As if trying to get pregnant wasn't difficult enough, having a tilted uterus can make the act of conceiving seem even more daunting. But is it harder to conceive if you have a tilted uterus, or is this one thing you shouldn't stress about while trying to get pregnant? I mean, if things like lube can affect your chances of conceiving, surely a uterus pointing backwards can't be good for pregnancy, right?
Turns out, the position of your uterus has little to nothing to do with your fertility. Fellow of The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (FACOG), Dr. Shefali Shastri of Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey (RMANJ) tells Romper that having a tilted or retroverted uterus doesn’t affect you getting pregnant.
"Having a tilted uterus is a normal anatomical variant, similar to being either right or left handed, and it doesn’t affect a woman’s chance of conception," Shastri says. "The goal of the sperm reaching the uterus and the fallopian tubes is dependent on the sperm quality and cervical and tubal integrity, not the tilt of the uterus." She notes that in certain instances, a tilted or retroverted uterus can be associated with other conditions such as endometriosis or pelvic scarring, which in themselves can make it more difficult to conceive, but it's not usually the tilt of the uterus that's a problem. "Difficulty with conception is perhaps due to associated scarring of the tubes or ovaries," Shastri says.
If you're having a hard time getting pregnant and are dealing with a tilted uterus, the American Pregnancy Association noted that the position of your uterus is only considered a reason for infertility if all other possible causes have been ruled out. Your doctor won't immediately assume that your tilted uterus has anything to do with your difficulties trying to conceive, unless the tilt is the result of endometriosis or pelvic scarring.
Just chalk your tilted uterus up as one of those quirky things that makes your body a little different and don't let it stress you out when trying to conceive. As long as everything else is in healthy condition, your tilted uterus won't affect your chances of getting pregnant.
