The uterus is your baby’s first home. It is a pear-shaped organ, tucked away in your pelvis. Under normal circumstances, the uterus leans forwards over the top of the bladder in a position which is known as anteverted or anteflexed. Some women have a tilted uterus or retroverted uterus, which causes it to lean away from the bladder rather than over it. This does not affect a woman’s chances of getting pregnant.
Few women have a uterus that differs in structure from the norm. This is known as abnormality of the uterus, or uterine abnormality. Your ability to carry a baby for the full nine months of pregnancy depends on the type of abnormality.
Here are some of recognized abnormalities of the uterus:
- Agenesis
This is a rare abnormality which affects between one in 4,000 and one in 10,000 women. It is caused when the vagina does not form properly or is very short. It may lead to a small uterus or the absence of it. It is detected when the girl fails to start her periods around her puberty. It can also make sex very comfortable. However, this condition may be treated with surgery but a woman with agenesis can only have a baby by surrogacy.
- Uterus Didelphys
This condition occurs when the uterus has two inner cavities. Each cavity may lead to its own cervix and vagina, so there are two cervixes and two vaginas. This is also a rare abnormality and there are some chances to conceive with this condition.
- Unicornuate Uterus
A unicornuate uterus is half the size of a normal uterus and has only one fallopian tube. Due to its shape, it is described as uterus with one horn – like a unicorn. This abnormality is very rare and develops in the earliest stages of life, when the tissue that forms the uterus does not grow properly. When you have a unicornuate uterus, you probably have two ovaries and only one will be connected to your uterus. As long as there is the single horn is healthy, conceiving isn’t going to be an issue.
- Bicornuate Uterus
A bicornuate uterus is shaped like a heart, instead of being pear-shaped. It has a deep indentation at the top. It is called a uterus with two horns due to its shape. Around 20 percent of all women with uterine abnormalities have a bicornuate uterus and it doesn’t affect your fertility. However, when you conceive, your baby has less space to grow than in a normally shaped uterus and might be carried in a breech position.
- Septate Uterus
Here, the inside of the uterus is divided by a muscular or fibrous wall, known as septum. It may extend only part way into the uterus (partial septate uterus) or may reach as far as the cervix. Partial septate uterus affects around 33 percent of all women with uterine abnormalities. On certain occasions, a septate uterus may lead to infertility problems.
Not all uterine abnormalities need treatment and your doctor may be able to judge when your condition can put your fertility at risk. See our team of experts at KIMS Cuddles to understand more about uterine abnormalities to give yourself the best chance of having a successful pregnancy.
*Information shared here is for general purpose. Please take doctors’ advice before taking any decision.
