Can you conceive naturally with uterine fibroids?

Uterine fibroids, also called leiomyoma or myoma of the uterus, are the most common form of non-cancerous uterine growths. They can be really small or rather big. Although uterine fibroids are nearly never malign, they can cause a lot of discomfort, including heavy and painful menstruations, putting pressure on your bladder and forcing you to urinate more frequently, and occasionally pushing the uterus into an abnormal position. Can you conceive naturally with uterine fibroids?

Most women with uterine fibroids have no problems with fertility, and can conceive naturally many are not even aware that they have uterine fibroids, particularly if the fibroids are small and don't cause any symptoms. In some cases, women will have problems conceiving because of fibroids. In this case, treatment to remove the fibroids may help.

Uterine fibroids that are large, or a big number of fibroids, can sometimes cause problems with a pregnancy, and may even induce a miscarriage. Individual fibroids can also block the cervix, the opening of the uterus, in some cases. This may mean that the women needs to delivery her baby through cesarean section.

If you have uterine fibroids, or suspect you may have them, having an OBGYN checkup to assess the size and placement of the fibroids is recommended if you are trying to conceive a baby. You may discuss possible treatment (removal) of your fibroids with your OBGYN before you start trying to get pregnant. Many times, nothing will need to be done.

But, if your fibroids are so large that they pose a potential risk in pregnancy, the obvious solution is getting them removed before you get pregnant. Estrogen, a hormone that is present in larger quantities, may cause your fibroids to grow while you are expecting though, so the fibroids should be monitored in pregnancy regardless of what the situation was like pre-pregnancy.