Pregnancy and Endometriosis: Know Your Options

Many women who are diagnosed with endometriosis — uterine growths that form outside the uterus and can wreak havoc on their reproductive system — have the same question: Does this mean I won’t be able to get pregnant? It’s still possible to get pregnant if you have endometriosis, yes, but it’s also quite likely to be more difficult than if you weren’t dealing with the condition.

Learning about endometriosis and its effects can help you understand your options when it comes to pursuing a pregnancy, and Dr. Neeraj Kohli at Boston Urogyn is well-versed in treating women with the condition who want to add to their family either in the immediate future or down the line. Setting up a consultation with him is a great way to determine what you can expect.

How endometriosis affects pregnancy

According to the American Pregnancy Association, there is still no determined cause for endometriosis. The condition is prevalent, however, and affects over 7 million women in the United States alone. It is also one of the leading causes of infertility in the US.

Infertility due to endometriosis often occurs because the tissue that is meant to grow inside your uterus actually grows outside of it, where it can block the fallopian tubes, conceal the ovaries, create scar tissue, and cause other problems that can create infertility.

What’s more, the condition itself can only be diagnosed with surgery, so many women who experience problems with infertility don’t recognize endometriosis as a possible cause.

Your options for pregnancy with endometriosis

One of the first steps is to be diagnosed with the condition, obviously, but because the diagnosis often leads to surgery, many women don’t seek this option until much later. You can make an appointment with Dr. Kohli to discuss your symptoms and to determine if you might be suffering from endometriosis.

Next, you want to consider your options for conceiving with endometriosis. Because the condition affects women differently, the option that’s the most effective for you might not be the best for someone else. You can discuss the options below with Dr. Kohli to find the one that works best for you.

Intrauterine insemination

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) combined with the use of fertility drugs is often one of the first recommendations to patients with endometriosis who want to get pregnant. This involves placing the sperm directly into your uterus. The use of fertility drugs can allow your ovaries to create more eggs than normal, which increases your chances of conceiving.

In vitro fertilization

In vitro fertilization (IVF) involves combining your eggs with sperm outside of your body and then placing the embryo or embryos inside the uterus once they have formed. This procedure can be expensive, and the success of the outcome can be difficult to predict, but it can also be an option for those who have not seen much success with other options.

Surgery

Another potential treatment for endometriosis-related infertility is surgery. For example, Dr. Kohli removes the tissue that has grown over the fallopian tubes, ovaries, etc. This can allow you to conceive without endometriosis getting in the way.

However, the surgery does not cure the endometriosis, and this option is only effective for those who aren’t experiencing infertility as the result of another condition.

Learn your options about pregnancy despite endometriosis

Don’t feel defeated when this condition occurs, as many women get pregnant, even while living with endometriosis. To learn more about your options, call 617-340-6446 to request an appointment at our Wellesley or Weymouth offices, or you can request an appointment directly on our website.