Dr. Marjorie Greenfield
Specializing in pregnancy and birth.
|
|
 Ask Dr. Greenfield
Regretting Tubal Ligation | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Greenfield,
I am a 27-year-old mom with two children. After my daughter was born, I had my tubes tied. Now I regret this decision as I would like to have one more child. I heard that egg extraction would be the way to go. What is it and is it effective? Does the baby grow healthy? Or should I look into another way?— Frustrated Mom | | | ANSWER |
October 19, 2001 | | | Dear Frustrated Mom,
Many women get their tubes tied at a time when they are feeling overwhelmed by pregnancies and with caring for young children. About ten percent of women who've had a tubal ligation feel sorry about the decision, and about one percent seek reversal. Women who are fairly young when they make the decision and women who have the procedure in the immediate postpartum period are at highest risk for feeling regret--sounds like you.
One approach is to first think through why you want another child. Many women feel a sense of loss when it becomes clear they are done with a part of their life, the part with young children, and mourn that loss. Do you and your partner really want another child in the family or are you feeling sad over that door closing? Because, at some point, that door will close when you are past that time of life. But if you are certain that you want to bring another baby into your family, read on.
There are a few different surgical techniques of tubal ligation, some of which are more reversible than others. If you had a procedure that is easily reversed, and especially if you would like more than one more child, you may want to consider tubal reversal. The specialized surgeon who does these procedures would review the records of your tubal ligation surgery to assess its reversibility. Tubal reversal is expensive, isn't generally covered by insurance, and involves major abdominal surgery. Alternatively, in vitro fertilization is a way to bypass the obstruction in the tubes. This is also very expensive, probably not covered well by insurance, and carries a significant chance of twins (or more). One benefit is that when it is done, you still have your tubal ligation to prevent unwanted pregnancy in the future.
Of course, neither procedure guarantees that you'll have a healthy baby or even that you'll conceive, but the odds are in your favor. A consultation with a reproductive endocrinologist (fertility specialist) who performs micro-surgery and is associated with an in vitro fertilization program will give you more information about the pros and cons of each choice for your particular situation. Good luck!— by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. |
|
