Can You Get Pregnant With Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a painful medical condition that happens to almost 6% to 10% of women. In this condition, endometrial tissues or uterine lining emerges around the reproductive areas which affect the ability of a woman to get pregnant.

What is Endometriosis?

The word endometriosis comes from the endometrium. It is the uterus lining of your body that generates eggs every month for implantation. If you do not conceive then your body breaks down endometrium which then causes menstruation. However, when endometrium reaches outside of the fallopian tube or other areas of your body, it causes endometriosis.

Generally, the hormones generated in your body during your pregnancy period cause additional tissue growth which causes bleeding in the uterus after bleeding down. As the broken tissues and blood have nowhere to go outside of your body, it might cause cysts, scar tissues, and adhesions after a certain time period. It will cause inflammation, irritation, and pain in those parts of your body.

Stages of Endometriosis

Depending on the exact spot, extent, depth and size of the endometriosis implants, and the presence or the severity of scar tissue, we can classify endometriosis into four stages.

Minimal
Mild
Moderate
Severe

Endometriosis that falls under minimal or mild will be usually shallow implants and mild scarring. Endometriosis that falls under moderate and severe generally paves the way for cysts and more severe scarring. Even though the degree of symptoms a woman with endometriosis experiences has no relation to the class of endometriosis, infertility is usually associated with stage IV endometriosis.

What Causes Endometriosis?

The reasons for endometriosis are yet to be unearthed. But the researchers are studying certain possibilities which include:

1. Menstruation Problems

One of the chances of endometriosis is the flowing back of the menstrual tissues to your abdomen and getting implanted.

2. Immunity Issues

Those women whose immunity power is low will struggle to get the endometrial tissues outside their uterus.

3. Heredity

There is also a case of family history, as well as a woman having a family history of endometriosis, is more like to get affected by the condition.

4. Surgery

During certain surgeries like hysterectomy or C section, endometrial tissue gets misplaced at times.

It is quite difficult to find out whether the endometrium is getting outside of the fallopian tube or not as the symptoms of it is very much similar to the regular menstrual pains you get.

[Read : Is Pregnancy Possible After A Hysterectomy?]

Signs and Symptoms of Endometriosis

Some of the common symptoms of endometriosis include:

Pelvic pain that aggravates during the periods
Severe cramping
Severe fatigue
Irregular urination
Unusual bowel movements
Pain during intercourse
Uneasiness during and before menstruation

Also, there are some women who face problems like fibromyalgia, eczema, and asthma with endometriosis. The severity of the signs and symptoms are not linked with the number of tissue. You can have a few spots but the symptoms can be severe or you can have many spots with lesser symptoms. Moreover, many women do not realize that they are affected by endometriosis until they get tested for their infertility problem.

Impact Of Endometriosis On Pregnancy And Baby

Endometriosis can cause trouble when you are trying to conceive. Many women face difficulty in getting pregnant and might need more time or appropriate medical interventions to help them get pregnant.

After conception, it can impact your pregnancy in the following ways:

Hormonal Imbalance Pregnancy causes your hormones to fluctuate, but they still need to be in balance for the healthy development of the fetus. Endometriosis can interfere with this delicate balance, which can lead to complications.
Inflammation Endometriosis causes inflammation around the pelvic area. Many pregnant women suffer from pregnancy-related constipation and such an inflammation can worsen the situation. It can become very difficult for the pregnant woman to eat or digest food, which in turn can affect the nutrients her body absorbs.
Miscarriage Though a rare possibility, severe endometriosis that causes severe inflammation or pain can lead to miscarriage if you do not monitor or control it. This does not mean endometriosis leads to miscarriage, it just increases the risk of miscarriage.
Preterm Birth Usually, endometriosis does not affect or interfere with pregnancy. however, it can slightly increase the risk of preterm labor in a few cases.
Placenta Previa According to a case study by a few Japanese doctors, women with severe endometriosis or other surgeries before pregnancy, were at a slightly higher risk of developing placenta previa.
Other Complications Endometriosis might not interfere with your pregnancy at all. In some cases, it might become dormant during pregnancy and come back after delivery, and might even have new symptoms or complications. In some cases, constant inflammations, adhesions, or pain due to endometriosis during pregnancy can lead to other complications that can affect the woman’s pregnancy journey.

So, does endometriosis affect your developing baby? No, don’t worry, your endometriosis will not harm your baby in any way. Yes, it can increase risks in your pregnancy and even lead to complications as we mentioned earlier, but it will not have a direct impact on your baby.

How Does Endometriosis Affect Fertility?

Generally, most of the women who suffer from endometriosis get pregnant in a natural way but only one-third of all women struggle to conceive because the tissues block the eggs from getting into the uterus. Apart from that, these tissues can also damage the sperms or eggs because of the inflammation of the body that affects the hormonal balance and does not let you conceive.

Tips to Improve Your Chances of Getting Pregnant With Endometriosis

Generally, doctors might prescribe you medications that will enhance the number of pregnancy hormones in your body. Moreover, following a proper diet plan, exercise regime, detoxification, and supplementation will increase your chances of conceiving even after having endometriosis.

Maintain the right weight.
Make diet plan rich with vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins.
Light exercises like aerobics and waking up every day.

Furthermore, you need to keep in mind that younger women have more chances of conceiving with endometriosis than women over 35.

[Read: Diet and Lifestyle Changes When Trying to Conceive]

How Does Endometriosis Affect Pregnancy?

Mostly, at the time of conceiving, decidualization of endometrial tissues takes place, which results in the mitigation of the endometriosis symptoms. But, in other cases, it can cause certain complications which include:

Miscarriage
High blood pressure level
Bleeding even after the 24^th week of your pregnancy
Premature delivery
Cesarean delivery

To avert these conditions, you need to contact your doctor whenever you find the above-discussed symptoms.

How is Endometriosis Diagnosed?

Endometriosis symptoms are quite similar to other medical conditions such as STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease), urinary tract problem, or pelvic inflammatory diseases. So, it is quite difficult to make a proper diagnosis of endometriosis. Hence, your doctor might ask you to go for the following tests:

1. Imaging Test

By using sound waves of high-frequency, the images of your internal organs will be taken to examine the possibility of scars or ovarian cysts. Also, your doctor might suggest you go for an MRI.

2. Pelvic Examination

By manually checking the pelvic areas for scars and cysts behind the uterus, your doctor will look for endometriosis.

3. Medicines

Even if the aforementioned tests do not give the result then the doctor might suggest you take medications such as hormonal medications for birth control, GnRH agonist, and some others. Remember, medications will only relieve the pain and it will work till you take them.

4. Laparoscopy

This test will be used to examine your pelvic region by your doctor to find out endometriosis tissues.

What is the Treatment For Endometriosis?

There’s no specific cure for endometriosis. Treatments may vary from surgery to medication. You might need to try different treatments to find what helps you feel better.

1. Medications

If you are looking to conceive then the doctor would suggest you go for hormonal birth control medication and if you are looking to conceive then your doctor might prescribe you GnRH agonist. An intrauterine device or IUD can also help to stop the bleeding and pain temporarily.

2. Surgery

This is for severe cases and if you are facing fertility issues and medications are not giving your respite then surgery in the endometriosis-prone area can be an option as well.

3. Other Treatments

You can use over-the-counter medications to stop the pain or go for natural therapies like chiropractic treatment and acupuncture. Remember, these treatments may work alone or along with the ones mentioned earlier.

How Can You Prevent Endometriosis?

Preventing endometriosis from happening is not possible but with proper diet, exercise, sleep, and relaxation, you can manage the symptoms, discomfort, and pain. The condition will improve after menopause.

When To See A Doctor?

As mentioned earlier, endometriosis might not bother you in any way during your pregnancy. In most cases, the trouble or complications are before conception. Only in a few cases does it interfere with the pregnancy and need medical intervention.

If you notice any of the following, it is important to consult a doctor without any further delay.
Severe abdominal cramps or pain
Pain during intercourse
Severe bleeding during periods
Pain during bowel movements or urination
Infertility – or you are unable to conceive despite trying for months
Your menstrual cramps last for days
Unexplained pain in the lower back or abdomen

Finally, a positive thing that you should remember is women with endometriosis are still getting pregnant and delivering healthy babies. Therefore, when you are trying to conceive, consult with your doctor to find solutions about getting pregnant in a healthy and safe manner.

FAQ’s

1. How Do Gynecologists Check For Endometriosis?

A gynecologist will narrow down their diagnosis with your symptoms. However, they can confirm endometriosis only if they check your reproductive organs using a laparoscope.

2. Does Endometriosis Cause Weight Gain?

Hormonal imbalance can lead to fluctuations in your weight. Endometriosis can increase the estrogen in your body, which in turn can lead to rapid weight gain.

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