How Fibroids Can Affect Pregnancy

How do fibroids and pregnancy work together? Because these non-cancerous growths develop in and around the uterus, they can interfere with everything from conception, to fetal growth and how (or when) you deliver your baby. And even Hollywood actresses aren't immune to this concern.

You see, when Greenleaf star Deborah Joy Winans learned she was pregnant, she was also in the process of deciding how to treat her eight large fibroids. But with this happy news, she told Essence magazine, came some scary prospects: "When [the doctor] started to tell me the things that will happen in my body because of the fibroids and the things that the baby might face, I just was like, ‘Okay, this is really, really serious. ”

Within months, Winans developed a degenerating fibroid, sending her to the ER for terrible pain, vomiting and a prematurely dilating cervix. As such, she gave up on delivering a full-term baby, simply hoping to "Get to 28 [weeks]... [my doctor] knows that [the baby will] be good and healthy if he came that early. So, 28 is the goal.” Similarly, One Tree Hill star Jana Kramer explained to her Instagram followers that she was scheduling a C-section 10 days early “because of growing fibroid.”

Similarly, Deiondra Sanders, (football star Deion Sanders' daughter) experienced a complicated pregnancy with fibroids. Prior to conceiving, she experienced multiple miscarriages and has to have several myomectomy surgeries. Once becoming pregnant with fibroids, she had complications, including a a shortened cervix that necessitated a cerclage procedure (closing the cervix with stitches) so that she didn't experience early labor like Jana Kramer did.

Of course, delivering your baby before your due date may not be ideal—but it is a concern for women who are pregnant with fibroids. And it's not the only one. So, in this post, we'll explain all the important details you need to know to make an informed decision.

Fibroids and Pregnancy: What's the Impact?

Uterine fibroids can interfere with conception. That's mainly the case if the growths block your fallopian tubes, or keep an embryo from implanting in the lining of the uterus. Even after conception, having a fibroid can impact pregnancy due to:

1. Restrictions on the growth of the fetus, or on its movement within your uterus.
2. Limits on blood flow reaching your developing fetus.
3. Early labor.
4. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) which, according to the Journal of Hypertension, include an increased risk for high blood pressure and preeclampsia because of your fibroids.

Fibroids and Pregnancy: Exploring Treatment

Treating fibroids during pregnancy is not recommended, unless there is an emergency that necessitates the removal of a tumor. So, if you become pregnant while you have a fibroid, your doctor will likely monitor its growth along with that of your baby. Now, while many women can deliver a healthy baby with a fibroid, you may prefer to seek treatment prior to trying to conceive.

Here at Georgia Fibroids, our interventional radiologists provide Uterine Fibroid Embolization, a minimally invasive treatment that shrinks fibroids without surgery. It is important to talk with your OB and our interventional radiologists in Georgia to determine the best fibroid treatment option if you are planning a pregnancy. And you can click here to request an appointment with our Georgia fibroid specialists.