Fibroids and Pregnancy: Risks and Management
Reading time: about 6 minutes. This article is educational and does not replace an individual consultation.
Finding out you have fibroids during pregnancy — or being pregnant when you already know you have them — can prompt worry. The reassuring reality is that most women with fibroids have healthy pregnancies, and significant problems are uncommon. This article explains what to know and what is monitored.
Who this article is for
This is for pregnant women in Ahmedabad and Gujarat who have fibroids, or have just learned they do.
Fibroids and pregnancy: the big picture
Fibroids are common, and many women with fibroids conceive and have uncomplicated pregnancies. While fibroids can occasionally cause issues, serious complications are not the norm, and care is about sensible monitoring rather than alarm [Source: ACOG patient guidance on fibroids in pregnancy].
What can happen — and how likely
- Pain. The most common fibroid-related issue in pregnancy is pain, sometimes from a fibroid outgrowing its blood supply (called degeneration). This is usually managed conservatively and settles [Source: ACOG patient guidance].
- Position of the baby or placenta. Depending on their location, fibroids can occasionally affect the baby’s position or the placenta, which is why position is checked.
- Effect on delivery. Some fibroids, depending on location, may influence the mode of delivery, which your obstetrician will assess as pregnancy progresses.
Most fibroids do not cause these problems, and many change little or even become less prominent over the pregnancy.
What is usually not done
Fibroids are generally not removed during pregnancy or at the time of a caesarean except in unusual, specific circumstances, because surgery on fibroids in pregnancy carries added risk. The usual approach is to monitor and manage symptoms, and consider any treatment after the pregnancy if needed [Source: ACOG patient guidance].
How fibroids are monitored in pregnancy
Monitoring typically involves your routine pregnancy scans, with attention to the baby’s growth and position and the fibroids’ location, plus prompt assessment of any significant pain. The intensity of monitoring is matched to your situation.
Managing fibroid pain in pregnancy
Pain from fibroid degeneration is usually managed with rest and pregnancy-safe pain relief as advised by your doctor, and it generally improves over days. Severe or persistent pain should always be assessed to confirm the cause and exclude other problems.
What to ask
- Where are my fibroids, and could their location affect my pregnancy or delivery?
- What symptoms should prompt me to seek review?
- How will my pregnancy be monitored given the fibroids?
- Will the fibroids need any treatment after pregnancy?
Pregnancy care with fibroids in Ahmedabad
Most pregnancies with fibroids go well with sensible monitoring. Balaji Horizon Women’s Hospital, on Science City Road in Ahmedabad, provides pregnancy care that monitors fibroids appropriately and manages any symptoms, without unnecessary intervention.
When to seek advice
Contact your maternity team if you develop significant abdominal pain, and attend your scheduled scans so the baby’s growth and position and the fibroids can be monitored. Most issues, if they arise, are manageable with timely care [Source: ACOG patient guidance].
A note on next steps
For pregnancy care with fibroids, our team can help. Read more on our fibroids and pregnancy care pages.
Frequently asked questions
Will fibroids harm my baby?
Most women with fibroids have healthy pregnancies, and serious complications are uncommon. Depending on their location, fibroids can occasionally affect the baby’s position, which is why monitoring is arranged — but harm to the baby is not the usual outcome [Source: ACOG patient guidance].
Why do fibroids hurt during pregnancy?
The most common cause of fibroid pain in pregnancy is degeneration, where a fibroid outgrows its blood supply. This is usually managed conservatively with rest and pregnancy-safe pain relief and settles over days [Source: ACOG patient guidance].
Can fibroids be removed during pregnancy?
Generally no. Fibroids are not usually removed during pregnancy or at caesarean except in unusual circumstances, because surgery then carries added risk. The usual approach is monitoring and symptom management, with treatment considered after pregnancy if needed [Source: ACOG patient guidance].
Will fibroids affect how I deliver?
Some fibroids, depending on location, may influence the mode of delivery, which your obstetrician will assess as the pregnancy progresses. Many women with fibroids have a normal delivery.
Do fibroids grow during pregnancy?
Fibroids may change during pregnancy — some grow, some stay the same, and many cause no problems. Monitoring helps keep track, and most need no active treatment during the pregnancy.
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not replace a consultation with a qualified obstetrician.
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FIGO classification, when fibroids actually need treatment, the four decisions in care, surgery options including hysteroscopic and laparoscopic myomectomy. Aligned with ACOG, FIGO, ESGE/AAGL.
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