7 Steps On Getting Pregnant With Blocked Fallopian Tubes
The fallopian tubes are an essential piece of the babymaking puzzle, so when they’re not working as they should, getting pregnant can be more difficult. One common issue is blocked fallopian tubes, also known as tubal occlusion, which can affect your fertility.
The good news is that blocked fallopian tubes don’t mean you won’t be able to get pregnant. We’re sharing seven actionable steps to enhance the chances of pregnancy despite blocked fallopian tubes.
The Role of Fallopian Tubes in Pregnancy
Fallopian tubes are the narrow pathways that connect the ovaries to the uterus. During ovulation, an egg travels from the ovary to the uterus via the fallopian tubes. It is essential that a fertilized egg makes it to the uterus in order to become pregnant, and a blocked fallopian tube can disrupt this process.
What Causes Blocked Fallopian Tubes?
There are several different causes of blocked fallopian tubes:
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Uterine infections (e.g., Female Genital Tuberculosis)
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Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
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Past abdominal or pelvic surgeries
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Endometriosis and fibroids
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Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
Symptoms and Signs of Blocked Fallopian Tubes
Infertility is the primary symptom of blocked fallopian tubes. Since blocked fallopian tubes are asymptomatic for the majority of people, you may not even know you have a blockage unless you are actively trying to conceive. However, some women do experience pelvic pain, difficulty urinating, pain during intercourse, or heavy periods.
Diagnosis of blocked fallopian tubes
There are a few different ways to diagnose blocked fallopian tubes:
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Hysterosalpingography (HSG): a non-invasive X-ray procedure
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Sonosalpingography: a non-invasive transvaginal ultrasound procedure
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Laparoscopy: a minimally-invasive surgery for direct visualization of blockages
Can you get pregnant with one blocked fallopian tube?
You only need one functioning fallopian tube to get pregnant, so pregnancy with a blocked fallopian tube is possible if the other tube is healthy and functional. However, it is important to understand the cause of the blocked fallopian tubes, as certain underlying causes may cause risks to a pregnancy.
7 Steps on Getting Pregnant with Blocked Fallopian Tubes
The fallopian tubes act as the pathway for the egg to travel from the ovary to the uterus. If they’re blocked, it can prevent sperm from meeting the egg, making fertilization impossible. Here are seven tips to help support your fertility if you’re dealing with blocked fallopian tubes.
1. Seek Professional Guidance
Don’t try to go it alone. Work with a fertility specialist, like a reproductive endocrinologist, for a proper diagnosis. A professional will have access to diagnostic tools and can help you understand any risks and potential courses of treatment.
2. Explore Fertility Treatments
In-vitro fertilization (IVF) can be a great option for women with blocked fallopian tubes. It’s often recommended when the fallopian tubes are blocked or damaged beyond repair, or if surgery hasn’t worked. IVF bypasses the fallopian tubes entirely by fertilizing the egg outside the uterus and then placing it back into the uterus. Success rates for IVF with blocked fallopian tubes can vary depending on factors like age and other male and female fertility considerations, so there’s limited data specific to this condition.
3. Evaluate Your Lifestyle
You may not be able to address your blocked fallopian tube with lifestyle alone, but several lifestyle factors can support your overall reproductive health:
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Maintain a healthy weight and eat a diet that supports fertility
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Engage in regular exercise
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Avoid smoking and limit alcohol and caffeine consumption
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Consider supplements to support your egg quality and overall fertility
4. Track Your Fertility and Ovulation Cycles
To make getting pregnant a bit easier, you should understand your cycle and know when you are ovulating. Learn the signs of ovulation and time intercourse during your fertile window.
5. Address Any Underlying Health Conditions
Blocked fallopian tubes can occur alongside other health conditions that affect fertility, like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis. Research suggests that women with PCOS don’t suffer from blocked fallopian tubes any more than women without. However, endometriosis can be an underlying cause of blocked fallopian tubes. It is important to address all underlying health issues to support overall fertility.
6. Get Emotional Support
Infertility can feel emotionally challenging, affecting you and your partner individually and as a couple. Many feel isolated and find it difficult to be around other couples with children. They may also struggle with intimacy as intercourse can start to feel like a job, not something to be enjoyed. Professional counseling and support groups can be incredibly helpful for couples struggling with infertility.
7. Consider Tubal Ligation Reversal Surgery
Tubal ligation, also called “having your tubes tied,” is an operation that prevents pregnancy by tying, cutting or burning the fallopian tubes. A tubal ligation reversal is surgery attempts to undo the tubal ligation to reconnect or reopen the pathways. Since blocked fallopian tubes can act similarly to tied fallopian tubes, a tubal ligation reversal is sometimes performed on women with blocked fallopian tubes.
The risks associated with this procedure are low, but it does come with a slightly increased chance of an ectopic pregnancy. A healthcare practitioner can help assess your unique situation and determine whether tubal litigation reversal surgery is a good option for you.
The Bottom Line
Getting pregnant with blocked fallopian tubes may feel overwhelming, but it’s important to remember that there are options and steps you can take to increase your chances. From seeking professional guidance and exploring fertility treatments to making lifestyle changes and addressing underlying conditions, you have a range of tools at your disposal. With the right support, knowledge, and care, your path to parenthood is still within reach.
