Uterine Fibroids Pregnancy
Uterine fibroids are large masses that are made up of tissue cells that originate from your uterus. These are tumors that are non-cancerous and even when a woman has uterine fibroids, pregnancy is not always affected. Sometimes, however, they can grow in and around the uterus and distort the shape and size of it which can lead to complications. They typically grow in clusters and may be as small as a few centimeters or as large as fifteen centimeters.
Fibroids are common and they usually cause no symptoms. Additionally, 10 to 30 percent of pregnant women have them and may not even realize it until they get an ultrasound. Normally, they can be found during a regular pelvic exam. Even when an ultrasound reveals uterine fibroids, pregnancy isn’t affected since becoming pregnant is more likely to be the difficulty.
Not all uterine fibroids are the same. There are three different types that are classified according to the location they grow in the uterus:
• Intramural fibroids grow inside the wall of the uterus and are the most common type of fibroids found in women.
• Subserosal fibroids are those that grow on the outside of the uterus and then may swell to large sizes. They sometimes grow on a stalk and extend towards other organs.
• Submucosal fibroids account for only 5% of fibroids and they grow inside the uterus.
Please click here for more information about pregnancy with uterine fibroids!
At any age and at any time in her life, a woman can get uterine fibroids. Pregnancy exams may be the way they are discovered but she will have likely had them before the pregnancy without realizing it. Women between the ages of twenty and fifty are more likely to have larger fibroids and women of African descent are more likely to develop them at all.
If you already have uterine fibroids, pregnancy may cause an influx of hormones that causes fibroids to increase in size. After the pregnancy, they will begin to shrink from a lack of hormones.
The majority of women who have fibroids don’t have any symptoms and don’t even realize they have them until they become pregnant. For some women with large fibroids, however, symptoms and side effects may include:
• Pain in the legs or back
• Pelvic pain or pressure
• Prolonged periods
• Heavy bleeding
• Constipation or bloating
• Pain during intercourse
Some women are concerned when they learn by their pregnancy ultrasound that they have uterine fibroids. Pregnancy is a time when these fibroids are likely to grow in size but they are rarely cause for concern. For those who do have symptoms from them, they will usually be no more than pelvic pain and light spotting and this is more likely to occur as the result of a fibroid tumor on a stalk that begins to twist.
While it is normal to have no complications from uterine fibroids, pregnancy can occasionally create issues when the fibroids are very large:
• Fibroids can grow into the uterus and force the baby into an unusual position making delivery difficult.
• You may have postpartum hemorrhaging.
• If the fibroid grows into the birth canal, labor may be obstructed.
• You may have a slowed labor.
• Cesarean section may be required.
If you already know you have uterine fibroids, pregnancy shouldn’t be a concern. Discuss the condition with your doctor and see if he thinks you should have treatment before becoming pregnant. Chances are highly unlikely that you will have any complications at all!
Please click here for more information about pregnancy with uterine fibroids!
Posted in Pregnancy