I learned of the existence of this malformation at 24, it was quite violent. During a check-up at the gynecologist, while I am legs apart on the chair, he exclaims “This is not normal”. I panic. The doctor asks me to follow him in the ultrasound room. He continues to speak alone, to repeat that it is not normal. I ask him what I have. He explains to me that I have two uteruses, that I will have great difficulty in getting pregnant, that I will have miscarriage after miscarriage. I leave his house in tears.
Four years later, my partner and I decide to have a child. I am followed by a gynecologist specializing in fertility and above all brilliant! I am pregnant in 4 months. My pregnancy is going quite well until I start having contractions, materializing as a “little lump” on the right side. The baby is developing in the right womb! At six and a half months pregnant, I feel that my son no longer has room to develop. On November 6, 15, we are doing the “pregnancy” photo shoot. I have contractions, my belly is very tight, but it does not change from its usual state since the contractions have been daily for several months. The next afternoon, the “little ball” that has become “big” shows up a lot and in the evening, the contractions are more and more frequent (every 2019 minutes). We go to the maternity ward for a check-up.
It is 21 p.m. when I am put in an examination room. The midwife examines me: the cervix is open at 1. She calls the gynecologist on duty (luckily, it’s mine) who confirms that the cervix is open to 1,5 cm. I am hard at work. She does an ultrasound and tells me that the baby’s weight is estimated at 1,5 kg. I am only 32 weeks and 5 days pregnant. I am injected with a product to stop the contractions and another product to mature the baby’s lungs. I am taken urgently to the CHU because there is a need for a neonatal unit with intensive care. I’m afraid, everything is going too fast. The gynecologist asks me the baby’s first name. I tell him his name is Leon. That’s it, it has a name, it exists. I’m starting to realize that my baby is going to arrive too small and too soon.
I am in the ambulance with an extremely kind stretcher bearer. I do not understand what is happening to me. She explains to me that she gave birth to twins at 32 weeks and that today, they are doing very well. I cry with relief. I cry because I have contractions that hurt me. We arrive in the emergency room and I am put in the delivery room. It is 22 p.m. We spend the night there and the contractions calming down, I am brought back to my room at 7 am. We are reassured. The goal now is to keep the little one warm for up to 34 weeks. The anesthesiologist has to come see me to schedule a cesarean.
At 13 p.m., while the anesthetist is talking to me, my stomach hurts. He leaves at 13:05 pm I get up to go to the bathroom and have a contraction that lasts more than a minute. I scream in pain. I am taken down to the delivery room. I call my companion. It is 13:10 pm I lose the water at 13:15 pm when I am put a urinary catheter. There are 10 people around me. I am scared. The midwife looks at my collars: the little one is engaged. They bring me to the operating room, the anesthesiologist speaks to me, gives me his hand. It is 13:45 p.m. when I hear screaming. Am i mom? I do not realize. But I hear him scream: he’s breathing alone! I see my little Leon for two seconds, the time to give him a kiss. I cry because I am still in a state of panic. I cry because I am a mom. I cry because he is already far from me. I cry but I laugh at the same time. I joke by telling the surgeons to give me a “nice scar”. The anesthesiologist returns to see me with a photo of the little one. He weighs 1,7 kg and he breathes without help (he is a warrior).
They take me to the recovery room. I’m high on anesthesia and painkillers. They explain to me that I will be able to go up when I move my legs. I’m focusing. I have to move my legs to go see my son. Dad is coming to get some milk. A midwife helps me. I want to see my baby so badly. After two hours, I finally move my legs. I arrive in neonatology. Leon is in intensive care. He’s tiny, full of cables, but he’s the most beautiful baby in the world. They put him in my arms. I’m crying. I already love him more than anything. He will stay in the hospital for a month. On December 13, we make our dream come true: to bring it home for Christmas.
I know having a second child means going through this whole difficult pregnancy and prematurity process again, but it’s worth it!