MISDIAGNOSED
Mum who wore nappies after childbirth due to heavy periods was shocked when doctors found the hidden cause
Shannon says she was "oblivious" that she had a rare but agonising condition that fascinated doctors
A MUM who wore nappies on her period after childbirth was shocked when doctors discovered the hidden cause.
Shannon Webster, 28, had always struggled with heavy bleeding but it became particularly bad after the birth of her son, now 10 years old.
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The medical secretary was put on the pill to ease her symptoms, which started when her periods began at age 14, but still suffered badly, would feel faint and wear three pads at once.
She also found sex painful but doctors told her she was just "small" and it was "normal".
It wasn't until she became pregnant a second time that a doctor found something during an ultrasound - that she had two wombs.
She was later found to have two vaginas (internally) and cervixes, too, crammed into the same space where only one would normally be.
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Shannon, from Basingstoke, Hampshire said: "Doctors just said I was really tiny.
"I couldn't use tampons. I tried to use them but it caused me so much pain.
"I'd have training pads for dogs on my bed. I had three pads in my pants. I just woke up covered in the morning.
"I even tried adult pull-ups.
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"It was even worse than after having children. I ended up wearing nappies.”
The mum-of-two fell pregnant and gave birth to her son, now 10, two weeks early via C-section in March 2014.
I was born with two vaginas, two uteruses and two cervixes – I even get two periods - I love my unique body but trolls always ask the same thing
Her unborn baby was breech and struggling with blood flow and Shannon had to have scans regularly to monitor him.
But it was only when she fell pregnant again two years later and had a miscarriage, that something interesting was spotted.
The sonographer spotted Shannon had two wombs - a condition known as uterus didelphys.
Shannon said: "I had had a miscarriage. The baby had gone.
"The sonographer said 'oh, you are a different one aren't you?’ I said 'I'm sorry?’.
"She said 'You have two wombs, it's very rare'.
"I was like I have no idea what you are talking about. She was shocked I didn't know.
"I didn't find out I had two uteruses until my [first] son was two."
Shannon was sent for an MRI scan which showed she had two separate wombs and she was diagnosed with uterus didelphys in May 2016.
They had me out on show for everyone [the doctors] to look at. It was like I was in a museum.
Shannon
Doctors wanted to do further investigations but Shannon fell pregnant again in December 2016, making it difficult for them to do so.
But they were able to see that Shannon had carried her oldest son in her left womb, and was carrying her youngest son in the right womb.
Shannon said: "They detected he was in my other womb.
"I have had one baby in each womb."
Curious doctors after C-section
Shannon struggled with a lot of pain with her second pregnancy as her right womb is smaller.
At a speculum examination during her pregnancy, the nurse discovered more; Shannon had two vaginas and two cervixes.
She was told she would be able to have an operation to remove the septum (a bit like a wall) between her vaginas after she gave birth, in August 2017 via C-section.
She said: "They had me out on show for everyone [the doctors] to look at.
"It was like I was in a museum. It was so everyone could see my two wombs."
Shannon had the operation to join her two vaginas four months later, and said: "They did keyhole surgery to go through my belly button and my vagina.
"They were really blasé about it. After that it was so much better."
She has since found a contraceptive pill that helps ease heavy bleeding, which is a common symptom of those with her condition.
There are so many different types [of my condition]. I was so oblivious.
Shannon
This is simply because she has two wombs but also because if a woman has a double vagina with a double uterus, if she inserts a tampon, it will only go into one vagina, leaving the other to bleed.
Shannon said: "I was nearly fainting [on my period]. I was leaking through constantly. The pain was unbearable.
"I was crippled in pain. I couldn't look after my children."
Shannon had to have her left fallopian tube removed after an ectopic pregnancy in 2020 which left her left womb inactive.
Her chances of having any more children are now very slim.
Shannon also still struggles with lots of UTIs and infections due to her condition and has recently been referred to investigate more into it.
She hasn't had a period since September 2023 - due to her pill - and says: "I'm absolutely petrified of bleeding again."
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Shannon hopes to raise awareness for uterus didelphys, adding: "There are so many different types.
"I was so oblivious."
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What is uterus didelphys?
UTERUS didelphys is a rare congenital condition where sufferers are born with two uteruses.
Each one has its own fallopian tube and ovary. Some people may also have two cervixes and two vaginal canals. The vaginas are split by a wall of tissue.
Sex organs develop when a baby is between six weeks to 22 weeks during pregnancy.
Females typically grow a uterus from two channels called the Mullerian ducts. These channels join together and make one hollow organ called the uterus.
In uterine didelphys, the channels don’t properly join together. Each tube can turn into a uterus, causing you to develop two.
The most common symptoms include:
- Painful sex
- Cramping before and during period
- Heavy or abnormal bleeding during period
- Leaking blood when using a tampon
About 0.3 per cent of the population has uterus didelphys.
It is typically discovered when a girl is at least a teenager or older, or when she first has a cervical smear test.
Uterus didelphys can cause pregnancy complications, such as an increased risk of miscarriage and preterm birth, because there is less room in the uterus.
Surgery is not usually required, unless someone experiences repeated pregnancy loss or very painful intercourse.
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