How to become pregnant with uterine fibroids

Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that grow in the walls of a woman's uterus. A uterine fibroid can prevent you from becoming pregnant by interfering with the implantation of an egg. If you have been diagnosed with fibroids, you may also face an increased risk of pregnancy complications. There are many treatment options for uterine fibroids that, if successful, can allow you to not only become pregnant, but have a successful pregnancy and birth, as well.

Instructions

• 1

  Schedule an appointment with your doctor. If you have been diagnosed with uterine fibroids and have decided that you wish to start a family, your doctor will outline your options.

• 2

  Utilize your natural fertility. Once you have decided to conceive, first try the least invasive method you can: timed intercourse. Timed intercourse is a method of achieving conception that involves closely observing your menstrual cycles. You must take your temperature each morning before rising and document the reading. A higher than normal reading will alert you that ovulation has probably occurred. You must also closely examine your cervical mucus for signs that ovulation is pending. These signs will let you know when you and your partner should begin engaging in intercourse for the purpose of becoming pregnant.

• 3

  Discuss your next course of action with your partner. If timed intercourse has not resulted in a pregnancy, you may want to investigate assisted fertility methods. One of the least invasive is intra-uterine insemination (IUI). An IUI is used by doctors to bypass your cervix. Your partner's sperm is collected and washed, and then is inserted into your uterus when you are nearing ovulation. IUI results in pregnancy more often than timed intercourse, and is one of the more reasonably priced fertility treatments. Generally, you can expect to pay under $500 each time you have the treatment performed. This treatment is usually done in a gynecologist's office without any need for anesthesia or pain medication.

• 4

  Research surgical options. If several rounds of IUI have not worked, you may need to use more invasive methods, such as a fibroid myectomy. A fibroid myectomy is used to remove fibroid tissue from a woman's uterine cavity, increasing her chances of becoming pregnant by removing the growths that may have been interfering with egg implantation. An experienced surgeon can get rid of needless tissue without jeopardizing your overall uterine function.

• 5

  Research more invasive assisted-reproductive options. If your infertility is due to fibroids blocking the fallopian tubes, in-vitro fertilization may be an option for you. Since the egg is fertilized outside the body and implanted directly in the uterus, the blockage of your fallopian tube or tubes becomes a non-issue. Prior to undergoing IVF, a woman is given a large quantity of hormones to make her ovaries release more eggs each cycle than the single egg that most women normally release. Under anesthesia, the eggs are then collected and fertilized with sperm outside of the body. After several days, the eggs are then placed into the woman's uterine cavity. The larger number of fertilized eggs increases the likelihood that an egg will implant in the uterus and result in a viable pregnancy.