{"id":24550,"date":"2023-12-13T18:00:26","date_gmt":"2023-12-13T18:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/?p=24550"},"modified":"2025-06-27T12:51:55","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T12:51:55","slug":"what-is-retroverted-uterus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/blog\/pregnancy\/what-is-retroverted-uterus\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything you need to know about pregnancy with a retroverted uterus"},"content":{"rendered":"

The uterus is a smooth muscle, best known for its major role during pregnancy. It is where the embryo and then the fetus settle, and it plays a key role in protecting and supporting their development. As a result, the uterus undergoes enormous changes throughout pregnancy and even afterward during the postpartum period.<\/p>\n

In a small percentage of women, the uterus is said to be “retroverted.” What does that mean? Can a retroverted uterus affect a pregnancy? Here\u2019s everything you need to know!<\/p>\n

What is a retroverted uterus?<\/h2>\n

Before any explanation, let\u2019s reassure you right away: despite its somewhat alarming name, a retroverted uterus is not a major issue in a woman\u2019s life. In fact, it\u2019s more of a simple anatomical variation<\/strong> than a real \u201cproblem\u201d or a malformation.
\nA uterus can either be \u201canteverted\u201d or, on the contrary (and this is what concerns us here), \u201cretroverted.\u201d These terms simply refer to the natural orientation of the uterus<\/strong> in your body, which has no real impact on daily life or during pregnancy. Concretely:<\/p>\n

\u27a1\ufe0fThe anteverted uterus<\/strong> tilts toward the front of the body<\/strong> (toward the bladder). This is the most common orientation, as nearly 75% of women have an anteverted uterus.<\/p>\n

\"Everything

Everything you need to know about pregnancy with a retroverted uterus – May App Sant\u00e9<\/p><\/div>\n

\u27a1\ufe0fThe retroverted uterus<\/strong>, on the other hand, tilts toward the back of the body<\/strong> (closer to the rectum). \u201cOnly\u201d 25% of women have a retroverted uterus.<\/p>\n

\"Everything

Everything you need to know about pregnancy with a retroverted uterus – May App Sant\u00e9<\/p><\/div>\n

How is a retroverted uterus diagnosed?<\/h2>\n

A retroverted uterus can only be diagnosed during a medical examination, by a gynecologist, a midwife, and\/or during an ultrasound.
\nSince the backward orientation of the uterus, rather than forward, causes little to no symptoms, it\u2019s not uncommon to go through much of your life without ever knowing you have one.<\/p>\n

Pregnancy can be an opportunity to identify a retroverted uterus. In fact, the first trimester ultrasound (which takes place between 11 and 13 weeks of amenorrhea), or even the dating ultrasound (from 7 weeks of amenorrhea), can reveal this anatomical variation. In any case, after this third month of pregnancy, many changes are about to happen in your body, especially regarding your uterus.<\/p>\n

Can a retroverted uterus be corrected?<\/h2>\n

Since a retroverted uterus doesn\u2019t usually cause any real discomfort (except in very rare cases: pain in certain sexual positions and more intense menstrual cramps, although the latter hasn\u2019t been scientifically proven), it\u2019s often unnecessary to correct its orientation.
\nEven better, during pregnancy, the retroverted uterus will naturally \u201ccorrect\u201d its orientation on its own.<\/p>\n

Indeed, a retroverted uterus won\u2019t be able to continue growing backward: as soon as there isn\u2019t enough room for it to develop (usually around the third month), it will begin to straighten up and eventually tilt forward.<\/p>\n

Overnight, your uterus will occupy a brand new position in your body, which can cause some mild discomfort, which we\u2019ll discuss below.<\/p>\n

Is it possible to get pregnant with a retroverted uterus?<\/h2>\n

Absolutely! As we\u2019ve seen, the orientation of your uterus has no real impact<\/strong>, nor any direct consequences on your health (or that of your future baby, for that matter). It is therefore perfectly possible to get pregnant with a retroverted uterus.
\nThis anatomical variation does not affect a woman\u2019s fertility or the implantation of the embryo in the uterine endometrium.<\/p>\n

Want to learn more? Feel free to <\/span>download the May app<\/span><\/a>, where you’ll find plenty of resources to support and guide you throughout your pregnancy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Does a retroverted uterus affect pregnancy?<\/h2>\n

As we\u2019ve seen, a retroverted uterus has little to no effect on pregnancy: neither on your chances of conceiving nor on the fetus\u2019s development.
\nHowever, during pregnancy, your uterus will tilt forward, often almost overnight. It will find a new place in your body, pushing other organs around it (especially the bladder).<\/p>\n

It\u2019s common to feel some pulling sensations, ligament pain, and very frequent urges to urinate while your body adjusts.<\/p>\n

On the bright side, thanks to this new orientation, your rectum will be relieved, which will significantly improve any constipation problems you might have had.<\/p>\n

You can relieve these symptoms with heat: a hot water bottle, a warm bath, and\/or a hot shower are your best allies.<\/p>\n

As long as the pulling sensations are mild and there\u2019s no bleeding, there\u2019s no need to worry: they are a sign that the pregnancy is progressing and that the uterus is growing well. You might also feel very little or no discomfort at all, and that\u2019s perfectly normal too!<\/p>\n

Every pregnancy is different, and every woman\u2019s body reacts differently. Also remember that pregnancy is a stage in your life that is closely monitored<\/strong> by your general practitioner, gynecologist, or midwife: if any problem arises, they\u2019ll be there to help you!<\/p>\n

Of course, you should listen to your body<\/strong>: if you notice any symptoms that concern you or if you need reassurance on a specific point, don\u2019t hesitate to consult<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Does a retroverted uterus cause complications during delivery?<\/h2>\n

As we\u2019ve seen earlier, a retroverted uterus has very little influence on pregnancy. Moreover, the uterus naturally changes its orientation during the third month of pregnancy. By the time of delivery, it will have already tilted forward long before and adopted an anteverted position.
\nA retroverted uterus is therefore generally harmless and doesn\u2019t usually require (except in special cases) any medical intervention. Of course, if you have any questions during your pregnancy, don\u2019t hesitate to reach out to qualified healthcare professionals: it\u2019s an essential step toward a peaceful pregnancy!<\/p>\n

**<\/p>\n

Photo : xapdemolle<\/p>\n

This text was translated from French by an artificial intelligence. The information, advice, and sources it contains comply with French standards and may therefore not apply to your situation. Make sure to complement this reading by visiting the May ES\/UK app and consulting the healthcare professionals who are supporting you.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The uterus is a smooth muscle, best known for its major role during pregnancy. It is where the embryo and then the fetus settle, and it plays a key role in protecting and supporting their development. As a result, the uterus undergoes enormous changes throughout pregnancy and even afterward during the postpartum period. In a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":11627,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[186],"tags":[142,148],"class_list":["post-24550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pregnancy","tag-pregnancy-timeline","tag-early-pregnancy"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24550"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24550\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24552,"href":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24550\/revisions\/24552"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}