Doctors have told me and others worldwide for years, that getting pregnant is a good way to cure endometriosis. This was not at all the case for me, and many women I have now spoken to. Even the Endometriosis.Org website says it is a complete myth that isn’t disappearing fast enough! Here I share my story of how having a baby made endometriosis come back for me and made my life a living hell at times.
Having A Baby Should Be A Joyous Affair
And should not be spent sitting on the toilet on and off, for up to five hours a day emptying your bowels because they get so inflamed during your period, all whilst you have a baby to look after and your husband is away.
This was the health destiny post-baby, I was served after having my precious Kade. Even though I breastfed exclusively for 16 months, my periods returned after my postpartum bleed stopped, so approximately three months after I gave birth. When my periods did return, they returned heavier than ever, to the point I had to change my pad at night every few hours else I would leak all over the place.
This was totally abnormal for me, and after looking back was a major sign endometriosis had returned. If only my doctors had taken me seriously when I first went to them all (as I saw many!) discussing these symptoms, and my other digestive symptoms, then it would not have taken two years of my life to get diagnosed.
Two years of my life spent worrying can I leave the house or will I have to go to empty my bowels for up to 5 hours?
Two years of my life spent feeling so unwell, anxious and unhappy that it caused major problems for me in many of my personal relationships including my marriage.
Digestive Problems Were My Main Endometriosis Symptom
I first wondered if it was endometriosis this second time post-partum, when my bowels started to get really upset when my period would come a calling. This was because when I had endometriosis before, 8 years ago approximately, the first symptom then was having problems with my bowels. As I would alternate between constipation and diarrhea. So I naturally thought I knew what was up and went to report my suspicions to my doctor.
The first female doctor I saw instantly said it was not endometriosis because I was not getting pain on intercourse or bleeding from my anus. So, this makes me furious to know that after having had my second laparoscopy 3 weeks ago today, that I did in fact have stage 2 and stage 3 endometriosis all along that my doctors kept dismissing!
The tragic reality is many doctors are not getting the correct training and most up to date training on the disease to really help women as much as they should. And this is why this doctor had no idea that when she told me I had IBS symptoms that this is the road I had gone down before when I first got diagnosed with endometriosis years before. And she also wasn’t aware that IBS is one of the common diseases that people wrongly get diagnosed with when it often is endometriosis.
I know it is hard for doctors because they can’t see inside our bodies, but this is why I wish doctors received better training on a regular basis as endometriosis is a disease affecting a huge one out of every ten women worldwide. And the fact that as soon as my period came back after having my son, and that my bowels suddenly also started going toilet up to 5 times in a day (when my average was once or twice), should not have been ignored. Especially when I had endometriosis in my case history. So ladies please take note of this and see your doctor immediately if this is starting to sound at all familiar!
Endometriosis And You – Unique Symptoms For Everyone
So, for me I didn’t have chronic period pain as one of my main endometriosis symptoms. Mine would be mild pain, but with lots and lots of digestive trouble. I also looked pregnant most of the month from all the bloating it caused me.
I also want to stress if you do have chronic pain this isn’t normal, as your period should be at worst (but still within a normal period) a little uncomfortable for the first day or two, then this is also a symptom of endometriosis. When I first had endometriosis this was how I knew something was wrong as I had bowel trouble but then with chronic period pain.
So, how endometriosis may be affecting you personally could be very different to how it affected me is my point. But if you are having strange symptoms around your cycle (or even outside as would be the case for me), then I urge you to see an experienced gynecologist to rule out endo.
As I want to help women get diagnosed quicker than the average 10 years it takes. I don’t think any woman deserves 10 years of her life taken away to the life sucking, fun sucking, cancer-like disease that isn’t a cancer, disease called endometriosis.
How Your Hormones Will Change After Giving Birth is Completely Unknown
We are all so unique, and so are our hormones. This is why pregnancy may not be the answer for treating any endometriosis they do find or they suspect you may have. It certainly wasn’t for me anyway! This is why it is always best to seek out as much information as to how you would like to treat your endometriosis before deciding what to do if experts think you have endometriosis. As pregnancy definitely does nothing for balancing your hormones, and in fact suppresses your normal hormone functioning for a while whilst you are carrying your bountiful baby. Which is why some doctors think getting pregnant can help endometriosis.
But what is completely unknown, is how your unique hormonal system will be after you have delivered your baby, once your body has gone through the stress ultimately that pregnancy places on a womens body, no matter how healthy and normal the pregnancy. As soon as your body tries to get the hormones back to how they were pre-baby. Your body is never the same again after having a baby, so we cannot expect our hormones to go back to exactly ‘how they used to be’.
