BIRMINGHAM, AL — In a remarkable medical occurrence, Kelsey Hatcher, an Alabama resident, gave birth to twin girls on separate days. The twins were born at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital (UAB), with Roxi Layla arriving on Tuesday night and her sister Rebel Laken following on Wednesday morning.
Hatcher has a rare congenital anomaly known as a double uterus. In this unique case, each uterus carried one of the twins, a phenomenon termed a dicavitary pregnancy. This type of pregnancy is extremely rare, with odds of one in a million.
The pregnancy was managed as high risk, leading to an induction at 39 weeks. Hatcher experienced a combined 20 hours of labor, resulting in the birth of both girls – one delivered vaginally and the other via C-section.
Physician Richard Davis, who co-managed the pregnancy, stated that despite the unusual circumstances, it is appropriate to refer to the girls as fraternal twins. This distinction is significant given that a typical twin pregnancy involves two babies in one uterus.
The delivery involved extensive planning, with the medical team preparing for three possible scenarios, including both babies being delivered vaginally, one baby born vaginally and the other via C-section, or both babies being delivered through C-section.
Hatcher, already a mother to three, expressed her eagerness to share the full birth story and her plans to spend time bonding and recovering with her family during the holidays.