Endometriosis care made pregnancy possible

After Grace and Andy got married, they were excited to have a baby.

But not long after their wedding, Grace started having severe abdominal pain. She was diagnosed with endometriosis, which can affect a woman’s ability to conceive.

(Grace, a Kaiser Permanente member, and her husband, Andy, asked that their last names not be shared.)

Grace met with her ob-gyn, Amy Banulis, MD.

“She told me we were going to have the surgery I needed and that she was going to do everything to manage my pain,” said Grace.

What is endometriosis?

Endometriosis affects about 11% of women of reproductive age. It’s when the kind of tissue that lines the uterus grows elsewhere in the body, usually in the pelvis and abdomen.

But with no way to exit the body, this tissue can irritate and damage the surrounding organs and contribute to infertility.

The symptoms of endometriosis are often worse during the menstrual cycle because the tissue growing outside the uterus thickens and breaks down, just like it does inside the uterus.

People with endometriosis often experience pain in the lower abdomen and pelvis, rectum, or vagina.

It’s also common to have pain during intercourse, during bowel movements, and during urination. Heavy periods, bleeding between periods, or bleeding after sex can also occur.

Treatment for endometriosis

While there is no cure for endometriosis, treatments are available for the symptoms and problems it causes.

If the primary concern is to control pain and stop bleeding, a combination of pain medication and hormone therapy can help. And it may be necessary to have surgery to remove the endometrial tissue and any scar tissue that has built up.

Other alternative treatments, including acupuncture and certain supplements, provide relief for some women.

People who want to get pregnant may need surgery combined with fertility treatment.

Help from a team of specialists

After her surgery, Grace’s fertility plan included many steps and tests, but she felt supported by her Kaiser Permanente care team the entire time.

“The best part was that everything was coordinated. It wasn’t us having to do all the work ourselves,” Grace said. “When I went (from) one doctor to the next, within moments they had the records from the prior doctor.”

“So everything was just really easy,” she continued. “All we had to do was just take care of each other.”

Dr. Banulis reassured the couple that she felt confident they’d be able to have a child. And when Grace finally got pregnant with baby Rafael, Dr. Banulis was as excited as they were.

“It meant the world to us,” Grace said. “It’s been the best thing that we’ve ever done.”

Learn more about maternity care at Kaiser Permanente.