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understanding uteri by jessica aslin when it comes to hearts and the letter t, your
uterus
usually isn?t the first thing you think of. but, your baby?s home for the next nine months is truly an interesting place? and comes in a variety of shapes! there are many types of uteri, they all develop in various ways, and they can play a significant role in your
pregnancy
journey. here's just how unique
uterus
es are. fibroids
uterine
fibroids are noncancerous tumors that grow in the wall of the
uterus
. according to dr. ryan dickerson, ob/gyn of louisiana women?s healthcare associates, ?fibroids are the most common
uterine
issue and tend to be more prevalent in african american women. they can affect or not affect a
pregnancy
depending on the size and the place it attaches in the
uterus
.? typically, they are removable, and a woman will still be able to get pregnant, but there is some risk for placental abruption, preterm delivery, or the labor failing to progress. cervical insufficiency the narrow part of the
uterus
that opens into the vagina serves as an important function throughout
pregnancy
as it makes sure baby stays housed in the
uterus
until he or she is ready. dr. dickerson mentions that ?cervical insufficiency is typically a stand alone issue, and can be corrected with a cervical cerclage. unfortunately, most of the time, women don?t know they have this until it?s too late, but it can be addressed in subsequent pregnancies.? dilation of the cervix can happen prematurely and cause preterm birth or miscarriage. according to the american
pregnancy
association, this only happens with about 1 in 100 pregnancies. tilted
uterus
a typical
uterus
is usually in a straight vertical position. when the
uterus
dips towards the back of the pelvis, it is considered tilted. dr. dickerson says, ?it isn?t an issue during
pregnancy
and can self adjust by the end of the first trimester. there?s typically no reason to be concerned about a tilted
uterus
because of this reason.? t-shaped
uterus
t-shaped
uterus
es are exclusively linked to diethylstilbestrol or des exposure. according to the american cancer society, des is a form of estrogen that was prescribed from 1938 until 1971 to help some pregnant women who have had miscarriages or premature deliveries. at that time, it was believed that these problems might have been caused by low levels of estrogen in the woman?s body. the following types of mullerian duct anomalies are all ?conditions that are present from birth and are all variations of one another in a woman?s embryonic stage of development,? according to dr. dickerson.
uterine
septum
uterine
septums (when a wall forms in the center of the
uterus
) often go unnoticed until a mom-to-be has had multiple miscarriages. local mom cassidy saia had a placental abruption at 35 weeks with her second son and experienced two miscarriages at 11 weeks before her
uterine
septum was discovered and 1 4 p i n k ? b l u e | s p r i n g 2 0 1 9
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