Endometriosis and pregnancy: can you get pregnant?

1 in 10 women suffer fromendometriosis. In addition to the crippling daily pain and mental suffering caused by endometriosis, this disease also has an impact on pregnancy. How do you manage endometriosis and the desire to become pregnant? What impact does endometriosis have on pregnant women? What happens after pregnancy? This article sheds light on several points.

Is it possible to become pregnant while suffering from endometriosis?

Endometriosis can make it more difficult to get pregnant. However, some women manage to get pregnant naturally despite having this disease.

Does endometriosis cause infertility?

Clinical studies show a link between endometriosis and fertility. According to EndoFrance, 30 to 40% of women with endometriosis haveinfertility problems. There are several reasons why women suffering from this gynecological condition find it difficult to conceive a child: the inflammatory state of the endometrium can disrupt the relationship between the spermatozoa and the oocyte disorders of ovulation and the reproductive organs the reduction in the follicular reserve and its cells the appearance of adhesions which compress or even block the fallopian tubes, preventing fertilization the development of endometriotic cysts in the ovaries prevents the follicles from forming correctly. in some women, endometriosis causes pain during intercourse (dyspareunia), so the absence of regular intercourse can complicate the pregnancy project periods irregular and disturbed menstrual cycle, which can complicate the calculation of the ovulatory period adenomyosis

What is a pregnancy with endometriosis like?

With pregnancy, hormonal fluctuationspredominate. Hormonal impregnation, particularly of estrogen, will evolve as pregnancy progresses.

Worsening symptoms in the first trimester

In the first trimester of pregnancy, the symptoms of endometriosis may becomemore pronounced. Pain, menstrual cramps, discomfort or discomfort may continue to punctuate your daily life, even in the absence of periods.

Relief or even disappearance of symptoms until delivery

A few weeks later, however, symptoms diminish, or even disappear altogether, until afterchildbirth. This is because estrogen levels drop when a woman is pregnant, so the lesions caused by this gynaecological condition are less painful. Progesterone levels, meanwhile, will rise, soothing the pain. On the other hand, endometriosis after pregnancy will almost certainly reappear, and with it the symptoms.

What are the complications of pregnancy with endometriosis?

In addition to causing infertility in some women throughout their menstrual life and right up to the menopause, endometriosis will increase the risk of complications during pregnancy. For example, the risk of early miscarriage is said to be 10% higher. There is also an increased risk of prematurity and very prematurity, placenta previa (abnormal implantation of the placenta), and Caesarean delivery (particularly if surgery to treat the condition has been performed in the past, making natural childbirth more complicated). Finally, the risk of ectopic pregnancy is increased with endometriosis. Of course, not all pregnancies are pathological: some women with endometriosis become pregnant without complications.
If you encounter any problems during your pregnancy, consult your doctor, who will advise you on the appropriate treatment or medication.

What can be done to promote pregnancy with endometriosis?

For women suffering from this disease and unable to get pregnant, there are several solutions.

Restorative surgery

One of the first solutions is surgery to destroy or remove the endometriosis lesions that are preventing pregnancy. However, laparoscopic surgery depends on the nature of the condition, its extent, the location of the lesions and other factors. Imaging (ultrasound, MRI) is first carried out to determine whether the operation is feasible. This is not a 100% reliable solution, as lesions may reappear depending on the type of endometriosis. The advice of a health professional and an examination are necessary.

Medically assisted procreation

When a couple is unable to conceive a child, an infertility assessment is carried out to determine the causes of infertility. For some couples, endometriosis and infertility may have nothing to do with each other! Depending on the results of the diagnosis, PMA (medically-assisted procreation) solutions will be found:

• ovulation stimulation or ovarian stimulation
• artificial insemination, which consists of introducing sperm into the uterus
• conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF ) or IVF with micro-injection of sperm into the oocyte. Sometimes, IVF is preceded by contraceptive pre-treatment with estrogen-progestin or GnRH agonists.

For women with endometriosis who do not wish to have children immediately, it is possible to freeze their oocytes. Indeed, this gynecological disease, its effects and the surgeries that the patient may potentially undergo can impair ovarian reserve. Contact your doctor, gynecologist or midwife for advice and guidance.

FAQs on pregnancy with endometriosis

Does endometriosis prevent pregnancy?

Can you have a normal pregnancy with endometriosis?

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