Chocolate cravings herald the arrival of a period for many women.  The dread of pain and heavy bleeding pain makes menstruation a nightmare for others.

Shedding the cushiony, freshly-formed uterine lining – the endometrium – happens each month after puberty. It causes problems when some of this lining has set up camp outside the uterus – around the fallopian tubes, ovaries or gut cavity.  Rogue tissue continues to grow, forming blood vessels and sheds, every 28-days, just like in the womb. When it breaks down and bleeds in a confined space, you have a painful condition Endometriosis, which may also compromise fertility.

Do I have it?

Symptoms vary – there are different levels of endo. Severe period pain, chronic lower back pain, pain during sex, diarrhoea, constipation, bloating and even nausea are hallmarks of endometriosis. Lowered libido, finding it hard to maintain a relationship, work absence and social avoidance take their toll. Anxiety or depression are common. It’s often years of pain and disruption before a diagnosis is made. Get checked out by a gynecologist who specializes in this area. Scans will indicate outcrops of endo.

How Endometriosis leads to Infertility

Endometriosis interferes with fertility and conception. Prostaglandins – special fertilization and implantation hormones – are disrupted by endo causing difficulty with achieving and maintaining a pregnancy. Endometriosis often scars and blocks the tubes so sperm and egg can’t meet to fertilize. Fallopian Tubes – or Oviducts – are flexible and lined with hair-like cilia. The open end reaches towards the ovaries to scoop up the ovum released at ovulation. When scarring from patches of endo causes the fallopian tube to narrow, fuse or stick to the ovary it can’t move to  pick up the egg. A stiff, rigid tube is unable to waft a newly fertilized embryo down to the womb in time. If implantation of the embryo happens in the tube, it’s called an Ectopic pregnancy.

Treatment options

Pain meds, hormone meds give symptomatic relief. Physical removal of Endo patches by surgery is offered to women trying to conceive. Repeated surgeries may be required to remove the overgrowth for pregnancy. IVF offers a conception solution for women with blocked Fallopian tubes due to Endo scarring.

Why mindfulness helps

Mindfulness and hypnotherapy reduce anxiety around pain. It helps with anxiety and self-esteem, sleep and libido. My sessions support and prepare you for IVF treatment and the emotional aspects of trying to conceive when you have endometriosis.