"In theory, I have two wombs so I could fall pregnant, whilst pregnant and carry two babies at the same time but I want to know if I can carry one baby safely."
Andreea was 14 years old when she was diagnosed with a rare condition with which she has to live for her entire life. Now 26, she wants to raise awareness of her rare condition. What is her rare condition you ask? It's called Uterus didelphys, also known as a double uterus. It is a condition where a woman is born is two wombs, two vaginas, separate cervixes.
Recalling how she discovered her condition, Andreea said, "I knew a sexual health check-up would include a slightly uncomfortable examination, but I was in such a lot of pain, it hurt so badly I had to ask the doctor to stop."
That's when the gynecologist found out about her rare condition. "He was quite shocked. He said it was very rare but not something to worry about at my age," she recalled. The scan confirmed the doctor's initial analysis.
A scan shortly after found that Andreea has two vaginas and two wombs. “I do suffer very bad period cramps, I can be doubled over and unable to move some months. I guess that comes with having an extra uterus," reported The Sun.
More than the pain the 26-year-old is more worried about the fertility complications. Even though both her uterus function, the chances of her becoming a mother are quite low, the reason being her womb being split in two which reduces the space for a baby to grow. Andreea suffered the loss of a baby at 17 because of the same reason. Her baby stopped growing after three months.
Now, since she's been in a six-year relationship with 36-year-old Oliver, she wishes to start a family with her love. "I have never been sure if I could carry a baby full term, so I wanted to know if we could have children. I still have so many questions surrounding my diagnosis," she said. "In theory, I have two wombs so I could fall pregnant, whilst pregnant and carry two babies at the same time but I want to know if I can carry one baby safely."
Woman, 26, who was told she had TWO vaginas and two wombs reveals how condition leaves her 'doubled over' and 'unable to move' https://t.co/RzwdqiNoJ8
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) February 18, 2021
Talking about how she felt about her condition when she was younger, Andreea added, "I was quite blind to it for most of my teenage years and early twenties, it's not uncomfortable, so I didn't think about it too much until I met my partner and naturally we have discussed our future," as per The Daily Mail.
Andreea is aware that there have been cases where women have had full-term pregnancies but she's not very confident about her case. "It is a grey area, we have a 50/50 chance but I won't know more until we try and it is something we will face together when the time comes," she said.
She revealed that talking about this subject was initially hard for her. After her diagnosis, she didn't discuss it with her friends as well. But now, she's comfortable in her skin. "Now, I'm not self-conscious about it at all. As I've got older I've always been honest with people and I haven't been judged for it. My worries were as a teenager when I didn't know if it made me different or who to talk to. Now I don't find it weird, it's just who I am and we are all different in one way or another."
My ugly twin #FuglyJebus : Woman With Two Vaginas Speaks Out About Her Condition To Raise Awareness.https://t.co/h3gnLQl8A3
— Pyrate Asylum (@PyrateAsylum) February 19, 2021
via #BitchesBeCrAzY
Andreea, who's learning to love herself the way she is, says, "Girls should know their bodies, be comfortable in their own skin and learn to know what is 'normal' for them. When I was a teenager, you didn't talk about what was going on with your body, especially nothing that you were self-conscious of or something that you were worried about. You didn't want to be seen as different to other people."
She is now sharing her story to raise awareness of her condition.
References:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/14089974/my-agonising-period-pains-down-to-having-two-vaginas/
Cover image source: Getty Images | Photo by skaman306 (Representational Image)