Becoming a Parent After a Hysterectomy: What It Is, How It’s Performed & Options To Complete Your Family Through Surrogacy
The inability to carry a pregnancy is devasting to many.
There are many medical reasons why a woman may need or choose to have a hysterectomy, but this procedure does not come without its consequences. If she wishes to still have children following a hysterectomy this may be an extremely painful decision.
For those who may need a hysterectomy rest assured there are still options available for you to complete your family.
First, let’s discuss what is a hysterectomy?
What Is A Hysterectomy?
A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure in which the uterus is removed from the body. This is considered to be a full hysterectomy. There are also other surgical operations known as partial hysterectomies that can be chosen instead. For the full version, the uterus is entirely removed and the fallopian tubes and ovary remain.
The uterus is an essential part of pregnancy. It’s located between the bladder and rectum and helps carry the baby once it has been conceived. The baby is placed within the lining of the uterus and is nourished there. A healthy uterus is what promotes a healthy pregnancy.
When this is removed, a woman no longer experiences menstrual periods. She typically cannot become pregnant either. For women who have had an entire hysterectomy performed, if she desires to have children again, then she has to utilize the services of a surrogacy agency in California or search for “surrogacy near me” if they are not in California.
Partial hysterectomies, or supracervical hysterectomies, only remove the upper part of the uterus. The cervix still remains. Sometimes the ovaries are also kept. Essentially, only the tubes and the rest of the upper part of the uterus are removed.
How is a Hysterectomy Performed?
There are different methods for a hysterectomy. In some cases, the uterus is removed through the lower abdomen thanks to a small incision. In other cases, the uterus is removed through the vagina. A laparoscopic technique is also possible in which the uterus is removed through many small incisions that are made in the abdominal area.
Determining which method is best is usually based on the size of the uterus. Sometimes it’s not possible to pull the uterus through the vagina or through the abdomen. Each method has its benefits and its share of risks. For those who have a large uterus or one that has a lot of scarring, then abdominal hysterectomies are usually the doctor’s first choice. It allows them to have a lot more flexibility.
Typically, it can take one to two hours for the surgery to be performed.
Vaginal hysterectomies are perhaps the easiest surgery to recover from. It’s minimal in its impact because the uterus is being removed through the vagina. For those women who have a small uterus, then they might be able to opt for a vaginal hysterectomy. There are fewer complications and the recovery time is reduced.
However, this surgery also takes about one to two hours to complete.
Reasons to Get a Hysterectomy
While many women choose to have a hysterectomy to ensure that they don’t have children, that isn’t the only reason.
For women who do have a hysterectomy performed or are infertile for other reasons, it’s still possible to have a baby of their own as long as they have the ability to harvest their own eggs. To be able to have a biological child, individuals will need the assistance of a surrogate to carry a baby.
Besides limiting fertility, there are medical reasons why a woman might choose or need a hysterectomy. Some women suffer from uterine fibroids. These are non-cancerous growths in the uterus that can cause a woman a great deal of pain. Even though they’re non-cancerous, some women may choose to have a hysterectomy because the pain is unbearable.
Another reason that women may choose to have a full or partial surgery is because of endometriosis.
This is when lining from the uterus grows outside of it. It can block the fallopian tubes and cause other problems. Endometriosis can also cause a lot of pain. This pain can grow in intensity during menstrual periods. It can also cause heavy bleeding, constipation, nausea, and lower back pain. Removal of the uterus can alleviate symptoms of endometriosis.
If you suffer from abnormal uterine bleeding, then you might also consider having a hysterectomy–either in full or partial. This condition occurs when you have extremely heavy bleeding during a menstrual period. You may even bleed or spot during or after sex. Your menstrual cycles may stretch to 38 days. Or they might even shorten to 24 days. This can sometimes occur due to benign growths that have grown in the uterus.
Adenomyosis is another condition that hysterectomies can cure.
It’s similar to endometriosis in that the lining of the uterus grows somewhere it’s not supposed to within the uterus. This tissue continues to harden and grow, especially during menstrual cycles. It can sometimes enlargen your uterus and make your menstrual periods extremely painful and heavy.
One last reason that women may choose to have a hysterectomy performed is to combat cancer.
Endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer are the two main types of cancer that hysterectomies can remove. It can also be used to treat early-stage cervical cancer.
Clearly, there are many reasons why a woman might need a hysterectomy. For those who have had a hysterectomy and would like to have a child of their own will need the use of a gestational surrogate to assist them. If you are interested in growing your family through surrogacy contact us and we will help you get started.
The Process of Surrogacy
We have heard many stories and seen many parents who have experienced the devasting loss of their reproductive abilities to carry a baby due to a hysterectomy.
If you still wish to have a child of your own but have suffered this loss, Made in the USA Surrogacy is there to help. If you still have the use of your ovaries you may be able to harvest your own eggs via IVF and create embryos that will then be transferred into your surrogate. Alternatively, if you do not have your ovaries or a healthy reserve of eggs, you have options to seek an egg donor.
If you’re thinking of growing your family through a surrogate and you’ve had a hysterectomy, then you have come to the right place.
First, you need to find a surrogate agency. Our surrogacy agency in California, Made in the USA Surrogacy, has quite a few surrogacy qualifications for your surrogate to meet before she is accepted as a surrogate. These qualifications are to ensure a healthy pregnancy for both the baby and the surrogate.
Some, though not all, of these surrogacy qualifications, include:
- At Least One Prior Successful Pregnancy
- Only One C-Section (preferably none)
- Non-Smoker and Not In The Presence Of Secondhand Smoke
- No Criminal Background
You can find the full list of our qualifications on our website. We will ensure your surrogate is a healthy candidate, suitable to carry your baby.
If you would like to complete your family through surrogacy please complete this form. If you are a woman who would like to help another family overcome these obstacles by becoming their surrogate, please apply today.
