Subseptate/Bicornuate uterus

[Muriel84]

Hello!

I’ve been scanned today at just over 5 weeks as I had some mild PV bleeding and have had two previous consecutive early losses (just before 5 weeks and just before 6 weeks). The sonographer showed me the pregnancy is sat in the left horn of my subseptate uterus. She showed me a 3D image of my uterus and it looked a bit heart shaped. This was the first scan I’ve ever had so it was news to me. The sonographer said it could cause later miscarriage, though the nurse I saw said I was still risky now.

Googling subseptate uterus is pretty alarming but I have found some old threads on here which are more reassuring where people have shared their experiences. I was wondering if anyone else has experience of this or has been diagnosed with their current pregnancy?

Don't know how helpful this will be but my mum has this.
She had pregnancies, both successful. I was born a little early (36 weeks) my little sister was term and breach.
It can't have caused any known issues as she didn't even know she had it until years later.

Thank you @mylittlesandwich that is nice to hear. Trying not to worry excessively.

I have a subseptate uterus. Totally normal first pregnancy - found out about it on a scan at 15 weeks, had a couple of extra growth scans (due to a risk of growth restriction), and he was breech until about 34 weeks. Straightforward normal delivery. Following that, two miscarriages at 9 and 5 weeks and a chemical pregnancy. Now 27 weeks and all going fine, did have two big bleeds at 10 and 11 weeks with subchorionic haematoma though, not fun.
It does increase the risk of miscarriage earlier and later - but I’ve always thought there’s a higher chance that at least one of my miscarriages was due to a chromosomal problem. Also with subseptate it’s kind of dependent on where the little embryo chooses to implant - if it happens to implant on the septum then the pregnancy may miscarry as there isn’t enough blood supply there; but at some point it’ll implant on the right spot and you’ll be fine.
As you’ve seen there’s an increased chance of preterm birth, growth restriction, or baby being breech/transverse - but that’s not to say those things will definitely happen. Given that you’ve had bad luck twice, hopefully third time is the charm - and if not, then you should be referred to a recurrent miscarriage clinic for more discussion. Good luck x

@TenThousandSpoons0 thank you so so much for taking the time to reply. It was so helpful reading about your story. I’m hoping that as I know it’s implanted in the left horn and not on the septum at least for the time being the anatomy won’t cause an issue. I wondered if my previous losses were due to chromosomal problems or due to it implanting on the septum. I never got dark positives on my previous tests and then obviously they faded quickly. This time they were dark, and quickly got darker.

I’m sorry to hear about your losses, but really glad to hear your current pregnancy is progressing well. The heavy bleeds must have been terrifying. Good luck to you too and thanks again for replying x x

Hello, I’ve just come across this thread after being told by a sonographer at my ultrasound (been ttc for 8 months and periods have been heavier so GP referred me for scan) that she suspects I have a subseptate uterus and I will need to be referred to gynae to confirm this. My heart sank! It wasn’t very helpful of her to share this when she wasn’t able to give me any more information about it!! So I’m left to do my own research while I wait to discuss results with GP.

So it’s been really helpful to come across this thread. Did anyone hear with this shaped uterus also struggle with conception? Thank you X

Hi @Everythingcrossed2021 we were ttc for 11 months with a few chemical losses and midway through I found out I have a bicornuate uterus but no details as to how severe or not it might be, whether there is a septum etc so I went down the google rabbit hole which made me feel really scared and and anxious and worried. Since then I've read about others experiences and a lot of women go on to have normal, safe, healthy pregnancies and that put my mind at ease. Unfortunately my GP couldn't give me any more info but I was referred to a gyno and was about to start fertility testing when I got a positive test. I'm currently 5 weeks and so far so good 🤞🏼 waiting to hear if I'll be getting any extra monitoring. From what I know this will only happen in the second trimester as that's the riskiest one for my uterus shape but it might be different when I actually speak to a midwife.

Apparently it's not meant to impact implantation or early pregnancy, although I don't know how that works if the egg implants on the septum.

Taking up to a year to conceive is very normal, I wish I knew / believed this when we first started! So you've still got time 🤞🏼

My gyno referral took almost 5 months, your might be quicker depending on where you are and the wait times. I wasn't counting on it tbh and was hoping I'd get pregnant before then which has luckily happened. I don't know how this pregnancy will go, if it'll be successful so am taking it a day at a time

Thank you so much for taking the time @choccrumpet to share your experiences and congrats on your pregnancy! Wishing you all the best with the next 9 months or so for you.

No one prepares you for this journey at all and even without an abnormal womb, it can take couples a while that’s what I keep telling myself!

My ultrasound took 5 months so not much hope for the gynae referral - I shall see what my anxiety levels are like and we might consider a private scan but no idea how much that costs!

Thank you again and all the best

Thank you @Everythingcrossed2021 , really hoping this is it for us but also trying to prepare for other scenarios.

I still don't know how severe or not mine is and maybe it's not right to have been trying without knowing but at the same time I don't want to put my life on hold and I wasn't advised not to keep trying so will see how things progress. I hope you get answers soon and your appointment comes through earlier than expected!

I will definitely keep trying before I get any definite answers! Don’t think there is any advice to say otherwise! I can imagine you will be feeling cautious but know that any possibility is possible for women without these differences. All best!

Just thought I’d check @choccrumpet to see how you’re doing? I’ve got my gynae appointment next week and I will be going armed with lots of questions as still no luck for us. I’ve also just started on thyroid meds to get my Tsh level down as it was slightly raised so I’m wondering if that’s the main barrier not the uterus shape.

@Everythingcrossed2021 hi, brilliant to hear you've got your appointment so soon. Definitely prepare with too many questions to ask! From everything that I've heard the uterus shape shouldn't interfere with getting pregnant but I never got a chance to speak with a specialist so maybe they'll say something else.

I'm doing well thank you so far, 10+5 and am having my 12 week scan soon so will see how that goes. Early scan at 6 weeks baby was in my right horn and there was a septum going down about halfway, maybe a bit less, in my uterus so a bit anxious to see how it's navigating around it as it gets bigger.

Ah so pleased to hear all is going well and bet you can’t wait for that 12 week scan. Did you pay for a private early scan or are you being monitored more with the midwifery team knowing about your uterus? Is yours partial or full?

Yeah that’s what I keep reading that it shouldn’t affect conception but still no luck after 10 months.

@Everythingcrossed2021 it was a private scan. I have been referred to be consultant led as well due to uterus shape & chemicals which I'm happy about but have no idea what to expect so should find out soon at my first appointment. And it seems to be a partial divide, at least it looked like it in the scan.

I know it doesn't help to hear but 10 months isn't that long, I know it feels it.. I wish I had gone into this expecting it to take a lot longer than not. I think it would have made the wait a bit easier for me. Keep doing what you're doing, it's only a matter of time

Ah I’ve just reread your message and you have a Bicornuate uterus and I have a suspected subseptate uterus but it hasn’t been confirmed but my one does potentially impact conception, whereas yours doesn’t necessarily I think! Anyways I will hopefully find out more next week - thank you for messaging back!

Ah yes patience is key but so hard. Thank you I will try to hold on to not being that long yet X

@Everythingcrossed2021 ah sorry that was my bad, in your case it might but either way hopefully you'll get everything you need information wise and help for next steps at your appointment next week! Hope it goes well for you!

@choccrumpet @Everythingcrossed2021 I only just saw this notification. It gave me tingles reading back through my post a year ago. Just to update you both my beautiful five month old boy is currently sleeping soundly by my side.

I had my baby at university college london hospital where they have a clinic for women at risk of preterm delivery. They closely monitored me through my second trimester and answered some of those difficult questions for me too which I was similarly left with when the sonographer told me I had a subseptate uterus. I have to say I’ve never had anxiety like that awful first trimester. I remember it felt like I was just waiting for the pregnancy to end. However, I learned that most women with my condition progress through their pregnancy with no issues. The consultant told me it’s possible one of my losses was due to the embryo implanting on the septum, but so many early pregnancies end that way it’s hard to know.

After expecting my baby to be early he was actually 11 days late. My labour was fairly traumatic and I think two issues may have been connected to the shape of my uterus according to my obstetrician; my placenta was stuck and had to be manually removed and I lost and awful lot of blood.

I hope everything is going well in your pregnancy choc. And everything crossed for you everything crossed! X x x

What a lovely update @Muriel84 I'm so happy for you and your little boy! I'm glad everything worked out even with the traumatic labour, sounds like you were in good hands. And yes with early losses it is hard to know what causes them, may not necessarily be because of our uteruses.

I'm 13 weeks tomorrow and doing well so far, hoping the rest of my pregnancy goes well.

@Everythingcrossed2021 hope your gynae appointment went well

Hey @Muriel84 thanks for the update and I’m glad your baby arrived safely ❤️

Just in case anyone else stumbles across this thread, there is an amazing Facebook group for women with septate uteruses. After 4 losses, they’re success stories are giving me hope 🤞🏼

@choccrumpet aw you’re almost exactly where I was this time a year ago! You must be due mid February? Feels like a lifetime ago! I remember time felt like it was passing so slowly though. So glad it’s all going well so far.

@MrsS89K I’m not on Facebook but good to know there’s support out there. I just can’t believe how awful the papers I was reading on google were. I tortured myself with them! It’s much more common than people think. So much of women’s health is so poorly understood. X x x

@Muriel84 yes exactly then! It is passing incredibly slowly but also almost out of the first trimester which is crazy to think about. Thank you 🥰

And agree that most things you find on the internet about different shaped uteruses are terrifying and quite negative. In contrast women's actual experiences have been a completely different story which is so lovely and reassuring to hear about!

@Muriel84 Thank you so much for this encouraging update - so pleased all went well for you birth wise and you have a lovely healthy little one now! And @choccrumpet amazing to hear all is going well, and that you're out of the first trimester which I can only imagine must feel like the scariest in many ways.

I had ym gynae appointment (telephone consultation) and I'm even more confused! She had the sonographer report but not the scans, and from the written report of the description of my uterus she feels it does not read that I have a subseptate uterus!! The sonographer only said 'suspected' and in her description of the size etc, its all normal. Gynae said also as I had a coil for so many years, it wouldn't have been that happy if I had a subseptate... don't know what to think. Ultimately, I'm very upset with the sonographer delivering that news in such an inconsiderate way and without enough information. Gynae said my next step is a HyCosy which should also give info on the shape of my womb. So, if I am out for this month (period due this week) I will go private for that test I think!

@Everythingcrossed2021 that must have been extremely frustrating for you! The positive is that you've got a next step and hopefully that will help clear things up.

Not very useful for the gynae not to see the scan! I don't believe my scan was shared with my GP / anywhere in my file which makes no sense so all I've got is the written notes plus anywhere it's visible in the scans but my last scan did not show it / the sonographer couldn't see it or didn't want to look for it.

I was meant I have a HyCoSy before getting pregnant, I've heard positive stories about them being effective even if nothing blocking tubes it just helps clear things out and lots of women get pregnant straight after. So I'm hopeful for you 🤞🏼