Getting Pregnant with Endometriosis
An email from my customer on July 3rd, 2020 reads, “Good night, my name is ***** Hepburn. Here is my problem. I was told by my obgyn Mr. ****y that I have stage 4 endometriosis. My right ovary is enlarged and my left has chocolate cysts. I did an HSG and found that my left tube is blocked. I have bad period cramps, like i throw up, i lay in bed curl up, my leg hurts really bad and if I sneeze the blood messes everything up. I can’t go to work the first 2 days of my period. This caused me 2 jobs so now i work for myself. I’ve tried birth control and even something that puts your body into menopause that didn’t work. I’m 41 and have no kids. My doctor said that I should remove my uterus. It’s the only way to stop the pain but I want to have at least one child and I told him this but he said I won’t be able to get pregnant. Do you have anything that can help me please?”
What is endometriosis?
The uterine/endometrium lining is where the fetus implants and nourishes for the next 9 months. Endometriosis is a condition in which the lining is found in different parts of the body.
The lining can end up on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and/or other reproductive organs. It can even travel outside of the uterus i.e. the kidneys, bladder, and intestinal lining, etc.
How and why does this happen?
There are a few different things that cause abnormal tissue growth. Both Estrogen Dominance and Environmental Toxins play a role in the abnormal growth and division of cells that contribute to endometriosis, but it usually starts from what we ingest.
Cell growth and division is necessary for life. When they grow uncontrollably, they can cause reproductive problems and other major problems like cancer. Changes in the cells can cause abnormal endometrial growth.
Foods like dairy products, beef, red and white meat contain high levels of estrogen that can cause hormonal imbalance and damage to the cell DNA, which contributes to abnormal cell division, which in turn, causes abnormal growths. “Estrogen dominance may also contribute to altered immunity, which may then contribute to the development and/or progression of endometriosis.”
Certain medications and birth control can also contribute to endometriosis.
Watch Video to better understand:
Endometriosis & Infertility
Reproductive Facts states 30% to 50% of women with endometriosis may experience infertility.
It can also contribute to miscarriage. A study done on 15,000 persons, found that endometriosis can affect a woman’s chances of getting pregnant by 76%.
The reason endometriosis contributes to both infertility and miscarriage at such a high rate, is because it:
- Scars and blocks the fallopian tube preventing sperm from getting to an egg,
- It can alter the quality of the egg and the immune system functions,
- It can change the hormonal environment of the eggs.
Why does endometriosis cause severe period pains?
Every month during ovulation, the uterine/endometrial lining thickens to support the fertilized egg in the event you do get pregnant. If an egg has not fertilized (you do not get pregnant), the lining will then shed itself; this process is called the menstrual cycle (period).
If the lining becomes too thick, the tissues from it can break off and land on different parts of the body. When your period comes, the lining sheds also wherever it is. Meaning, you bleed wherever the tissue landed. SO if the tissue ends up on one of your ovaries, you will feel a sharp pain on your left or right side during your periods as the tissue is shedding on your ovary. This causes severe inflammation as there is nowhere for the blood to escape. VS. The blood from your lining comes out through your vagina.
Over time, this bleeding can also lead to chronic inflammation and the formation of scar tissue, which later causes adhesions to form on the area. Causing chocolate cysts, endometriomas, blocked fallopian tubes, and infertility.
Watch Video to better understand endometriosis
There are 4 stages of endometriosis
- Minimal
- Mild
- Moderate
- Severe
Signs that you may have endometriosis:
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Pain during bowel movements
- Pain during exercise
- Bowel or urinary pain or dysfunction
- Heavy, long, or irregular bleeding
- Bloating, nausea, or vomiting
- Infertility, difficulties getting pregnant, or recurrent pregnancy loss
- Allergies, migraines, or fatigue that worsens around menses
- Lower back pain or leg pain during menses
Is it possible to get rid of endometriosis?
The healing process will differ for everyone, but, it is possible to assist the body with repairing itself and removing scar tissues. It is now widely accepted that oxidative stress may be implicated in the pathophysiology of endometriosis causing a general inflammatory response in the peritoneal cavity. Says NCBI. Oxidative stress is an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in your body.
Free radicals are oxygen-containing molecules with missing electrons.
During oxidation, this can cause a molecule in a cell to lose an electron, causing the molecule to become a free radical. The free radicals then damage nearby healthy molecules causing DNA Damage.
“Oxidative stress is thought to promote angiogenesis (blood supply to tumors and other abnormal growths) and the growth and proliferation of endometriotic implants.” Studies state that “Oxidative stress alters your epigenetic signaling and DNA methylation, changes how genes are transcribed, and ultimately protein expression. It is also involved in many mechanisms in the development of fetal growth restriction. Some reports indicate that it can also contribute to the development of cancer in humans.”
Endometriosis can alter your immune responses. The immune system can fail to recognize the endometrial tissue(s) that is growing elsewhere in the body. This failure can cause the tissue to evade the immune responses by confusing immune cells that would otherwise attack those cells that form the scar tissues, contributing to an abnormal immune response.
“There are several studies indicating that women with endometriosis are more likely to develop autoimmune diseases such as lupus, which may indicate that the immune system is not working properly in women with endometriosis.”
Antioxidants play a vital role in our survival. It is the body’s defense against free radicals. Without antioxidants, free radicals will destroy our bodies. Antioxidants help protect our cells from the formation of free radicals.
“Glutathione is Often referred to as the “master” antioxidant because of its ability to enhance the utilization and recycling of other antioxidants. Its primary functions within the body are supporting the immune system, providing antioxidant protection, and removing toxins.”
It is said that glutathione is capable of preventing damage to important cellular components caused by reactive oxygen species such as free radicals, heavy metals, etc.
“An article cited in Journal of Cancer Science and Therapy indicated that glutathione deficiency leads to increased levels of oxidative stress.”
As stated earlier, Free radicals are oxygen-containing molecules with missing electrons. Antioxidants are molecules that replace the missing electron to repair the damage to the cell.
The best way to deal with endometriosis is by consuming foods and supplements that are rich in antioxidants.
10 Foods rich in antioxidants:
- Blueberries
- Acai Powder
- Banana
- Prune
- Turmeric
- Tomato
- Oregano
- Artichoke
- Ginger
- Kale
Supplements you can take for endometriosis:
- N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been shown to be especially helpful in treating endometriosis in the study, A promise in the Treatment of Endometriosis.
- Vitamin E is the most powerful antioxidant.
- Pomegranate Extract- contain high antioxidant content.
I want a baby, but I was diagnosed with Endometriosis.
It won’t be an easy journey overcoming endometriosis, but it is certainly worth the effort.
Here are 3 things that you can do to help assist you with endometriosis.
- Use yoni steams. Yoni steaming has been around for centuries and is said to cleanse and revitalize the vagina and the uterus. Herbs have healing properties. When you place the herbs in the hot water, those healing properties are released. When you sit over the steam, they are absorbed into the bloodstream. The steam also helps to release old stagnant blood and mucus.
Here are some herbs that you can use for your Steam. You can use all, or all of these:
- Motherwort
- Mugwort
- Dill Weed
- Wormwood
- Calendula
- Thyme
- Rosebuds
2.Drink Teas. Here are 3 teas that you can drink for endometriosis and to boost your fertility.
Chamomile Tea – A 2018 study showed that chrysin, a compound found in chamomile, suppressed the growth of endometrial cells.
Red Raspberry Tea – It is said that this tea contains phyto-progesterone properties. This helps with strengthening the uterus which can help with successful implantation. It also helps to balance the hormones and promote ovulation.
Green Tea – According to NCBI, “Green tea improves endometriosis mainly through anti-angiogenic, anti-fibrotic, anti-proliferative and proapoptotic mechanisms.”
3. Exercise Regularly – One of the ways exercising helps with endometriosis is by strengthening your pelvic floor. Exercising can help the ovaries and also alleviates pain caused by endometriosis.
Getting Pregnant with Endometriosis
