Retroverted Uterus: How It Affects Pregnancy and How to Treat It?

A retroverted uterus, commonly known as a tilted or tipped uterus, is a medical condition where a woman’s uterus gets tilted backward, that is, towards her spine and not in its desired position which is the forward position. This condition does not usually cause serious health problems. But can it affect your fertility levels and therefore, your pregnancy? In this article, we will answer all your questions about retroverted uterus.

Retroverted Uterus: Overview

The organ where a baby thrives is known as the uterus. Its shape resembles a pear turned upside down and it is present in the pelvis. The exact position of it in the pelvis differs from one person to another and the position can change during pregnancy. Now let’s understand the meaning.

If the uterus is tilted or retroverted, the cervix will be aimed toward the belly. Although this condition does not lead to major health complications, it’s important to know the causes, symptoms, and treatment for retroverted uterus. So, if you are planning your pregnancy, make sure you read the article till the end.

What Is the Cause of a Retroverted Uterus or a Tilted Uterus?

Sometimes, a retroverted uterus can be from the time of a person’s birth. Some reasons that can lead to this condition later in life are:

Uterine fibroids
Adhesions or scarring
Menopause
Endometriosis

Symptoms of a Retroverted Uterus

Most people do not experience symptoms of a tilted uterus. However, some people have and these are:

Painful periods
Discomfort when having sexual intercourse (it may hurt more when trying certain positions)
UTIs (Urinary tract infections)
Trouble inserting tampons
Pain during sexual intercourse, especially in certain positions.

Is This a Rare Condition?

Very few people are familiar with this term. However, it is so common that nearly 25% of people have a tilted uterus. One can be born with it or may develop it later in their life.

Is a Retroverted Uterus the Same as an Anteverted Uterus?

Due to a lack of awareness, most people assume that an anteverted and a retroverted uterus are the same. However, these are two different conditions.

If you have an anteverted uterus, it means the uterus remains tilted forward at the cervix, pointing toward the abdomen. So, in the anteverted position, the uterus is located on top of the bladder. On the contrary, in a retroverted uterus, the uterus presses against the rectum.

Can Retroverted Uterus Affect Fertility?

The good news is that even if you have a retroverted uterus, it should not make you infertile or stand in your way of becoming a mother. You can still conceive and have a blissful pregnancy journey. If you have been struggling to get pregnant for some time and you have recently discovered that your uterus is tilted, there can be some other issue that is resulting in implantation failure.

Some conditions affecting fertility that can be associated with a tilted uterus are:

Uterine fibroids
Endometriosis
PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease)

So, if you do not have any other fertility issues, then a tilted uterus will not cause any complications during labor or delivery. On the contrary, pregnancy can fix this issue. Wondering how? Studies have revealed that the retroverted uterus may become anteverted towards the end of the first trimester. Once the baby is born, the uterus may again return to its previous position.

How to Treat a Retroverted Uterus?

There are several ways of treating a retroverted uterus. These include:

Addressing the underlying condition: Once the underlying cause is identified, doctors try to treat that condition at first. In many cases, this helps ease the symptoms.
Exercises: Did you know that the uterus can be manually shifted into a favorable forward position? All you have to do is perform exercises that strengthen the pelvic muscles and keep the uterus in a good position. According to healthcare providers, Kegals is one excellent exercise for women born with a tilted uterus. If you have never done Kegals before, you will find many YouTube tutorials.
Surgery: The uterus can also be surgically repositioned. The surgery is termed uterine repositioning or uterine suspension. This will permanently fix and also give relief from the pain. In severe situations, doctors suggest a hysterectomy (complete removal of the uterus).
Pessary: A small, donut-shaped device that can be inserted into a woman’s vagina is known as a pessary. Its function is to hold the uterus in its place. So, this support structure will change the retroverted uterus’s position. However, some risks associated with the usage of pessaries are inflammation and infections. Therefore, it can only be a short-term solution.

Read to know: Bulky Uterus And Fertility

Best Ways to Get Pregnant with Retroverted Uterus

If you have a bulky retroverted uterus, then the best position to get pregnant is the missionary position as the penetration is very deep.

To Sum Up

So, by now it must have been clear to you that there is no correlation between pregnancy complications and a tilted uterus. We have also shared that 25% of women have a retroverted uterus. Now if the tilted uterus is not causing any trouble to you, you need not worry. However, if you start experiencing pain, then you must consult your healthcare provider as soon as possible.

Dr Ritu Agarwal

Dr. Ritu Agarwal is an appreciated IVF expert in Jaipur for IVF therapy, owing to her more than ten years of experience in this field. She is the top IVF specialist in Jaipur who makes every attempt to provide correct counseling and emotional support to patients in order to help them find the ideal solution for becoming parents.