Sharing my thoughts on Endometriosis. The silent disease. While we were going through infertility in the back of my mind I knew there had to be something else preventing us from getting pregnant.
While taking a pathophysiology class in college I learned about endometriosis. I was pretty sure I had it based on how painful my menstrual cycles were. Unfortunately there isn’t a way to self-diagnosis it. During our first IVF cycle my RE was 90% sure I had endometriosis.
The only true way to tell if you have it is with doing surgery.
While I don’t know a ton about endometriosis, I wanted to share a few thoughts:
- Can your diet effect endometriosis? Your diet can’t stop the growth (as far as I’m aware), however, it can help reduce the symptoms.
- Ever heard of Retrograde Menstruation? I wrote a research paper on that exact topic. In the paper, it talks about retrograde menstruation (RM) which is believed to be the “sloughing off” during a period where blood leaks back through the Fallopian tubes, out to the peritoneal cavity, which causes endometriosis outside of your uterus. I did in depth research on the genes and mechanisms involved with RM and came to the conclusion that since every woman’s body is different, finding the cause of the disease is truly difficult and not necessarily just RM alone.
- Ever heard of Mercier Therapy? It is essentially a deep pelvic massage. Mercier Therapy is a more natural approach towards your own fertility. Undergoing Mercier Therapy before IUI or IVF can help increase your chances of success. I found this interview to help explain a bit more about it. You can also checkout their website here to find a practitioner near you. You can also read more about Dr. Mercier’s story here.
- Ever done an inverted yoga pose while on your period? I took a yoga class in college and my teacher told us to never do inverted yoga poses while on your period. She said it causes the blood doesn’t flow correctly, which kinda goes back to the whole retrograde menstruation. While I’m not sure if this really is the case, it wouldn’t hurt to play it safe during your period.
I would love to know what you’ve learned about endometriosis?
**I am not a doctor and cannot diagnosis you. If you are having painful periods, painful sex, and can’t get out of bed during your period, please go talk to your doctor.
P.S. Are you needing help paying for IVF? Sign up for my newsletter and get my free printable on “10 ways to pay for IVF.”
P.P.S. Check out this post about my experience with Mercier Therapy.
P.P.P.S. Be sure to check out my Etsy shop!
