Content table
A common issue affecting females struggling with their fertility is fallopian tube disease.
In fact, nearly 30% of women have fallopian tube issues that affect their ability to achieve pregnancy.
That percentage may sound high, but there’s good news. It is possible to conceive despite having blocked fallopian tubes.
To get to that big fat positive though, it’s helpful to have a roadmap. So read on for 7 steps to getting pregnant with blocked fallopian tubes.
Takeaways
- Having blocked fallopian tubes is a common condition among those struggling to conceive.
- Your fallopian tubes are a critical part of conception. They create the pathway an egg takes from your ovaries to your uterus.
- You might not notice symptoms with blocked fallopian tubes until you struggle with conceiving.
- An HSG test and a laparoscopy can help diagnose blocked fallopian tubes.
- There are a range of causes for fallopian tube blockages. Some are PID, fibroids, endometriosis, and scarring from surgery or ectopic pregnancy.
- Your treatment will depend on the reason for your blockage. But it may include surgery.
- Blockages can also lead to complications like infection, infertility, and fallopian tube ruptures.
- Overcoming blocked fallopian tubes may seem overwhelming. But thankfully, you can still get pregnant. Fertility treatments like ovulation induction, IUI, and IVF can help.
- Adopting healthy lifestyle habits can also support your overall health and fertility.
How are fallopian tubes involved in conception?
Before diving into the 7 steps, let’s do a quick review of the role your fallopian tubes play in conception.
Your fallopian tubes are reproductive organs. They act as a bridge between your ovaries (where eggs are stored) and your uterus (where an embryo grows).
After an egg is released during ovulation, it travels through one of your fallopian tubes. (Typically, it alternates between sides each month). Inside the fallopian tube is where the sperm and egg meet for fertilization.
Then the fertilized egg will make its way through the fallopian tube to its new home, your uterus.
Now if you have blocked fallopian tubes, one of two things can happen.
First, it may entirely keep the sperm and egg from meeting. Or second, an egg will be fertilized but won’t be able to travel to the woman’s uterus where it can grow normally.
Know more: Trying to Conceive? Warning— It May Be Hard to Get Pregnant in 2024
While this may sound concerning, don’t stress. It’s not the end of the road for your fertility journey. Keep reading for actionable steps you can take to get pregnant even with blocked fallopian tubes.
7 steps for getting pregnant with blocked fallopian tubes
Here are the major steps at a glance:
- Look out for signs of blocked tubes
- Check in with your doctor
- Diagnose the root cause
- Treat the underlying condition
- Explore alternative fertility options
- Track your ovulation and overall fertility
- Make necessary lifestyle adjustments
Below you’ll learn even more specifics for each step depending on where you’re at in your fertility journey.
Know the signs and symptoms of blocked fallopian tubes
In a lot of cases, blocked fallopian tubes don’t present obvious symptoms. As a matter of fact, many women don’t realize they have blocked fallopian tubes until they struggle to conceive.
There are some exceptions here though. First, some women may notice a moderate aching on the side with the blocked fallopian tube.
Additionally, for some women, blocked fallopian tubes are caused by endometriosis. In these cases, they are likely to experience more intense pain. The fallopian tube pain tends to be more noticeable during ovulation or your period.
Consult your doctor
If you have any of the symptoms discussed above or have been struggling to conceive, see your healthcare professional.
If you’re under 35, the recommendation is to see your doctor after a year of trying to conceive (TTC).
If you’re over 35, it’s best to consult your physician after 6 months of TTC.
The goal here is to see if there’s an underlying cause (like blocked fallopian tubes) for not conceiving.
The following tests can help diagnose blocked fallopian tubes:
Hysterosalpingography (HSG)
With an HSG test, the doctor injects dye through your cervix into your uterus. Then they perform an X-ray to see if the dye is able to pass through both fallopian tubes on the way to your uterus.
If the dye is not visible within the tube(s) or doesn’t seem to flow properly to your fallopian tubes, it’s likely a tubal issue.
Laparoscopy
In some cases, an HSG may not give conclusive results. If this happens, a laparoscopy is another testing option.
It involves inserting a tiny camera into the abdomen which gets images of the fallopian tubes and uterus. A laparoscopy can help determine where the blockage exists and how severe it is. In some cases, it could even reveal that it’s simply a spasm causing the blockage.
Determine the underlying cause of your blocked fallopian tubes
If you have a blocked tube, you’re probably itching to understand how it happened. What causes fallopian tube blockages anyway? So let’s shed some light on the likely culprits.
Blocked fallopian tubes can be caused by:
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
This condition is usually caused by sexually transmitted infections (STIs). A few common ones are gonorrhea and chlamydia. Nearly 33.6% of women with PID experience inflamed fallopian tubes caused by a bacterial infection (aka salpingitis).
This inflammation can lead to adhesions and scarring. If left untreated, it could partially or completely occlude (block) the fallopian tube.
Endometriosis
Women with endometriosis have abnormal tissue that grows outside of their uterus. This tissue can directly block the fallopian tubes or cause blood to pool in the fallopian tubes (hematosalpinx).
Know more: Your Guide to Getting Pregnant With Endometriosis
Scar tissue from prior surgery
Previous surgeries around your lower abdomen (like a cesarean section or dilation and curettage) can create scar tissue that blocks your tubes.
Scar tissue from ectopic pregnancy
The aftermath of a previous ectopic pregnancy can involve scar tissue. When this accumulates in and around the fallopian tubes, it can cause a tubal blockage.
Fibroids
Fibroids are non-cancerous tumors found on the uterine wall. Depending on their size and location in the uterus, they could block the fallopian tube.
Common symptoms of fibroids include pelvic pain or abdominal pain. You could also experience spotting between menstrual cycles or heavy bleeding during menstruation.
Know more: Can I Get Pregnant With a Fibroid and If So, How?
Once you’re able to determine the root cause, the next stage is treating blocked fallopian tubes. And that’s precisely what you’ll learn about in the next section.
Treat the root cause
Since there are a variety of conditions that can lead to a blocked fallopian tube, treatment options vary.
In the table below, you can get an idea of what your options are based on the underlying cause:
Cause | Treatment |
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) | Antibiotics (time is of the essence) |
Endometriosis | Hormonal birth control or surgery to remove the abnormal tissue |
Scarring from a previous ectopic pregnancy or surgery | Surgery |
Fibroid | Surgery or medication |
This gives you a general idea of treatment available. But keep in mind, in some cases, simply treating the underlying cause will not completely fix the blocked fallopian tube(s).
It’s likely that you’ll also need to have fallopian tube surgery to repair the blockage or the fallopian tube itself. If necessary, a doctor can take out the part of the fallopian tube that’s damaged. Then they’ll reconnect the intact parts.
Now, let’s say these treatment options don’t totally resolve your fertility challenges. Or you’re not keen on the idea of tubal surgery. What are your other options then? Let’s talk about some alternatives.
Explore alternative treatments for fertility
There may be some cases where fallopian tube blockages can’t be fully resolved. Of course, that may be upsetting. Especially if it’s causing pain or infertility problems.
But the relieving news is that fertility treatments can still help you conceive.
The following options may be your ticket to getting pregnant with a blocked tube:
IUI for fallopian tube blockage | IVF for fallopian tube blockage |
Appropriate for blockages that are deemed mild or moderate (either the blockage is distal or only one tube is affected) | Used for more severe blockages (the blockage is proximal or both tubes are blocked) |
One of the factors affecting the success of fertility treatments is the precise location of the blockage.
A blockage located closer to the uterus is considered a proximal blockage. And a blockage that’s further away from the uterus is called a distal blockage. Distal blockages tend to be more challenging to treat since the blockage is within the fallopian tube. This is because the fallopian tube is a much narrower, harder-to-get-to area than the uterus.
One study of IUI patients found a difference in pregnancy rates based on where the blockage was. The exact pregnancy rates they found were 38.1% for proximal blockages vs. 11.7% for distal blockages.
So what does this mean? It’s not that you can’t get pregnant with a distal blockage. But a distal blockage may require a more involved treatment plan like surgery or IVF.
Read more: IUI vs. IVF: Which Fertility Treatment is Better for You?
After you diagnose and treat the cause of your blockage, it’s important to stay on top of your cycle. We’ll share more details on how to do this next!
Monitor your ovulation and fertility
Realize that a blocked tube is only one piece of the puzzle of your overall fertility.
This is why it’s helpful to track your unique cycle and know when you’re ovulating. It can help you better plan for your highest fertility and identify if other fertility factors are affecting you.
A great cycle-tracking option is an advanced fertility monitor. Particularly one that helps you accurately predict your fertile window and confirm ovulation. This is exactly what the Inito monitor does! Inito gives you numerical values for all four fertility hormones – LH, estrogen, and FSH to track your fertile window, and PdG (urine metabolite of progesterone) to confirm ovulation – on a single test strip.
Even with this helpful data though, there’s one more consideration for your fertility. Keep reading to learn what it is!
Lifestyle modifications
It’s important not to forget that your overall health plays a large role in your fertility. A healthy lifestyle promotes improved egg and sperm quality. And in general, good health ultimately leads to better chances of pregnancy.
Here are some ways you can ensure you’re at your healthiest while TTC:
- Eat a well-balanced diet that includes nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory whole foods.
- Get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day. This could look like walking, biking, jogging, yoga, swimming, etc.
- Get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep each night.
- Manage your stress levels through coping strategies. This could look like meditating, EFT/tapping, deep breathing, or talking to a therapist. You may also consider joining emotional support groups or TTC communities like Inito’s.
Hopefully these 7 steps to getting pregnant with blocked fallopian tubes help give you a clear path forward. But in case you still have questions about the complexities of blocked tubes, keep reading.
Complications of blocked fallopian tubes
Regardless of where you’re at with your TTC journey, undiagnosed blocked fallopian tubes can lead to complications.
These additional challenges may include:
- Infections
- An increased risk of having an ectopic pregnancy (because a fertilized egg could get caught in a blocked tube)
- A ruptured fallopian tube
- Hemorrhage
- Struggling to conceive
Worried specifically about your ability to conceive with blocked fallopian tubes? You’re not alone. This is certainly a valid concern. Learn more in the next section about blocked tubes and fertility.
Can you get pregnant with one fallopian tube? Or a single blocked tube?
Yes, this is definitely possible, but expect that it could take longer to conceive naturally. Generally, ovulation alternates ovaries (and hence, fallopian tubes) each cycle. This means that you may only be fertile every other cycle.
There are also a variety of fertility treatments that can help your chances. A less invasive treatment would be ovulation induction.
Ovulation induction is when you take medication to increase the amount of eggs that you ovulate in a given cycle. More eggs released can lead to a higher chance of conception.
If you need even more support, assisted reproductive technology is an option. Intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF) can help you to get pregnant with blocked fallopian tubes. But of course, talk it over with your healthcare provider or fertility specialist. They can help determine the best path forward for you.
FAQs
Yes, you can still get pregnant with a blocked tube. But be prepared for it to potentially take longer to conceive. You may also wish to see a fertility specialist for treatment or the support of ART if you’re not having success after 6 months (>35 years of age) to a year (<35 years of age) of trying.
There are a variety of conditions that can block fallopian tubes. Here are a few:
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
- Endometriosis
- Scar tissue from surgery or ectopic pregnancy
- Fibroids
Was this article helpful?
- A Review of Tubal Factors Affecting Fertility and its Management – PMC
- Tubal Pathologies and Fertility Outcomes: A Review – PMC
- Impact of unilateral tubal blockage diagnosed by hysterosalpingography on the success rate of treatment with controlled ovarian stimulation and intrauterine insemination – PubMed
- Fibroids: What You Need to Know – Johns Hopkins
- How Sleep Works: How Much Sleep is Enough? – NIH
- Stress effects on the body – American Psychological Association
- Emotional freedom technique (EFT): Tap to relieve stress – Science Direct
+2K others have already subscribed
+2K subscribers
