In the body, women undergo perestroika monthly under the influence of hormones, and all this in order for fertilization to occur, the blastocyst progression to the uterus and attachment to the uterus wall. Endometrium plays a big role for the successful onset of pregnancy.
What is the endometrium in pregnancy?
Endometrium is an internal membrane of the uterus and consists of a basal and functional layer. The basal layer is permanent and its cells give rise to a functional one. It is the thickness of the functional layer that determines the success of pregnancy. If pregnancy has not occurred, then the functional layer is rejected and comes out in the form of menstruation. The endometrium during pregnancy in the first days after moving the fetal egg into the uterus should be 9-15 mm. Friable endometrium during pregnancy can be determined one week after fertilization, when another fertilized egg is not detected in the uterus. When the fetal egg begins to be visualized by ultrasound, the endometrium layer reaches 20 mm in pregnancy. Pregnancy with a thin endometrium, less than 7 mm, will not occur, since the embryo can not attach to the wall of the uterus. It is interesting that even with ectopic pregnancy there is a thickening of the endometrium and an increase in the size of the uterus. Thus, the endometrium with ectopic pregnancy reaches a thickness of 1 cm. The reasons for which the endometrium does not reach a sufficient thickness include the following:
- inflammatory lesions of the endometrium;
- mechanical damage to the endometrium (due to abortion);
- infantilism of the uterus;
- endocrine disorders.
Pathology of the endometrium - is pregnancy possible?
Endometriosis during pregnancy plays a large role in its preservation, the thickness of the endometrium depends on how successfully to attach to the uterine wall of a fertilized egg, endometrial tissue is the food for a growing embryo. In the future, endometrial tissue will form the fetal membranes and placenta. Therefore, with pathological changes in the endometrium, pregnancy may not occur. Such a pathology of the endometrium as hyperplasia or polyposis interferes with the onset of pregnancy, since with such a pathology the implantation of the embryo into the uterus and its attachment is disrupted. The second formidable disease of the endometrium is endometriosis. With this pathology, the endometrium cells grow into the muscular layer of the uterus, more often this process is characterized by foci and the appearance of pains in the lower abdomen. In the endometriotic foci the attachment of the fetal egg does not occur. With weak blood vessels of the inner shell of the uterus, an endometrial detachment is possible in early pregnancy (up to 1 month), when a fertilized egg is implanted into the uterus and blood vessels are destroyed at the attachment site.
How to prepare the endometrium for pregnancy?
First you need to find the reason - why the endometrium does not reach the desired thickness? It can be hormonal disorders or inflammatory processes. In each case, an individual approach to the patient is needed. To do this, perform an ultrasound, assign tests for the presence of infections, as well as hormonal background research. Based on the results of the studies, appropriate treatment is prescribed.
It can be concluded that a fully functioning endometrium is an integral part of successful conception and development of pregnancy. In a number of diseases or hormonal disorders of the endometrium may not reach a sufficient thickness and pregnancy will not occur.