Endometriosis and Pregnancy – Beating the chancesEndometriosis and Pregnancy – Beating the chances
Endometriosis and pregnancy are two inter-related health issues that an incredible number of women of child bearing age have a problem with every year. The simple simple truth is endometriosis can and will 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 affects a woman’s chance at pregnancy is not fully known but studies that have been conducted in to the issue show that she is less likely to conceive then a woman who does not suffer from this disease. These studies have shown that about twenty percent of women with endometriosis will be struggling to conceive and that of all 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 will there be something else at work together with it. It does not imply that a woman cannot successfully conceive a kid and make it to term.
The path to conceiving a child 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 to their doctor /gynecologist about medical interventions that may help increase their chances of conceiving a child.
Women with endometriosis that are trying to get pregnant naturally may increase their odds should they consider the following:
1. Get started early in life – Studies show that women in their twenties are more likely to get pregnant then ladies in their thirties and older. Since endometriosis is shown to interfere with a woman’s fertility it really is surmised that it will continue steadily to make conceiving harder the older she gets.
2. Get healthy – A lot of women have success in managing their condition when eating an endometriosis diet. A healthy diet, combined with regular exercise, might help minimize the effects of endometrial growths and provides her body with the necessary nutrients to successfully nourish an embryo.
If after a period of six months to per year a female has still not gotten pregnant naturally she can turn to her gynecologist or infertility specialist for help. There are lots of treatment or procedure possibilities to help increase the chance for a successful pregnancy.
1. Laparoscopic endometriosis surgery – This minimally invasive surgical procedure is done never to 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 provide a window when a woman can successfully conceive. Studies do indicate that laparoscopic surgery can increase the likely hood of a successful pregnancy.
2. Fertility drugs – The usage of drugs such as Clomid and Serophene might help stimulate ovulation in women who 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 about half that of other women with infertility issues. A more recent technique called intracytoplasmatic sperm injection appears to garner higher success rates with studies showing that success rates are equal among women with the condition and those without.
There are risk factors for pregnant women with endometriosis that can result in serious complications throughout their pregnancy. A recent study by medical researchers in Sweden discovered that women with endometriosis are in a higher risk for the following:
1. What causes endometriosis? -Women with endometriosis are in higher risk for having their baby’s preterm. In addition they discovered that women who also underwent IVF procedures to get pregnant were at an even greater risk for preterm birth then women who didn’t.
2. Preeclampsia – This is high blood pressure that develops in women that are pregnant throughout their second and third trimester. Women with endometriosis are at an increased risk for developing this dangerous condition that also includes protein in their urine and an increased risk for post birth.
3. Caesarean Section – In the study 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 isn’t known however the researchers conducting the analysis 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 an excellent percentage of these women get pregnant and deliver healthy babies. With the proper medical support and care you’ll be able to beat the odds that disease presents. Remember that endometriosis and pregnancy are not mutually exclusive.