Can you get pregnant still with bad endometriosis?

[ihateendometriosis]

Long story short... can I still get pregnant with chronic endometriosis?

I'm 30 and childless. Only just diagnosed with endometriosis and I'm petrified I won't be able to get pregnant naturally or with ivf. Am I completely being unreasonable or is there genuinely hope?

Only have one tube as other is blocked and destroyed from the endo. Endo is in pouch of Douglas too.

If anyone can advise and comfort me that would be so appreciated 😭

My friend has endometriosis and fybroids she was advised she was infertile and is now a mother of 2! She wasn't using protection due to believing she couldn't conceive. 😬 I don't suppose she's the only one.

My dental hygienist did. She had been told that it was highly unlikely and was also in her 30's. She had a daughter....who must be 15 or 16 now......and fertility medicine mustvhave moved on quite a bit since then.....

Yes, I've had several friends with severe endo who got pregnant naturally after being told they were likely to have trouble.

A family member has sever Endo and was told she would never be able to conceive naturally. She was just about to start IVF treatment with her partner (she was about 32, 33) & naturally fell pregnant and now has a beautiful and healthy 6yo.

I’m currently awaiting a laparoscopy to determine if I have Endo, and being infertile has always been one of my worries. But I know it can happen so please don’t lose hope x

My understanding is that you might have a better chance if you have as much as possible removed - and start trying as early as you can. I have heard there is an optimal window about 6 months after surgery. It seems that often conservative treatment is favoured these days, and leaving the endometriosis to grow won't increase your chances.

It's really down to your individual situation - I have it and no kids by choice (but no accidental pregnancies either). Two friends have it and have two children each, one took a while to conceive. Another friend has it pretty badly and has TTC for ages including IVF but has never been pregnant.

Yes. I have bad endo and PCOS. I tried to get pregnant for 4 years before going to a gyno for help. I had to have a laparoscopy and hysteroscopy and then got pregnant naturally the month after the surgery, lost that baby then pregnant again a month after my loss, he is now 3 years old. I went on to have another surprise baby a year later without help aswell. I had previously tried clomid which made me ovulate but didn't result in pregnancy. I'm so sorry you are going through this turmoil, I remember how soul destroying it was to think I would never have a child but there is hope. There is so much they can do these days to help you get pregnant. Good luck 🤞

Thanks everyone, some of these stories are nice to hear!

I'm also worried I could have adenomyosis - although this has never been mentioned to me.

Been trying to get pregnant for 6 months now but I've not had my laparoscopy or blocked tube removed yet - I'm on a waiting list :(

It is possible, make sure your consultant understands this is your main aim and they can help.

My DD got diagnosed at 13 because at first her bleeds were none stop. Unfortunately although she was bleeding she wasn't ovulating. She had surgery at 15 and was on hormonal treatments to stop the bleeding. It interupted her education and physical activity because she was permanently anemic, in pain etc. At 18 she had a coil fitted to protect her from female cancers. It moved and the theory is that the coil regulated her hormones enough to ovulate. She got pregnant, luckily the coil was practically falling out and was easy to remove (it was causing pain). She had to have early pregnancy bloods and an internal scan around the month mark because of the migraine/treatments she was on. Three years later she had another baby, but that was after nearly two years of trying. I can remember her being devastated being told at 15 that she wouldn't get pregnant without help and when talking about it on the bus from the women's hospital two women sharing their story that they both had Endo and both got pregnant naturally. It's individual, like everything, but not impossible.

The laparoscopy really helped my DD.

@Ponoka7

Wow I'm so sorry your daughter had to go through that from such a young age. It's wonderful to hear she has children now though!

Thank you for sharing x

I just got diagnosed with endometriosis after TTC naturally for 10 months, and have now been put on medication and told that it's going to be the IVF route for me. So I don't have a success story to share (yet!) but I'm right there with you in the fear and heartbreak that this is going to be harder than I hoped. Lots of love.❤

I have severe endo and was told conception would be highly unlikely (also bleeding in pouch of Douglas etc and bad cysts and scar tissue from a different operation). Now a mother of 3. Don’t worry. The coil was helpful to me to create lighter periods and therefore slow the retrograde bleeding. Also had a good laparoscopy to clear cysts and blood.

Yes. DC are proof! It took. A few months to conceive my youngest child though. I used an ovulation calculator and pre seed, but nothing else.

I have stage 4, one tube and also have it in Pouch of Douglas.

I have two DC.

I won't lie and tell you it's been an easy road, but it is possible.

Good luck 🤞🏻

@JamesMartinsWaistcoat

You sound like me!

Did you conceive naturally or was it via ivf?

My tubes being removed soon (hopefully) and I'm praying that I will be able to conceive naturally shortly after my lap. X

Your tubes are being removed? You will need IVF then?

Having unsuccessfully tried to conceive for several years, I had an ectopic pregnancy in 2019, for which I had to have a tube removed. While they were doing that, they discovered I had severe endometriosis which I had surgery for in December that year. I fell pregnant naturally with DD1 six months later and I'm currently pregnant with DD2 - so yes, it is possible and you don't necessarily have to go down the IVF route. I'm in my late 30s. Although having an ectopic and needing emergency surgery for it was traumatic, I'm weirdly grateful for the experience as otherwise I don't think I'd have ever found out about the endometriosis- like gazillions of other women out there i just thought I had bad periods. Good luck!

DC1 was conceived naturally.

We tried for years for DC2 and only during this time was the endo diagnosed.

We had IVF x 3 times but unfortunately lost all 3 quite early on - in hindsight it would appear this was due to hydrosalpinx in my tube.

This period also included laparoscopic surgeries and removal of the troublesome tube.

After giving up we went on to conceive DC2 naturally (possibly because the toxic tube was now gone, possibly because typically we were no longer 'trying').

If you need to know anything at all, please ask x

I have adenmyosis and endo and conceived naturally. Don't give up hope!

Oh didn't see bit about tubes being removed.

I have endometriosis in my ovaries. Chocolate cysts. Only got one child and I gather she was pretty much a miracle. Never had ivf though.

Yes i have terrible endo and had fratermal twins naturally. I got pregnant soon after a laparoscopy and after i lost some weight.

@JamesMartinsWaistcoat

Omg that's exactly what I've got!!!!! Hydrosalpinx in one (hopefully only the one!) tube! So we really are extremely similar.

God, that's given me some relief that there is someone else out there with the same and has actually conceived naturally. 😭
Thank you thank you

Another positive story here; I didn't find out I had endometriosis until I was rushed into surgery for a suspected ectopic pregnancy...lots of damage but that pregnancy is now almost 6 and I have an 18 month old too!