A lot of women get confused when their doctor tells them that they have a tipped uterus. Isn’t the uterus a fixed organ in the pelvic cavity? How can it get tipped? Read on to learn more about what a tipped uterus is and if it will affect your chances of getting pregnant.
What is a Tipped Uterus?
A tipped uterus is known by many names. To avoid confusion, here are the common terms used to describe it…
- Tilted uterus/womb
- Backward uterus
- Retroflexed uterus
- Retroverted uterus
They are also known by scarier medical terms, such as…
- Uterine retroversion or retroflexion
- Retroversion of the uterus
- Reflexion of the uterus
- Symptomatic uterine retroversion
- Symptomatic uterine reflexion
- Uterine retrodisplacement
What all of these terms simply mean is that the uterus is in an abnormal position inside the pelvic cavity. Normally, the uterus is in a straight up or down position or it can be slightly tilted forward in the direction toward your belly inside the body. When the uterus is “tipped”, it is either tilted forward away from the belly or backwards.
Around 20 percent of women will be born with tipped uteri. In most cases, it occurs in women in their childbearing years. Causes for tipped uteri include the following…
- Failure of the uterus to move in a forward position as the woman grows older
- Presence of diseases such as fibroid tumors/myomas, endometriosis, and pelvic adhesions
- Uterine displacement due to a previous surgical procedure
- Tipping of the uterus forward or backward as a consequence of childbirth
Although most women will not experience any symptoms resulting from tipped uteri, there are some who will complain to their doctors with the following…
- Collision dyspareunia (pain during sexual intercourse resulting from impact of the penis against the cervix or uterus)
- Pelvic pain during menstruation or ovulation
- Back pain during menstruation
- Frequent urinary tract infections
- Mild incontinence
- Difficulties in using tampons
- Difficulties in trying to get pregnant
Getting Pregnant with a Tipped Uterus
If you are experiencing symptoms and you suspect that you have a tipped uterus, schedule an appointment with your doctor. He or she will need to perform pelvic and/or ultrasound examination to confirm diagnosis.
It must be stressed that having a tipped uterus should not interfere with your fertility. In fact, many women have had their tipped uteri fixed after giving birth to their baby (since the weight of the baby forced the uterus back into its normal position). All other fertility issues should be ruled out before entertaining a tipped uterus as the cause of inability to achieve conception.
What can make having a tipped uterus troublesome is the painful and difficult intercourse. For this reason, the husband should take extra care when making love to his wife. If the tipped uterus is causing problems both symptomatically and for conception, it may be necessary to bring it back to its normal position through uterine suspension surgery. Some physicians would recommend the insertion of a pessary. However, these are to be used with caution since they may cause vaginal infection.
Learn more about how to get pregnant with a tipped uterus today!



