The uterus (additionally known as the womb) is the place inside you the place your child grows. Sure circumstances (known as abnormalities or defects) in your uterus could cause issues earlier than and through being pregnant.
What are congenital uterine circumstances?
Congenital signifies that one thing is current at delivery—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 creating within the womb, two small tubes name Mullerian ducts come collectively to kind her uterus. For some child women, the Mullerian ducts don’t come collectively fully. This will 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 could 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 known as heart-shaped uterus). On this situation, the uterus has two cavities (areas) as an alternative of 1 massive cavity. Most ladies with this situation don’t want surgical procedure to restore it.
- Didelphys uterus (additionally known as double uterus). On this situation, there are two small, separate cavities, every with its personal cervix (opening).
- Unicornate uterus (additionally known as one-sided uterus). This situation occurs when solely half the uterus types. Surgical procedure can’t make the uterus any bigger.
Can congenital uterine circumstances trigger issues throughout being pregnant?
Sure. Some might not trigger any issues in any respect. However some might enhance your probabilities of having these problems:
- Preterm birth. That is delivery that occurs too early, earlier than 37 weeks of being pregnant.
- Birth defects which may be attributable to proscribing (limiting) the expansion of components of a child within the womb. Beginning defects are well being circumstances which are current at delivery. Beginning defects change the form or operate of a number of components of the physique. They will trigger issues in total well being, how the physique develops, or in how the physique works.
- Gradual development in your child
- Breech place or different issues with the child’s place within the womb. Breech place is when your child’s backside or toes are dealing with down proper earlier than delivery. The very best place for delivery is when your child is head-down.
- Needing to have a Cesarean delivery (additionally known as c-section). That is surgical procedure wherein your child is born by means of a reduce that your physician makes in your stomach and uterus.
- Miscarriage. That is the dying of a child within the womb earlier than 20 weeks of being pregnant.
What are fibroids?
Fibroids are benign growths fabricated 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 normally don’t trigger issues throughout being pregnant, however bigger fibroids might trigger problems, together with:
- Bother getting pregnant (additionally known 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 will likely make it obligatory so that you can have a c-section.
- Placental abruption. This can be a severe situation wherein the placenta separates from the wall of the uterus earlier than delivery.
- Miscarriage
- Heavy bleeding after giving delivery
You’ll have fibroids when you have these indicators and signs:
- Heavy intervals or intervals lasting longer than per week
- Anemia. That is when you do not have sufficient wholesome pink blood cells to hold oxygen to the remainder of your physique.
- Strain or pain in your stomach or your again
- Ache throughout intercourse
- Bother urinating or having to urinate usually
- Constipation
Some ladies with fibroids might have to be handled with drugs for ache within the stomach and again. In case your well being care supplier thinks fibroids are inflicting you to have trouble getting pregnant or to have repeat miscarriages, she might advocate surgical procedure (known as myomectomy) to take away them.
What are uterine scars?
These are scars or scar tissue within the uterus. They’re additionally known as Asherman syndrome. The scars can harm the liner of the uterus known as the endometrium. They’re acquired circumstances that may be attributable to an infections or circumstances like endometriosis. That is when tissue from the uterus grows someplace outdoors the uterus. They will also be attributable to surgical procedure on the uterus or cervix, like a process known as dilation and curettage (additionally known 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 embody gentle, rare, or no intervals; however some ladies haven’t any indicators or signs. The scars could cause bother getting pregnant, preterm delivery and repeat miscarriage. Your supplier might use a process known as hysteroscopy to seek out and take away scar tissue within the uterus.
How are you aware when you have a uterine situation?
Your well being care supplier makes use of particular checks to seek out these circumstances. You might want multiple check to determine which situation you have got. The checks embody:
- Vaginal or 3-D ultrasound. An ultrasound is a prenatal check (a check that you simply get throughout being pregnant) that makes use of sound waves and a pc display to indicate an image of your child contained in the womb. A vaginal ultrasound is completed within the vagina as an alternative of on the surface of your stomach. A 3-D ultrasound makes a picture that’s nearly as clear as {a photograph}.
- Sonohysterogram. On this check, your supplier places a particular fluid into the uterus by means of the cervix after which does a vaginal ultrasound. The fluid permits a clearer image of the within of the uterus than an everyday ultrasound. The cervix is the opening to the uterus that sits on the prime of the vagina. You get this check whenever 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 verify your cervix, uterus and fallopian tubes. Fallopian tubes are the tubes between your ovaries and your uterus. You get this check whenever you’re not pregnant.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (additionally known as MRI). MRI makes use of massive 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 whenever you’re not pregnant.
If these checks present you have got an issue together with your uterus, your supplier might advocate surgical procedure, particularly in the event you’ve had a miscarriage or preterm delivery previously.
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 may be born with it (congenital), or it may well develop later in life (acquired). A tipped uterus hardly ever causes being pregnant problems.
Final reviewed: April, 2020