I remember sitting in my Gynaecologists office at the age of 19 and him telling me, that I should try and fall pregnant as soon as possible. I remember it being the furthest thing from my mind and not even something I would be willing to consider, no matter how bad my pain was! He explained that somehow by the body going through pregnancy, it would heal Endometriosis. Since then, I have always wondered whether there could be any truth to the idea of this.
Why do Gynies suggest pregnancy as a cure? I think there could be some logic to all this. See, the reason we have Endometriosis is simply a hormonal imbalance. Some would suggest it is Oestrogen dominance but I am yet to prove this to be 100% true for all of us. Some of us may just be progesterone deficient. Which is kinda similar but different! 
Anyways, when we fall pregnant, everything changes within our hormones flows. The hormones now produce everything necessary to carry a child. It changes everything inside of us to do that. Many Gynies actually prescribe many hormonal treatment that mimick what the body does when it thinks it is pregnant. Ask any girl who has had Endometriosis and then falls pregnant and she will undoubtably say, they were the best years for endo – no pain and symptom free. The difficulty in carrying a child was a pleasure compared to their endo symptoms.
It can take over a year in some women to have their bodies return to the pre-pregnancy hormonal structures. This is absolute bliss! Many girls say that everything is gone while they are still breast-feeding……
Does it always return or can it really be a cure for Endometriosis?
I have a friend who has had Endometriosis for years until she fell pregnant. She has had three children – even though they told her there was little chance! She didn’t have much of a break between her kids. Usually two years at a push and then she was pregnant again. Thing is, she is now approaching menopause and she hasn’t really struggled or mentioned her Endometriosis in the 5 year gap between the last one. She believes that having children has almost forced her body to heal itself to be ready and strong enough to carry a child. She also believes that much of her personality traits which she believes contribute to stress and aggravating Endometriosis have changed. She has simply become less perfectionistic, less fussy, less pedantic, less everything…she simply takes life much easier now and has a different perspective through the kids. Life is simpler and all the pressure she put on herself prior to having kids has disappeared. Does this mean it cured her or she is simply symptom free? Same difference?
One of the things my friend said which made sense to me is her comment about how the body has to be ready to carry a child. I also know of many girls who have managed to fall pregnant with Endometriosis but then, within a few weeks they loose their child through miscarriage. To me, this indicates that the body was simply not ready to carry a child. I know this is incredibly hard for so many girls and I wish they had listened to their bodies warning signals. Forcing pregnancy through IVF’s and hormonal treatments just doesn’t seem right to me.
I know for many of us, falling pregnant is such a massive focus and is possibly how you even found out you had Endometriosis. Having a baby becomes everything to you. Some women will try anything to just achieve pregnancy and when they finally do, this seems to be an indication that whatever treatments they may have used was surely an indication that it worked. Afterall, this was the problem Endometriosis caused and now they have a child! Sadly, the imbalance within the body may still exist, regardless of being able to have children.
We also have the opposite scenarios where women only develop Endometriosis after having children. They feel fortune to have had children but then struggle to enjoy them as much as they would like due to the ever surmounting Endometriosis pain.
It is not one I can answer and I doubt I would find a unified theory on the subject – it really depends on who you ask. What I can surmise is the logic behind our body and it’s healing. I think the body does need to be ready to carry a child through, which in itself is quite a feat! To do this, the body must be healthy and well. I also think that our mental state will dramatically influence our Endometriosis pain – whether this is prior to having a child or the stresses that come with having them. Either way, there are stresses which we need to keep in check and still in our mind.
I certainly wouldn’t believe it to be a cure for Endometriosis but it may make you feel better during pregnancy!
Now, please don’t go running off and having babies just to feel better with Endometriosis! It is a big commitment and certainly not one to take lightly.
Author of Cure Endometriosis & Eating with Mel.
I just want to say to all the un-pregnant ladies out there, don’t let your GP’s and Gynos scare you into getting pregnant if not ready.
I have been given the speech since I was 22 and by the age of 30 they were giving me that dirty look like “whats wrong with you…. you are pickling… pop out kids already!.” Anyway, despite labeling my endo as a “Severe” case,” it only took 1 unprotected sex for me to fall pregnant!!! So much for pickled reproductive organs….
I am 31 years old and 19 wks pregnant now. So far so good. I will keep you posted with my endo situation after birth. For my sake, god I hope it goes away!
I think endo has to do with our environment, but taking false hormones will also make it worse! I do think if we heal naturally through changing your food and other habits pregnancy could only help. I don’t think getting pregnant just to cure it is the right answer, but combined with a good diet, exercise and natural regimen like drinking RO water and eating only natural foods and taking natural herbs and medicines pregnancy would help.
Thanks Danielle. I was hoping someone would say that
My Doc at the moment tells me that it goes away for some and not for others after pregnancy. I think that whole idea of getting pregnant will ‘cure’ it is definately old school thinking. I got told to get pregnant at 21 and couldn’t think of anything worse! Now that my partner and I have been trying we unfortunately have to go down the IVF route as I’m running out of eggs. So although I preach healthy lifestyle for myself and other with endo my hand has been forced. So yeh I hope that it goes away for me after i have my little one (positive thinking it WILL happen!!) but I’m prepared either way. I’ll just be happy to fall pregnant
Hi Kerstin. I am sorry you have to go down the IVF route – expensive and kinda scary! I hope it all works out for you and you are able to have a little one
As a mother of three kids, who had endo on both sides of pregnancy, I would say pregnancy does not cure it. However, I would also point out that when you are pregnant, you don’t have a period. No period, no endometrium going.the wrong way, no pain. My current treatment is continuous birth control, which would also fall under that philosophy.
I did that for years too but it still came back and worse
Hope it works out for you.
I’ve been repeatedly told for the last 2 years ‘Just get pregnant and it’ll stop the pain’, well that’s easier said than done when it’s the endometriosis causing the infertility in the first place! Well, I can now say that I’m finally 2 1/2 months pregnant and haven’t had any endo pains so far. We’ll see how long this lasts, but I believe I had an hormonal imbalance which has now maybe been corrected temporarily?……
Perhaps a temporary relief going off what some of the other girls are saying
Congrats on the little one!
My understanding is that pregnancy and any treatment that mimics pregnancy gives a woman’s body time off from the monthly cycles of hormones that cause endo to grow. In that time off, the immune systems of some women’s bodies catch up with the endo and eradicate it.
That’s the theory. In practice, not so much for me!
Very interesting and thanks for sharing Gwenn. Perhaps that gives us a clue on what we should focus on – our immune system
Mellissa: I was told ” just get pregnant” and you won’t have any more pain. This was after I had seen many doctors who were sending me to Gastroentolists. Finally they sent me to the Chief of Obstetrics and the above were his exact words. I waited about 3 more years and I did get pregnant 2 months after I had a Lap that showed my fallopian tubes were blocked with endo wrapped around them.
Your mental state is changed when you are pregnant and I do believe your focus is now on the baby not you and your pain. I think preganancy does not cure endo. But it gives your body a break is the way I like to think of it. I got pregnant in 1992 , breast fed for over a year, got pregnant again in 1994 and breast fed and I can honestly say I don’t remember having pain that had the symptoms of endo until 2004. That is when I had another lap. In2006 U had a hysterectomy. Did that take away all the pain, no… Just the dibilliating pain that I experienced every month. I still have my ovaries. So… I do believe I still experience montly issues. Funny how the doctor didn’t mention that a Hyst would not take away it all.
Could it all be what season we are in? If we are in a really good season of our life is the pain less?
Idk. But having a baby is the biggest commitment you will ever make NEVER to be taking lightly. Your life is changed FOREVER.
Thank you Jane for sharing so many aspects of what Gynaechologists suggest to solve pain with Endo – pregnancy and hysterectomies. I wish they would stop promoting these as “solutions”! The pain must have been pretty severe for you to go through with the hysterectomy. Glad you were able to have your children though and I hope you find solutions for your pain on here
I can honestly say that since having my baby boy 2 1/2 years ago my endo has been getting increasingly worse. Having as much of the endo removed as pos prior to pregnancy certainly increased my chances of conceiving, but I had a retained placenta (a possible result of the endo according to my gyno) which has to be ‘torn’ out over a long after-birth procedure. You can imagine the problems such scarring has caused me. I am in more pain than ever, I BF until my son was 2 and my periods didnt begin again until a year after his birth. This however did not help with the pain. I had to go back onto the pill after 2 yrs because I couldnt cope with the constant pain and bleeding (which was far worse than before). Sooooo, I would say, do have a baby if its what you and your partner want and for no other reason. Believe that your endo will be cured in the process and you may well find yourself bitterly dissapointed. I must just add though, that having my son is worth any pain and that I would willingly do it all again if I could
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I am sorry to hear of your struggles Kelly. It is great to have such an honest reveal of what can happen and how wrong doctors can be. Glad you have a son and are happy about that
I hope my site can help you find some pain relief!
Myth Myth Myth!!! In my case anyway.
My children are 19 months apart so I was pregnant for 9 months, breastfed for 7 or 8 months, had one period which was a bit of a non-event then we got pregnant again after one week of trying- (hubby was gutted we weren’t trying for months hehe)
I finished breastfeeding my second child three months ago and my endo pain is back with a vengeance- the difference now is that I don’t get the option of taking a handful of pain killers and hiding in bed for a few days, so rather than the pain being easier to deal with- I really just have to suck it up and get on with life- and in my case, do some serious research into how to relieve pain while still being able to be responsible for two little people.
The first thing I said after giving birth was that I’d rather be in labour for 12 hours than have to go through a week of having my period!
Wow! Thanks for sharing Kate and really good indication of how much of a myth this theory is! Have you tried DIM? It might help level things out a little anyways
Glad you have the little ones!