The uterus (additionally referred to as the womb) is the place inside you the place your child grows. Sure situations (referred to as abnormalities or defects) in your uterus may cause issues earlier than and through being pregnant.
What are congenital uterine situations?
Congenital signifies that one thing is current at beginning—it’s one thing you’re born with. About 3 in 100 females (3 p.c) are born with a defect within the dimension, form or construction of the uterus.
When a child lady is growing within the womb, two small tubes name Mullerian ducts come collectively to kind her uterus. For some child ladies, the Mullerian ducts don’t come collectively fully. This may trigger issues with the uterus, together with:
- Septate uterus. That is the most typical congenital uterine abnormality. On this situation, a band of muscle or tissue divides the uterus into two sections. This situation may cause ladies to have repeat miscarriages, so suppliers usually advocate surgical procedure to restore the uterus and scale back your danger of miscarriage.
- Bicornate uterus (additionally referred to as heart-shaped uterus). On this situation, the uterus has two cavities (areas) as an alternative of 1 giant cavity. Most girls with this situation don’t want surgical procedure to restore it.
- Didelphys uterus (additionally referred to as double uterus). On this situation, there are two small, separate cavities, every with its personal cervix (opening).
- Unicornate uterus (additionally referred to as one-sided uterus). This situation occurs when solely half the uterus varieties. Surgical procedure can’t make the uterus any bigger.
Can congenital uterine situations trigger issues throughout being pregnant?
Sure. Some could not trigger any issues in any respect. However some could enhance your possibilities of having these issues:
- Preterm beginning. That is beginning that occurs too early, earlier than 37 weeks of being pregnant.
- Beginning defects which may be attributable to limiting (limiting) the expansion of components of a child within the womb. Beginning defects are well being situations which can be current at beginning. Beginning defects change the form or operate of a number of components of the physique. They will trigger issues in general well being, how the physique develops, or in how the physique works.
- Sluggish development in your child
- Breech place or different issues with the newborn’s place within the womb. Breech place is when your child’s backside or toes are going through down proper earlier than beginning. The most effective place for beginning is when your child is head-down.
- Needing to have a Cesarean beginning (additionally referred to as c-section). That is surgical procedure by which your child is born by a lower that your physician makes in your stomach and uterus.
- Miscarriage. That is the demise of a child within the womb earlier than 20 weeks of being pregnant.
What are fibroids?
Fibroids are benign growths made from muscle tissue within the uterus. Benign signifies that they aren’t most cancers. They’re an acquired uterine situation. This implies you’re not born with fibroids; as an alternative, they develop later in life.
Small fibroids often don’t trigger issues throughout being pregnant, however bigger fibroids could trigger issues, together with:
- Bother getting pregnant (additionally referred to as infertility).
- Preterm labor. That is labor that begins too early, earlier than 37 weeks of being pregnant.
- Your child being in a breech place. This may increasingly make it obligatory so that you can have a c-section.
- Placental abruption. It is a critical situation by which the placenta separates from the wall of the uterus earlier than beginning.
- Miscarriage
- Heavy bleeding after giving beginning
You could have fibroids you probably have these indicators and signs:
- Heavy intervals or intervals lasting longer than per week
- Anemia. That is when you do not have sufficient wholesome purple blood cells to hold oxygen to the remainder of your physique.
- Stress or ache in your stomach or your again
- Ache throughout intercourse
- Bother urinating or having to urinate usually
- Constipation
Some ladies with fibroids could must be handled with medication for ache within the stomach and again. In case your well being care supplier thinks fibroids are inflicting you to have hassle getting pregnant or to have repeat miscarriages, she could advocate surgical procedure (referred to as myomectomy) to take away them.
What are uterine scars?
These are scars or scar tissue within the uterus. They’re additionally referred to as Asherman syndrome. The scars can harm the liner of the uterus referred to as the endometrium. They’re acquired situations that may be attributable to an infections or situations like endometriosis. That is when tissue from the uterus grows someplace outdoors the uterus. They may also be attributable to surgical procedure on the uterus or cervix, like a process referred to as dilation and curettage (additionally referred to as D&C). A D&C is when tissue is faraway from the uterus in sure conditions like after a miscarriage.
Indicators and signs of uterine scars embrace gentle, rare, or no intervals; however some ladies haven’t any indicators or signs. The scars may cause hassle getting pregnant, preterm beginning and repeat miscarriage. Your supplier could use a process referred to as hysteroscopy to search out and take away scar tissue within the uterus.
How have you learnt you probably have a uterine situation?
Your well being care supplier makes use of particular assessments to search out these situations. You could want a couple of check to determine which situation you could have. The assessments embrace:
- Vaginal or 3-D ultrasound. An ultrasound is a prenatal check (a check that you just get throughout being pregnant) that makes use of sound waves and a pc display to point out an image of your child contained in the womb. A vaginal ultrasound is completed within the vagina as an alternative of on the skin of your stomach. A 3-D ultrasound makes a picture that’s virtually as clear as {a photograph}.
- Sonohysterogram. On this check, your supplier places a particular fluid into the uterus by the cervix after which does a vaginal ultrasound. The fluid permits a clearer image of the within of the uterus than a daily ultrasound. The cervix is the opening to the uterus that sits on the high of the vagina. You get this check once you’re not pregnant.
- Hysterosalpingogram. On this check, your supplier inserts dye into the cervix after which takes an X-ray of the uterus. With this check, your supplier can examine your cervix, uterus and fallopian tubes. Fallopian tubes are the tubes between your ovaries and your uterus. You get this check once you’re not pregnant.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (additionally referred to as MRI). MRI makes use of giant magnets and radio waves to make a transparent image of the within of your uterus. It’s extremely correct in diagnosing most uterine abnormalities. You get this check once you’re not pregnant.
If these assessments present you could have an issue together with your uterus, your supplier could advocate surgical procedure, particularly if you happen to’ve had a miscarriage or preterm beginning prior to now.
What’s a retroverted or tipped uterus?
A retroverted uterus is when your uterus suggestions backward as an alternative of ahead. It’s a typical situation that about 1 in 4 to 1 in 5 ladies (20-25 p.c) have. You might be born with it (congenital), or it could actually develop later in life (acquired). A tipped uterus not often causes being pregnant issues.
Final reviewed: April, 2020
