Dr. Marjorie Greenfield
Specializing in pregnancy and birth.
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 Ask Dr. Greenfield
Fibroids during Pregnancy | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Greenfield,
I am 18 weeks pregnant and just found out that I have a fibroid four centimeters big. Can this cause me any problems later on?— Sas in England | | | ANSWER |
June 12, 2001 | | | Dear Sas,
As you probably know, fibroids are benign tumors within the wall of the uterus that are made of the same muscle tissue that make up the uterus. Fibroids are very common--more than one in three women will have them by the age of 35. So we see them often in the context of pregnancy.
As the uterus grows in pregnancy, fibroids also have a tendency to grow. Sometimes the center of the fibroid outgrows its blood supply, which leads to degeneration, where the center dies off. Degeneration of a fibroid can cause pain in that local area, but doesn't usually lead to any real pregnancy complications. A four-centimeter fibroid is considered relatively small and would not be expected to cause serious problems, even if it grows a bit.
Large fibroids can lead to preterm labor, can prevent the baby from assuming the head first position, and even (although rarely) obstruct the birth canal. That said, most women with fibroids deliver normally.
So overall, a four-centimeter fibroid would not be expected to cause serious complications, but it may cause you episodes of pain during the pregnancy that might even require you to take medication. If you have pain, do talk to your practitioner about what you can take and what you should do.
And congratulations on your baby-to-be!
— by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. |
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