Overcoming Endometriosis Pregnancy Barriers

The condition is characterized by the endometrial glands, normally found within the uterus, implanting themselves to the surface of other organs, usually in the pelvic and stomach cavities.

Every time a women has her period these glands act in the same way as the ones in the uterus, thickening and then shedding, causing inflammation, bleeding and scar tissue on the organs.

Adhesions start to form, which are bands of scar tissue that stretch between organs causing pain and a distortion of the organs.

It is the scaring that is generally the cause of the infertility problems. Endometrial tissue can effect the fallopian tubes, the outside of the uterus the ovaries and all the spaces in between.

However, women with endometriosis can still conceive naturally and doctors usually recommend having unprotected intercourse for 6 -12 months before seeking specific fertility treatment.

For those who are having difficulty in conceiving after this time there are a number of options available.

One option is laparoscope surgery. In the laparoscope procedure only a couple of small incisions are needed. The laparoscope has a light and camera on it so the surgeon can pinpoint the effected area inside your abdomen.

Using this procedure scar tissue and any visible implants of endometrial matter outside the uterus can be removed. This can improve fertility rates for women with moderate endometriosis and the best time for conception is 6 - 18 months after the procedure.

Laparoscopy is a specialized field of surgery and you should review your doctor's credentials to ensure they are familiar with this procedure for endometriosis. Ask them about the pregnancy rates of previous patients.

Apart from surgeries there is also the options of using assisted techniques for reproduction like intrauterine insemination or the more popular, in-vitro fertilization to consider.

Intrauterine insemination involves artificially stimulating the ovaries to produce an increased number of eggs and manually inserting the man's sperm directly into the uterus to increase the chances of conception.

Unfortunately, for women with severe endometriosis, ovarian stimulation with intrauterine insemination may not be suitable, especially if there is distortion in the pelvic anatomy insemination attempts won't work.

In-vitro fertilization takes a different approach, whereby the egg is fertilized with the man's sperm in a laboratory setting and the fertilized egg is then placed into the uterus.