Anything ending in the letters O-I-D sounds just plain negative-void, paranoid, freakazoid (yes, it’s an actual word).  So when you hear the word “fibroid,” what do you think?

Ahh, some weird, stone-like protrusion in your belly that must be removed?  Or a strange gooey thing that eats away at your tissues without you knowing it?  Sounds like cancer.

But what do fibroids in the uterus actually mean?  You want your natural baby birth and you’ve found out you have fibroids.  Will this ruin your plans?

Fibroids In The Uterus

You can breathe a sigh of relief because you have a miniscule chance of this even being a problem.  There are many reasons why you should not freak out about this discovery (freakazoid , I think we used to call each other that when we were kids).

Image courtesy of womenshealth.gov

• Fibroids are NON-cancerous growths
• 20% of women have them during pregnancy and have less than a one in 1,000 chance of them even being a minor problem

According to Fibroid Second Opinion, fibroids almost never cause any injury to mothers or babies.

Review of the entire world’s medical literature for the past 25 years discovered only four babies affected by a fibroid.

Okay, whew!  Now there’s no longer a worry.  You can breathe deeper.

But then, what are the chances that you’ll even have fibroids?  Is there something you could be doing to up your odds of having them?

Odds Of Getting Fibroids

Ironically, the only things that really seem to affect you having them are:

• genetics
• hormones
• age, late thirties and forties (among other pregnancy risks after age 35)

There’s nothing you can do about any of those factors.  You’re female, have hormones without even trying, and you’re likely not in your late 30s because most women aren’t having kids at that time.

I didn’t say there weren’t exceptions.

What Are The Symptoms?

The hard part is, most of the time there are NO symptoms whatsoever.  The fibroids are small enough and positioned in ways that don’t affect you at all in most cases.  But some women do have:

• heavier, longer periods
• minor pelvic pain
• small, distinguishable lumps in the abdomen

But beyond that, the only way of knowing you have them is when your doctor can feel a larger one on the front surface during a pelvic exam, or they’re identified during an ultrasound.

When They’re Problematic

Most fibroids do no harm whatsoever to you and your baby.  But those tiny odds that work against you do happen.

Because fibroids can be located almost anywhere within and around your uterus, placement is the only factor that is a clear cause for issues.

If you have a large enough fibroid that’s directly inside your uterine cavity, then there are a few things that can happen.  I said CAN happen, not WILL happen.

1. Breech Baby.  When there is a growth large enough and positioned just perfectly, it can cause your baby to become breech.  Out of the hundreds of positions your baby can take within your uterus, that darn fibroid can stop them from turning head down just right.
2. C-Section.  If a fibroid is placed too closely to the cervix and physically blocks the baby’s way out, it’s no different than if you had your placenta growing over your cervix.  The only option is surgery.

If you know that you have a problematic fibroid before you’re even pregnant, it’s not a bad idea to have it removed so that you can continue having your children as desired.  You should always consult your doctor in these cases and if you have any questions.

If You Have Fibroids

Excluding the case just mentioned required a c-section, there is absolutely NO reason to stop with your plans of having a natural birth.  Your uterus is still functioning normally.  Your baby will develop just fine.  Your body is still completely able to birth your baby naturally.

You may find that you have a little more discomfort during your pregnancy than you did before you were pregnancy.  This is normal for EVERYONE, no matter what symptoms you and they are having.

Actually, the minor pains possible from having fibroids is probably more desireable by some moms than common things like morning sickness and skin problems.

Just consult with your doctor on the size and location of your fibroids and confirm if they’re going to be an issue or not.  If you find that your baby is looking to be breech, there are a number of things you can do to help solve that problem.

But having your fibroids is NOTHING in the way of having the natural birth that you desire.  All you need to focus on is your preparation and your body will do the right job of taking care of you and your baby-even if it has a few abnormalities along the way.

Here’s My Favorite Birth Relaxation Kit To Help You Prepare

I’m only 29 as of this posting and am not aware of having any fibroids.  My mother had a hysterectomy around thirty years old, so I don’t know if they run in my family much.  But I want to know more from women who’ve dealt with them.

How have your fibroids affected your pregnancies, births and life in general?  Please leave a comment and we’ll have a chat.  Best!