Anyone with Fibroids

[Jello39]

posted just now without subject. anyone with fibroids who can help with advice and reasuurance. got one which is causing much pain. anyone know of any natural ways I can help myself through pregnancy. it is has grown by 2 cms to 7cms and my rather active little is not helping. it seems certain I will have to have a c-section as I a have another one just before the entrance to the birth canel. await I could go into prem labour so doctors have now given 2 steroid injections to mature baby lungs. I am 26 weeks almost 27 week.

Hi Jello

I had two fibroids which were very troublesome throughout my pregnancy though I still planned to have a natural birth though one like yours was close to the birth canal but my lo when engaged moved past it. However I did have a c-section after all for other reasons and it was very relaxed and it went well. Have you thought of going to yoga to help you relax? I went to full term btw.

may i ask what a fibroid is and why you couldnt have a natural birth if you have them?

it's a non malignant growth in the uterus, can be small and not much of a problem, or very large and need removing, as in my mum's case because it blocked her bowel.

if it's there during pg, it can block the cervix so the baby can't get out. hence natural birth not possible.

well that makes sense, thank you. don't know why but i was thinking varicose veins

babylove, the fibroids feed on the pregnancy hormones and can grow quite large. They can cause premature labour. I had quite painful contractions from 25 weeks and was in and out of hospital. They are more common I think in older mums.

I have fibroids too, but larger ones: two about 10cm. I am the same stage as you and have also had steroid injections during a bout of pain that was probably fibroid degeneration pain. I have been told I will need a vertical incision c-section as one of them is low down blocking the cervix and also where a normal bikini cut would go. So it sounds quite similar to your situation!
I don't think there is much you can do to manage the situation. A lot depends on the type of fibroid, location and size. I was prepared for potential problems as I knew about the fibroids before getting pregnant and they were huge then. I also had bleeding in the early months that could have been down to them.
The only thing I can say is take as much rest as possible - as that is always good advice for pregnancy! Also if you are pain-free then notice the tiniest hint of a pain, take immediate rest if you can to try to ward off a flare up.
Check with the drs if there is anything else you can do to prevent pre-term labour, like maybe avoiding sex - I don't know if this an old wives tale as I've been too embarassed to ask my dr so far!
On the mental front, try not to worry is again also good standard advice. It could help you to feel prepared for a premature baby if you read up on their care and also on c-sections and then see if there is anything practical you can get ready. This is what I am trying to do.
If you are really stressed, maybe some complimentary therapy like massage could help you relax if okayed by your drs. Acupuncture sometimes helps with fibroid effects in general (ie when not pregnant) but I don't know much about it during pregnancy & of course it is not the time to experiment.
Fibroids are more common in older women in general, simply as there has been more time for them to develop in/around the womb whether pregnant or not. Many women can have them & not be aware as they can be non-problematic (even if quite big) & then they only show up when a scan is done during pregnancy.