It was Super Bowl Sunday and my husband, Steve, and I were getting ready for a get-together with friends when it occurred to me that I was a few days late. I didn’t think much of it, but ran downstairs to the convenience store in our condo building to grab a pregnancy test, just to be sure. A few minutes later, I found myself pacing around our living room waiting for the test results. When it was finally time, I raced back into the bathroom to check out the test and there it was! A big, fat positive! In a daze, I stumbled into our living room to tell Steve. I was wide eyed and shaking as I told him the news. He ran to the bathroom to see for himself. About a minute later, he joined me in the living room – wide eyed and shaking right along with me, both of us trying to grasp the concept that we were going to be parents.  

Even though I was still in disbelief, I was so excited for my first doctor’s appointment. Unfortunately, it didn’t go as well as I had hoped. Almost immediately after starting my examination, my doctor noticed that I was bleeding. He sent me to the radiology department for an emergency ultrasound. Luckily, they were able to find a heartbeat, but they also discovered that I have a bicornuate uterus.  This meant that unlike most women who have a uterus shaped like a light bulb, mine is shaped like a heart, divided almost completely in two, giving the baby half of the space it needs to grow.  

At about 12 weeks, my OB referred me to a high risk specialist to learn more about my condition. I made the mistake of Googling “bicornuate uterus” in the weeks since my last appointment and found nothing but horror stories that left me terrified of losing the baby. When I met with the doctor, he was absolutely wonderful! He explained what my uterus shape meant for both me and my little one, and assured me that while there was a possibility that something could go wrong, I had a really good chance of giving birth to a healthy baby! 

At around 20 weeks, my husband and I went for my anatomy ultrasound. We were so thrilled to see that our baby was growing right on target and adapting really well to its cramped living space. We also chose to find out the baby’s sex. Wanting to make the experience a little more special, we had the doctor write the sex on a notecard to open at a nice dinner later that night.  We were both so anxious that we ended up going to dinner at 4! We waited until dessert to open up the card and when we did, we saw the words “IT’S A GIRL!!” 

As we got closer to my due date, we decided to take a trip home to Virginia to see our families. They were overjoyed to finally feel her kicks and see my growing belly in person instead of over a webcam.  My mom and sister threw me a wonderful baby shower that was made even more special by the number of family members and friends that came from all across the country to celebrate with me.  

As the weeks are winding down, I’m getting so anxious for my little one’s arrival. I’ve read all the best books, taken all the right classes, and bought any and everything she could possibly need, but I still feel so unprepared. I’m nervous about giving birth – how will my misshapen uterus affect labor? Will I have to have a c-section? More importantly – will she be healthy? And I worry about bringing her home – What if I can’t get the hang of breastfeeding? Or don’t know what to do when she’s crying? What do I even know about being a mother anyway?! When the nervousness hits me, I try to think about all the things I’m excited about. I can’t wait to kiss her little cheeks, squeeze those chubby thighs, and check out each of her tiny features, deciphering which ones she got from her daddy and what she inherited from me. I'm just so excited to meet her!