'I have two uteruses and bled through 30 pads a day'
Watch: Mum who bled through 30 pads a day discovers it was down to having two uteruses
A mum who experienced periods so heavy she would bleed through up to 30 pads a day has discovered it was due to having two uteruses.
Jade Williams, 31, a McDonalds manager, from Basingstoke, Hampshire, began having heavy periods after the birth of her first child in November 2012.
Over the years and after having three more children, she continued to bleed heavily, but doctors weren't sure about the cause and struggled to pinpoint the reason.
Despite trying various medications, nothing seemed to help and the bleeding became so intense Williams would have to wear nappy-sized period pads and two pairs of trousers to avoid leaks.
During her periods she would often get through up to 30 pads a day, which adds up to her spending £600-a-year on sanitary products.
She would also experiencing bloating so excessive she describes her stomach as being "bigger than during pregnancy".
"I could barely leave the house," Williams says of the bleeding. "I was wearing underwear, pads, leggings, trousers, and then I'd still have to go home and change."
Williams says her periods impacted every aspect of her life - with her needing to cancel plans, take time off work and change clothes several times a day no matter how much sanitary protection she wore.
After a decade with no idea what was causing it, Williams decided to further push for answer and moved to a different hospital in the hope of getting answers.
"I told them I couldn't keep living like this," she says. "I knew it wasn't normal and it wasn't going away."
In October 2023 Williams had a scan and was called in for an emergency biopsy shortly after.
After the birth of her first child, over a decade earlier, Williams had needed treatment to remove cancer cells from her cervix.
So when, after analysing her scan, doctors said the bleeding wasn't due to endometriosis as she had suspected, Williams became increasingly worried it could be down to cancer still being present.
Thankfully after further biopsies and exploratory surgery the following month, doctors confirmed Williams was cancer-free.
However, doctors had finally discovered the reason of her heavy periods - she was bleeding from two uteruses fused together - a condition known as uterus didelphys.
"Doctors said it was one-in-a-million chance of me having it," she explains.
"They said the condition causes pre-term labour, and all my babies were early so that makes sense."
Though they were unsure exactly what caused it, after the exploratory surgery, her second uterus started to fail, and eventually blocked off.
And, after having a Merina coil inserted into her one remaining functional uterus, her bleeding slowed to a spotting and became manageable.
"My situation is a lot better now," she explains.
"Before, I was constantly using heat pads for the cramping and getting through countless sanitary pads a day.
"In summer I'd need to wear a jacket in case I needed to tie it around my waist - people would ask 'are you hot? and I'd say 'yes!'.
"Now I can go swimming with my kids, whereas whenever they asked before, I would have to say no."
While discovering what was causing her excessive bleeding has had a huge impact on her life, Williams believes there should be more awareness surrounding the condition.
"I want more women to be aware of it and I want there to be more information out there," she says.
"Since the bleeding has been under control I have been able to go back to work - and I'll be able to wear shorts and dresses for the first time this summer.
"But this condition ruined my life for ten years and we need more research into it."
What is uterus didelphys?
Uterus didelphys is a rare condition which is thought to affect around one in every 3,000 women.
"The term describes a condition where a woman has a double uterus, double cervix and in some cases even two vaginas," Dr Simran Deo at UK-based online doctor, Zava UK, previously told Yahoo UK.
“Uterus didelphys occurs in the womb, and leaves a female foetus with two tubes, which normally fuse together to form a singular uterus. Women with uterus didelphys often don’t have any symptoms, which can make diagnosis tricky."
Dr Deo says the condition is often only discovered during a pelvic examination, or during tests to investigate repeated miscarriages.
“Women who find that using a tampon doesn’t prevent blood flow during their period should speak to their doctor, as this may happen when menstrual blood is coming from a second vagina," she advises.
"It is also known to be more common in women born with only one kidney, which may lead to testing for uterus didelphys."
While some women can conceive and have children without complication, it may be harder for a woman with uterus didelphys to become pregnant.
"The condition is considered to make women affected by high-risk pregnancy, as it is often associated with late miscarriage and also stillbirths," Dr Deo continues.
"If you are diagnosed with uterus didelphys and are planning for a baby you should discuss your options with your doctor before trying to conceive.
"Many women suffering with this condition can go on to have healthy babies, it may just take a little more planning and precaution."
Additional reporting SWNS.
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