Endometriosis and pregnancy are two inter-related health issues that millions of women of child bearing age struggle with every year. The simple fact is endometriosis can and can make conceiving a child more challenging in most instances. This will not mean a woman cannot have a baby but it can throw a monkey wrench along the way.
Just how Endometriosis risks affects a woman’s chance at pregnancy is not fully known but studies that have been conducted into the issue show that she actually is less likely to conceive a woman who does not suffer from this disease. These studies have shown that about twenty percent of women with endometriosis will undoubtedly be unable to conceive and that of most infertile women 21 years old to forty four percent have this disease.
What isn’t known is why endometriosis affects a woman’s ability to conceive a child. Is it the endometriosis itself or is there something else at work together with it. It does not mean that a woman cannot successfully conceive a child and make it to term.
The path to getting pregnant for women with endometriosis varies. A lot of women get pregnant naturally without the outside medical help. For women who are struggling with endometriosis and pregnancy it’s important that they talk with their doctor /gynecologist about medical interventions that might help increase their likelihood of conceiving a child.
Women with endometriosis that are looking to get pregnant naturally may increase their odds should they consider the following:
1. Begin early in life – Studies show that women in their twenties will get pregnant then women in their thirties and older. Since endometriosis is shown to interfere with a woman’s fertility it really is surmised that it will continue to make conceiving harder the older she gets.
2. Get healthy – Many women be successful in managing their condition when eating an endometriosis diet. A healthy diet plan, combined with regular exercise, might help minimize the consequences of endometrial growths and provides her body with the required nutrients to successfully nourish an embryo.
If after a period of six months to per year a woman has still not gotten pregnant naturally she can change to her gynecologist or infertility specialist for help. There are various treatment or procedure possibilities to help increase the opportunity for a successful pregnancy.
1. Laparoscopic endometriosis surgery – This minimally invasive surgical procedure is done to not only definitively diagnose endometriosis but also to excise and remove endometrial growths from the abdominal organs. This sort of surgery is not a cure but it can offer a window when a woman can successfully conceive. Studies do indicate that laparoscopic surgery can increase the likely hood of an effective pregnancy.
2. Fertility drugs – The utilization of drugs such as Clomid and Serophene can help stimulate ovulation in women that are having difficulty conceiving.
3. In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) – IVF is an assisted reproductive technique which has shown great results in women with endometriosis and pregnancy issues. It ought to be noted that the success rate of IVF for women with endometriosis is approximately half that of other women with infertility issues. A more recent technique called intracytoplasmatic sperm injection seems to garner higher success rates with studies showing that success rates are equal among women with the disease and those without.
You can find risk factors for pregnant women with endometriosis that can result in serious complications during their pregnancy. A recently available study by medical researchers in Sweden found that women with endometriosis are at a higher risk for the next:
1. Premature Birth -Women with endometriosis are in higher risk for having their baby’s preterm. They also discovered that women who also underwent IVF procedures to get pregnant were at a much greater risk for preterm birth then women who did not.
2. Preeclampsia – This is raised blood pressure that develops in pregnant women during their second and third trimester. Women with endometriosis are at an increased risk for developing this dangerous condition that also contains protein in their urine and an elevated risk for post birth.
3. Caesarean Section – In the analysis it was found that almost twice as many women with endometriosis had their babies delivered via C-section. It was also found that these women had a higher incidence of induced premature birth then spontaneous premature birth. The exact why of this is not known however the researchers conducting the study have theorized that complications with the placenta could be at the root of it.
It’s estimated that over 9 million women worldwide have problems with endometriosis. Every year a good percentage of these women have a baby and deliver healthy babies. With the correct medical support and care you’ll be able to beat the odds that disease presents. Just remember that endometriosis and pregnancy are not mutually exclusive.