Getting pregnant with endo

[als1994]

I was diagnosed with endo in Feb 2019 following laparoscopy surgery. I was around 6 weeks pregnant but the pregnancy was growing outside the womb (ectopic pregnancy). The ectopic erupted in my left fallopian tube and I had to have this removed during the surgery. I am 24 years old, and I have had very irregular periods since puberty. I tend to only get 2-3 periods per year. Does this mean I am only ovulating 2-3 times per year? My partner and I have decided we would like to try for a baby now given the complications due to my endo. Does anyone have any idea of what my chances are of conceiving naturally? Also any advice on how to get pregnant sooner rather than later is welcome!

[luthien]

Hi, oh no

That's a difficult question; your periods may be only 2 to 3 times a year however your ovulations may be more / less, it's hard to know without a specialist and additional blood tests. You can have this done with a fertility doctor / specialist / clinic, hopefully some lovely ladies will help you with how to go about this - it could be that your endo is causing your irregular cycles in which case the fertility specialists could say you need that treated first.

If you're endo is responsible for your irregular cycles you may be best to treat that first and get your cycles more regular. Have you had your endo removed during your laparoscopy? Endo exicision by lap will remove endo and a bit of healthy tissue, which means it gets rid of as much endo as can be visibly seen, this means regrowth and pregnancy complications are lessened.

A few thoughts;

Some women find pregnancy makes their endo symptoms worse, especially if it hasn't been removed close to then, how would you cope?

Some women find pregnancy okay but post pregnancy endo can grow quickly with symptoms returning, requiring surgery. How would you feel about going through that with a young child? Would you have the support for a few weeks recovery?

If you had another lap before you tried to conceive, that could allow your cycles to become more normal allowing you to start trying as early as six month post lap - possibly sooner if your cycles settle. Is that an okay timeframe?

I guess it all focusses on how you feel mentally going into the unknown health wise before, during and after having a child. I get that it just happens for some women, but would knowing how much endo, where it is, what it's doing to your organs and having as much removed by a specialist before help?

The best chances for getting pregnant; I'd personally focus on healthily, and safely rather than sooner. You'd like to be in the best possible health - endo removed, and regular cycles so you'll be able to physically cope with post-pregnancy. I wouldn't rush it but take the time to make sure your body can cope!

xx

[als1994 in reply to luthien]

Hi, thank you for your reply 😊

I get your point re. ovulation. The doctor advised I can be referred to a fertility clinic as soon as I would like so I think this could be an option.

I didn't have any endo removed during surgery. I had no idea I had endo prior to lap. During my periods I get severe stomach cramp but this seems to be my only symptom so far. I've been advised this may worsen with age. I'm not sure if having more surgery to remove the endo would be worth it?? I'm not even sure what stage my endo is at but I should maybe seek advice from a fertility clinic?

Xxx

[luthien in reply to als1994]

The fertility clinic sounds like a good idea!

The amount of endo doesn't correlate to the severity of symptoms, so it's difficult to say how it's affecting things or the location. Yes it will get worse but again there's no knowing how quick or where it will grow, also it's not always going to grow the same rate all the time. For most of us it started as a small pain to being horrible and no one listening to pushing for a lap to have it removed, quite often that whole process takes ages while we're trying to lead normal-ish lives

Surgery to remove endo may not be one of your options at the moment but it'll definitely help reduce the risk of it affecting other organs, sticking organs together or growing rapidly. It's worth remembering endo requires oestrogen to grow, which we all produce but when in large enough amounts it can produce it's own so quite often hormones stop working after a period of time. Also when there's large enough amounts it can stick organs together plus could perforate organs requiring more invasive surgery. I'm not saying that'll happen to you at this point in time, and not meaning to scare you, just being honest. It may be an idea to be referred to an endo specialist and have a chat with them as they'll be in the best position to advice what would be best in your situation. Your endo tage can only be determined by a lap - in addition the endo specialist can check your uterus, ovaries etc for structural problems / complications which personally I think would be good to know before planning. I had this done.

I've written a long-ish post on my experience of it all, I know it's not like yours but I'm hoping it'll help explain where I'm coming from so you don't feel like I'm pushing you -

"All this effort does pay off - my story - hope it helps !"

healthunlocked.com/endometr...

Most women wish they'd pushed for a lap to diagnose and remove endo sooner, but for a lot of us the docs wouldn't listen so it's taken years and worsening symptoms for us to finally have someone take us seriously and actually do the lap. You may be fine throughout your pregnancy and after and possibly for years to come, which I hope is the case but I thought I'd just let you know what could happen - this endo stuff isn't smooth sailing for everyone so it's good to be knowledgeable and prepared.

I hope I've not worried or stressed you out x

[MsTMP]

Hey!

I am in a similar situation to you. I am 25 just been diagnosed with severe endo which requires more surgery as its on my bladder.

We want to start trying for a baby sooner rather than later also as you never know what life may bring, and its better for us to start trying now especially whilst we are still young as we have more time to explore options and get the proper care we need. Some of things I am trying is this;

1. Listen to your body and what it is telling you.

I have been looking at switching up my diet and start regular exercise such as hot yoga and swimming.

2. Do whats best for you and your situation

A lot of people keep telling me I am too young for a baby etc however I know my partner is supportive and I have a very supportive family. My work is flexible and has good maternity leave. If you and your partner can make it work and this is the best option for you then do it.

3. Stop thinking about it

I know it sounds odd, but the more i focus on myself and healthy lifestyle, the less I focus on baby which then allows me to relax. They say being stressed is not the right environment to conceive. So focus your energy on yourself and maintaining a healthy environment (inside and out) and it may help with conceiving naturally.

Of course I do not know full details of your condition but these are some of things that I am trying to get my head around. It isn't easy and I have my off days, as well as dealing with the pain emotionally and physically.

[als1994 in reply to MsTMP]

Hey 😊

That's amazing thinking someone is in almost the exact situation as me! Did the gynaecologist tell you you had severe endo? I was never told but then maybe it's a question I should be asking.

Re. your second point - I am in the exact same situation getting a lot of comments from my friends about being too young etc. It's tough!

Thanks for the great advice. Are your periods also irregular? I have been taking ovulation tests but it's difficult to know when to use them as my periods are all over the place!

X

[MsTMP in reply to als1994]

Yeah I was told as it has affected my bladder so it was more severe than they thought.

My periods were really heavy and it would be painful to go toilet and have sex at times. Would last like 2 week. I wouldnt be able to move as I would be in so much pain couldnt even go to work etc

Also in regards to comments from friends. I rarely discuss plans with people outside of me and my partner. As nobody really gets it and unwanted opinions can be really annoying lol

Xx

[Jad537]

Have the surgery first, you do not want to risk having another ectopic with the other tube, I really want to keep trying but been told to wait till after surgery then see fertility again for possible IVF .

[Jessybessy]

Have you heard of Ovusense? It’s a brilliant device you wear at night that tracks your body temperature and can tell you when you’re ovulating. It’s great for knowing when you’re fertile but also gives you plenty of information to show a fertility specialist when the time comes! I’ve been using mine for 6 months now and it’s fascinating seeing how my cycles work :).

[Hidden]

Hi hun.

Sorry for your loss, I had a chemical pregnancy 2 years ago losing a child is heart breaking.

My situation is different to yours- I didn’t know I had endometriosis until I had been unsuccessfully trying to conceive for nearly 6 years. I fell first cycle after it was treated but miscarried, had 2 more surgeries ( last one with endo surgeon) & fell 2 months later on clomid ( boosts ovulation) my daughter is 5 weeks today! I’m 37 not young!!!

Your best bet is to visit your gp ideally together & get a referral to a fertility . Normally you see a gp after trying for a year with no success if you’re under 35 but seeing as you have known issues that might make conceiving harder they might refer you to a fertility sooner. I think seeing a specialist will be helpful to you- they can run further investigations, prescribe medication to help ovulation or assisted conception they will know what is best for you for you to have a baby 😍

Good luck with it all xoxo

[Bthree]

That sounds exactly like me! I had an ectopic in October 2017 and had my tube removed, they found endo which really worried me. We were trying anyway when I got pregnant with the ectopic so we carried on. In August 2018 I found out I was pregnant and I now have a beautiful healthy little girl! She was born 10 weeks early for other reasons to do with the shape of my womb but she’s 5 months now and doing well. I’m only 25.

I would say keep trying. I know it’s hard to not think about but I got pregnant when I stopped thinking about it so much and distracted myself with other things.

I hope this gives you some positivity xxx