Fibroids in pregnancy

What are fibroids?
Fibroids are small, non-malignant growths which can develop on the inside of the uterus.
Women of all ages can suffer badly with pain and bleeding if growths accelerate or get too large. If they become very problematic or cause extremely painful periods each month, your GP may suggest controlling their growth with hormone therapy, or removing them by surgery.
Surgery to remove fibroids is rare - as many as 80 per cent of women are believed to have them in some small form or other, and most will not suffer many or any symptoms with them. However, surgery itself can leave scar tissue in the womb.

How can fibroids affect pregnancy?
Whether you are already aware that you have fibroids, or they appear on a scan when your pregnancy is in its first trimester, you should not automatically presume they will cause any problems.
A woman who has scar tissue from surgical removal of previous fibroids will be monitored closely to ensure that the placenta is healthy and well-attached to the womb, and has not been displaced by the scar tissue.
Monitoring like this can help to avoid unneccessary miscarriage or premature birth.
If you have small fibroids, your obstetrician may move to do extra scans during your pregnancy to gauge the growth of the fibroids. Increased levels of oestrogen can affect their growth - they may get bigger during pregnancy, or they may actually get smaller. Additionally, if they have caused pain pre-pregnancy, do not presume they will during pregnancy. The change to your hormonal balance may have a positive affect even if it is only until after the birth.
Further scans can also check the fibroids are not too close to the baby's passage out of the womb. If the obstetrician believes there is a danger they will obstruct the baby's passage or cause increased bleeding during labour, he or she will probably suggest a caesarean section to ensure the mother's and baby's safety.

For more information, advice and support, you can visit www.fibroidnetwork.com.