Successful Pregnancy with Uterine Fibroids: Does Size and Location Matter?
Uterine fibroids can grow in varying sizes and in different parts of the uterus. While it is possible for women with these tumors to still get pregnant, the size and location of uterus can cause problems with conception and pregnancy. These complications include miscarriage and early delivery.
Women may or may not know that they have fibroids when they get pregnant. Those who are aware of their tumors should already be working with their physicians in order to ensure that they are able to carry out their pregnancy through the term. Those who were unaware that they had fibroids most likely found out about their growths during a routine pelvic exam or in an imaging test as part of their pre-natal medical care. Either way, knowing exactly where the tumors are will help pregnant women manage their symptoms and take precautions to avoid possible complications.
Where in the Uterus are Your Fibroids
Fibroids can grow within and outside the uterus. They do not occur on the ovaries, but they may affect the normal functioning of the ovaries and fallopian tubes. The classification of fibroids is done according to their location in the uterus.
The fibroids growths may occur outside the uterine lining (subserosal), inside the middle muscular layer of the myometrium (intramural), on the top part of the inside of the uterus (submucosal), or on a stem or stalk outside the uterus (pedunculated). It’s usually the submucosal and the intramural fibroids that affect conception and pregnancy.
How Big are Your Fibroids
The range of size of fibroids tumors in the uterus can go from tiny growths that might not be detected through x-rays to huge masses the size of a watermelon. Unfortunately, fibroids are know to grow larger during pregnancy due to hormonal factors. Size becomes more of an issue with fibroids that are ‘sharing’ the space inside the womb with the baby.
In women trying to conceive, the presence of large or multiple fibroids in the endometrial lining could prevent implantation and decrease chances of conception. In pregnant women, the growth of the baby could be affected by the distortion in the uterus and the impaired blood supply due to the fibroids growths. These uterine fibroids could also cause premature labor and obstructed labor.
Extra TLC During Pregnancy
It’s often difficult for women with fibroids to get pregnant no matter if their growths occur outside of the uterus or near the ovaries. These women have an even bigger challenge in safeguarding the development and health of the babies growing inside their bellies. They have to be more vigilant in monitoring the progress of their pregnancy. They have to regularly communicate with their obstetrician-gynecologist and report any symptoms not consistent with a normal pregnancy.
Treatment options for fibroids and their symptoms are scant during pregnancy. It is important to manage the symptoms well and monitor if the fibroids are growing in size. Enduring fibroids pain could cause distress and induce premature labor. On a worst case scenario, miscarriage can happen. The good news is that a lot of women with fibroids have had successful pregnancies despite the risks. With proper care, conception and child-birth are possible even when uterine fibroids occur inside or outside the uterus.
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