Fibroids during pregnancy

Last week when I visited the doctor I was told that I have fibroid, and that this fibroid is about 2 centimeters in size.  I have heard the word fibroid before and it was often associated with heavy flow menstruation and bad period pain.  But never had I known anyone with it, and neither do I know what I really is.

When I first heard the word from my doctor, I wasn't sure if this fibroid is harmful to my precious or not.  I can't even imagine what it is.  The next day I did some research and here are some facts that I found about fibroid.  I hope that this little bit of info can help myself and people like me who is totally clueless about fibroid.

Some Basic Information  About Fibroids What are fibroids? Fibroids are benign tumours within the wall of uterus that are made of some muscle tissue that make up the uterus. (Source: Dr.Spock- Ask our experts) Is it cancerous? Fibroids are not cancer!  They do not turn into cancer.  Study shows that they both have very different genetic mutations and fibroids do not develop into cancer.  What are the known problems caused by fibroids during your pregnancy? Through reading I found that there are three complications that may be caused by fibroids.  They are: 1. Miscarriage. 2. Premature birth. 3. Obstruction of the birth canal which can lead to caesarean section.  Can fibroid affect developing baby? It is a very rare case, even though fibroids are pretty common for women.  Study shows that only four babies were affected by fibroids in the past 25 years. Treatment Options? Surgery is one of it.  I would rather if you read it here Fibroid Treatment Based On Your Symptopms.  They have all these scientific terms that I don't think I will be able to explain in a layman term.

Though I saw the known problems that can be caused by fibroids, I learnt that it is a common pregnancy problem.  There is not much you can do about it especially when you are already in your second trimester.  Removing it now might harm the baby, and also logically speaking, how will you cope with your belly's growth when you have stitches?  

I also found both through my O&G and reading, that the fibroids have the tendency to grow as my uterus grows.  We just have to keep an eye on it.  Mind you, do consult your specialist should you experience any pain related to the fibroids.  Your doctor can then prescribe you necessary pain control medicine.  Remember do not self- medicate because you will never have enough knowledge to know if the medication will harm your baby.  Well of course unless you are a doctor yourself.  But then if you are, you probably wouldn't find yourself googling about fibroids like I did.

Though if it will make yourself feel any better, you can have fibroid removed if you decide to deliver by C-Section.  This will probably save you from a lot of trouble in the future.  My doctor did say that in some cases, the fibroids disappear after giving birth.  The choice is yours, really.  

Source:
i. Fibroids: A Gynecologist's Second Opinion
ii.  Ask Our Expert - Fibroids During Pregnancy

Diana Abdul Molok @ TRS