 2nd, even if I did get to full term like with my first. I'm sorry to hear you suffered a loss, but glad you have DD. The thing with my BU is I have no clue of the severity as only found out as a result of having the emergency c section. So whether they'll be interested in that I don't know. Thanks for your msg x

Hope your scan goes well @JosieK79 there's a lot of variance I think in severity, maybe something you can ask the sonographer at your scan? I'm on my 6th pregnancy now and mine has been mentioned at every scan even though it's apparently not severe. Currently having weekly scans to see if this one is viable, it's stressful!

Thanks @moomin11 I wondered if mine wasn't very severe as I went full term with first baby plus it was never picked up on any scans with either one. When the doc who did my section told me she'd discovered my BU, and explained, I questioned how things could have been so textbook with my first, and she said it could just come down to where the egg implanted, which might have determined that my 2nd happened to grow inside the right 'horn' whereas my 1st maybe grew in more of a central place? It's hard to know, especially as mine has only ever been looked at during a section. Will definitely ask sonographer though as you said.
Is the septated womb you have, where your uterus is completely separate from each side? Sending lots of positivity your way, it must be so stressful having all those scans. How far along are you?

Thank you, I am only about 6/7 weeks but they scan me straight away now because of the precious ectopic. I've convinced myself this will be another mmc so if I get good news this week it'll be a good surprise. Strangely my hcg levels are high even though they can't see much on the scan which is a worry. Well they always said it was septated, with the top just being slightly heart shaped rather than flat, this is the first pregnancy where they have called it bicornate which when I googled it they seemed like 2 different things! I queried it with the sonographer and she said septated is just a type of bicornate? It's a bit confusing. One of them gives higher risk of miscarriage so I am interested to know given all the losses I've had. I carried my daughter full term too with a straightforward pregnancy so as you say it must depend where the egg implants.

I've got cervical length scans every fortnight from 16 to 26 weeks and then after that a plan will be made for growth scans.
Ive had two premmies already though, I think already going to term once is a positive sign you could again, i've been told i'll be lucky to make it to 32 weeks which may be why i'm having so many scans.