Does uterine prolapse affect pregnancy?

Written by Zhao Li Li
Obstetrics
Updated on February 23, 2025
00:00
00:00

Under normal circumstances, it is still necessary to determine the degree of uterine prolapse to understand whether it affects pregnancy. If the degree of uterine prolapse is mild, and it is just the cervix bulging into the vaginal wall, it generally does not have a significant impact on a normal pregnancy. If the uterine prolapse is more severe, and part of the cervix or part of the uterus has prolapsed beyond the hymen, this condition is considered to be within a mild range of 2nd to 3rd degree of prolapse. This severity of uterine prolapse can greatly impact pregnancy, and it is very easy to lead to miscarriage after becoming pregnant. Therefore, it is still necessary to undergo surgical repair before attempting to conceive.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Shun Hua
Obstetrics and Gynecology
1min 2sec home-news-image

Symptoms of uterine prolapse

The main symptom of uterine prolapse is the protrusion of a mass from the vaginal opening. Uterine prolapse can be divided into three degrees. In the first degree of uterine prolapse, only the cervix is visible at the vaginal opening. At this stage, symptoms are not very pronounced and may include rapid urination or urinary incontinence. In the second degree, the cervix and part of the uterine body protrude from the vaginal opening. This can lead to difficulty walking or abrasion, and bleeding from the vaginal opening may occur. If the entire uterus prolapses, it can lead to an inability to urinate or difficulty defecating. Patients may experience pain in the lower abdomen or difficulties and abrasion while walking, and severe cases can lead to bleeding from the cervix or significant discharge, potentially resulting in infection.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Hu Chen
Imaging Center
43sec home-news-image

Can a uterine prolapse be detected with an ultrasound?

Uterine prolapse is generally not diagnosed through ultrasound, as the standard for diagnosing uterine prolapse is a gynecological exam. During the gynecological examination, the level to which the cervix has descended is observed, whether it is in the middle of the vagina or has reached the vaginal opening, and in severe cases of uterine prolapse, the cervix can protrude out of the vaginal opening. Of course, if there is uterine prolapse, it can also be detected during an ultrasound, where the significantly lower position of the uterus is evident. However, in reality, to diagnose uterine prolapse, an ultrasound is not strictly necessary; a simple gynecological exam can suffice for diagnosis.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xu Xiao Ming
Obstetrics and Gynecology
44sec home-news-image

What causes uterine prolapse?

The most common causes of uterine prolapse can be categorized into three types. The first type is childbirth injury, which is the main cause of uterine prolapse. During childbirth, especially with vaginal surgical assistance or prolonged second stage of labor, uterine prolapse can occur. The second cause is long-term increased intra-abdominal pressure, such as chronic coughing, habitual constipation, prolonged standing, or weightlifting. These factors can contribute to uterine prolapse. The third type involves poor development or degenerative changes in the pelvic tissues. This mainly refers to uterine prolapse due to congenital deficiencies in pelvic floor development. Generally, childbirth injuries are the most common cause.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Shen Li Wen
Obstetrics and Gynecology
47sec home-news-image

What are the causes of uterine prolapse?

There are many causes of uterine prolapse in women, for instance, the most common one occurs during pregnancy and childbirth, especially when methods such as forceps delivery are used, which may damage the pelvic floor muscles or injure the vaginal wall. This causes damage to the pelvic floor muscles, and if not properly recovered postpartum, it can lead to prolapse. Additionally, some women might suffer from conditions like chronic pharyngitis, chronic bronchitis, long-term coughing, or have liver diseases or malignant tumors leading to a significant build-up of ascites. Frequent heavy physical labor or even simple obesity can increase abdominal pressure, causing uterine prolapse.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
51sec home-news-image

Does cesarean delivery easily cause uterine prolapse?

After a cesarean section, there is also a certain chance of uterine prolapse occurring. The occurrence of uterine prolapse is mainly related to the number of childbirths, the size of the fetus during childbirth, and factors such as whether there were difficulties during delivery or the use of vaginal delivery assistance. Cesarean section can to some extent reduce the incidence of uterine prolapse. Cesarean delivery can improve or avoid conditions such as uterine prolapse and bladder protrusion, and other pelvic organ prolapse diseases. However, this practice is not advocated and should only be performed in necessary cases. Natural childbirth is still recommended as the best method. If pelvic floor dysfunction occurs, repair can be conducted after childbirth.