Fibroids and Pregnancy

Uterine fibroid tumors are usually harmless muscle tissue and connective tissue growths in the uterus. Many women don't even notice their presence since they show no symptoms. Sometimes the symptoms are not severe and in some cases the symptoms may be severe but not life-threatening. This is all under normal circumstances. Fibroids and pregnancy are a dangerous combination. Otherwise harmless fibroids can be quite fatal during pregnancy and even before it.

First of all a woman who has fibroids may have difficulty conceiving in the first place. A fibroid can block the way of the sperm and cause conception to become entirely impossible. For some women sexual intercourse becomes very painful. If conception does take place then it is jeopardized due to the placement of the fibroid in the uterus. Since these tumors can grow to large sizes and can form anywhere in the uterus, they can cause harm in many ways.

If the woman is able to conceive despite having fibroids, she must understand that fibroids and pregnancy can be very complicated to deal with together. These otherwise harmless growths can cause miscarriages at any stage of the pregnancy. Miscarriage is not only a physically painful event for the expecting mother but has adverse psychological and emotional effects on the expecting couple. Since conception is difficult in the first place with fibroids, conceiving and then losing the child before birth can be a very stressful experience.

Sometimes a fibroid ruptures during pregnancy due the growing size of the baby, since the baby takes up a lot of space and the internal body of the woman is adapting fast to accommodate the baby. This rupture might cause heavy bleeding and a pregnant woman should immediately get to a hospital to make sure what the source of the bleeding is. If it is confirmed that it was a fibroid rupture then in most cases the baby is completely safe. The mother may feel very weak because of the blood loss and might have to get a transfusion or iron supplements.

If a woman escapes miscarriage the fibroids can cause labor pains anytime during the pregnancy. Fibroids and pregnancy should also be avoided together because they can cause harm to the baby during delivery. The case occurs when the baby cannot be delivered due to the presence of a fibroid blocking the way. In that case a cesarean section has to be performed to save the mother and the baby.

Some women may handle fibroids and pregnancy very well together. But the question is why take a risk? Since the treatment of fibroids has almost no risks and is minimally invasive it is advisable to get the fibroids treated before starting a family. Pregnancy is a difficult phase of a woman's life and researches have proven that the less stressful the pregnancy the healthier the baby will be, both physically and psychologically.