Can Fibroids Cause a Miscarriage?

In rare cases, fibroids can cause a miscarriage, or pregnancy loss before 23 gestational weeks. These uterine tumors can also impact everything from fertility to pregnancy and delivery. In this post, we highlight key facts on fibroids and miscarriage, sharing ways to manage fibroids while pregnant and treatment options to consider before or after pregnancy.

Do Fibroids Cause Miscarriage?

Have fibroids during pregnancy could increase your miscarriage risk if the tumors form within your uterine cavity or near your endometrial lining. That’s because fibroids in these locations can impact embryo implantation; change the shape of your uterine cavity; damage the endometrium; or interfere with fetal or placental growth. However, with proper care before or during a pregnancy, you will likely be able to avoid a miscarriage with fibroids.

Dealing with Fibroids While Pregnant

Most fibroids will not require treatment while you’re pregnant. Instead, your doctor will likely monitor them closely, to ensure that the tumors don’t grow too large due to increased blood flow to your uterus. You should also monitor any fibroid symptoms that are impacting your overall wellbeing during this time.  

Treating Fibroids During Pregnancy

As you just learned, most doctors will monitor fibroids during pregnancy instead of treating them. Rarely, you might need to surgically remove a fibroid via myomectomy during pregnancy, but that is highly unlikely. Instead, many women explore their fibroid treatment options prior to becoming pregnant in order to improve their chances of conceiving.

When you are no pregnant, you will have a range of available fibroid treatment options, including  myomectomy and minimally-invasive Uterine Fibroid Embolization. (Here’s a quick guide to pregnancy after UFE.) But if you become pregnant without treating your tumors, don’t worry. Many women go on to have a healthy pregnancy, despite the slightly increased risk of fibroids causing a miscarriage. Then, after delivering your baby, you can begin to explore treatment options for fibroids by requesting a consultation [/ga-appt-link] with the Houston Fibroids team. When you come in to the office, we can explore your candidacy for UFE.