The posterior uterus and fertility
Is a retroverted uterus stopping you from getting and staying pregnant?
The female body is truly amazing.
When your uterus is positioned optimally in the centre of your pelvis, it allows for pain free periods and ovulation, easy peeing and pooping, pregnancy when you want to expand your family and no less important: a well balanced and centred feeling.
Unfortunately, things don’t always go as we planned and it could be that your uterus is posterior – sitting closer to the back of your body than the front. When your uterus leans back towards your spine, it can interfere with peeing and pooping, cause lower back pain, digestive issues and period related issues like pain, recurrent miscarriages, difficulty conceiving and more.
For many women, their main concern is the effect of a posterior uterus on their ability to get pregnant and carry their baby to full term.
Here are some of the fertility problems that are attributed to a posterior or retroverted uterus.
- Painful periods
- Painful ovulation
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Dark, clotty and/or smelly menstrual blood
- Hormone imbalances
- Low back pain during menstruation
- Constipation before or during your period
- Endometriosis
- Ovarian cysts/polyps
- Fertility challenges
- Miscarriage(s)
- Unexplained pelvic pain
Do all women with a posterior uterus suffer from these issues?
Many women have a posterior or retroverted uterus without even knowing and for many of them it’s not a problem at all. However, if you suffer from any of the symptoms of a posterior uterus then the important thing to know is that it is possible to treat it.
My experience has been that women are often told they have a posterior uterus when they are investigating fertility issues yet no solution or treatment is suggested.
I only learnt about the profound impact the posterior or retroverted uterus can have on a woman’s fertility, health and wellbeing when I began my studies with Rosita Arvigo and her teachers. Rosita studied for many years with the well known shaman Don Elijio Panti in Belize and combined his healing practices with her knowledge of anatomy and physiology from the world of naprapathy (an offshoot of osteopathy).
How does a posterior uterus cause fertility issues?
Ovulation issues: When your uterus is leaning way back in your pelvis, it could be affecting the blood supply to the uterus and ovaries. In simple terms that can impact on your ability to ovulate or produce good quality eggs because of the reduced blood supply to the ovaries.
Miscarriage: Sometimes, ovulation may be unaffected and you get pregnant easily but the uterine position prevents the pregnancy from progressing once the foetus reaches a certain size.
Painful periods and ovulation: Periods and ovulation can be painful, too and while that doesn’t mean you can’t conceive, it generally indicates there is some kind of imbalance.
Hormonal balance: Hormonal balance is essential for healthy conception. There is an intricately timed orchestra of hormones rising and falling all month long making sure an egg is produced and ripened for ovulation and that your uterine lining is thickened and prepared for a potential pregnancy.
Hormones are transported around the body via your blood. If the reproductive hormones released by your endocrine system can’t transport the hormones to where they need to go, it can stop any of those processes from happening.
Some signs of hormonal imbalance are irregular cycles and painful or unpleasant physical and emotional changes throughout the menstrual cycle.
How can we treat a posterior uterus?
Firstly, it can help to know that it’s possible to encourage the uterus back to a better position and relieve many, if not all of the related symptoms because the underlying issue is the adhesions and lack of good flow in the abdomen.
Using abdominal massage, we can improve the blood flow to the area allowing the body to release waste products and improve function of all the organs in the pelvis.
When the uterus and fallopian tubes can move more freely we usually see an improvement in overall fertility, improved egg quality, less painful periods and less back pain.
Sobada abdominal massage also helps relax the diaphragm in order to improve the blood flow to the abdomen and allow the hormones to get to the organs they need to get to.
One of the causes of a posterior uterus is scar tissue or adhesions on the ligaments holding the uterus in your pelvis. By gently relaxing the scar tissue and making the tissue and adhesions more flexible, your uterus is more likely to move to a better position. In general, improving blood flow to the area improves the flexibility of the uterine ligaments and allows the uterus more mobility.
I’m a holistic therapist and I am here to help you!
I love helping women to overcome their fertility challenges and other issues related to your cycles, pregnancy, periods and/or anxiety.
I treat women with abdominal and womb massage techniques known as Sobada (formally the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Massage) and reflexology.
I’m also an Advanced EFT Tapping practitioner and I work with women in particular issues around anxiety, depression, stress levels.
I teach Fertility Awareness to help women better know their bodies and improve their chances of conceiving or prevent pregnancy naturally.
I live in Modi’in, Israel and that’s where I spend my days helping women during their fertile years, pregnancy, menopause and other hormonal conditions. Bodywork sessions (massage and reflexology take place in my clinic in Modi’in but EFT Tapping sessions and Fertility Awareness education can take place online or in person).
Learn more about working with me here.
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