Who do I tell?

[TwoCatsAndABabyBump]

I have a cyst on my ovary. My consultant has said if I end up having my baby by c section tell the surgeon and they will take it out at the same time.

I'm hoping for a vaginal delivery and never thought to ask what would happen with my cyst then. Do I just go to my doctor afterwards? It's quite large, 8cm so I don't really want to just leave it in there!

Silly of me not to ask at the time and I won't be seeing a consultant again so I just wondered if anyone else has had a similar experience and what happened after the birth.

[Snowydrift]

Do they know what type? Some vanish after delivery, some start to shrink when you no longer ebf, others don't and then get removed (mine, although I didn't stop bf, so maybe it would have vanished). I think you need to write questions and ask. If you have vaginal delivery make sure you get monitored after birth, scans to check status etc. but it can't hurt to get it taken out if they're already there if they can. But... Would it mean a GA? Would you get to see baby when it's born (probably not as you'd need to be operated on) do you want to bf? (It's supposed to be better if you start ASAP, but if you can't whilst try remove it?). What restrictions do you have post op - not lifting child etc. Mine came out when dc was9 months because it started to change consistency.

If you end up having an emcs,, it'd probably be the last thing on your and drs mind. Seems a daft things say. (And are drs who do c-sections the same ones who remove cysts?)

[TwoCatsAndABabyBump]

You've raised some good points that I'd not thought of Snowy, thanks. Im not planning on a c section so your right it most likely would be done as an emergency and a cyst will be the least of my worries and I def don't want a GA!

It's a simple cyst, not grown since my 12 week scan. I'm now 34 weeks.

Think I will write some questions down and also speak to my midwife about it as well.

[QTPie]

Agree with the excellent questions suggested above.

I just had two ovarian cysts removed/drained 7 weeks ago by laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery. They did it at the same time as a hysteroscopy (I am having treatment for infertility - trying to conceive DC2). Straightforward surgery. I had one night in hospital. First week was no pain, taking things slowly, sleepy. Second week was frustrating (just because I wanted to be better. 3rd week back in the gym. Now (7 weeks on) I am on a ski holiday in Colorado (just done 6 days hard skiing).

My cysts were smaller than yours (about 3cm was the biggest).

[Snowydrift]

Would they automatically remove the ovary as well? Or would they try to leave some. Mine was about the same size as yours, I had it done under GA and laproscopy and the doctor ended up having to remove some of the ovary as well (I, to his shock, actually told him to make the decision when he saw what it was like but I would prefer for it to be left if possible).

[TwoCatsAndABabyBump]

They've never mentioned the possibility I could loose the ovary.

It was discovered on my 12 week scan and I was told that was most likely the ovary the egg had come from, its very common for women to get them every month and they just dissapear on their own, but the hormones of pregnancy can make them grow which is likely what happened here. They told me it might just go on its own and it wasn't mentioned on my 20 week scan and we forgot to ask so assumed it had gone but it was at my growth scan the sonographer called me back in after to check it after reading my notes and found it was still there.

I will ask my midwife next week to see what she thinks and it may just be something I bring up with my gp after the baby is here I'm guessing as I don't want to just leave it if it might affect my fertility in the future.

[Snowydrift]

Sorry, that was a bit abrupt! That's basically what happened to me. We know there was no cyst the month before because I was having investigations for infertility. Then find out I'm pg and see a tiny speck on the screen next to a 7.5cm cyst... It seems 1 in 12 people get cysts in pregnancy which grow due to the first trimester hormones, and most then disappear during the rest of pg, but a few stay and then vanish when the baby is born and you lose the hormones which caused it to grow. It can however persist/shrink only slowly due to BF hormones.

Mine did start to shrink as I cut down on the BF when DC weaned, but then it started to do strange things and my doctor reclassified it as a tumour and said it had to come out. But this is by far not the normal course of events so please don't be worried about this. I was told that the easiest way to go would be to remove the cyst and ovary, but if we wanted more children then he would see if he could save it if possible. I just wanted to mention it because you might not have thought of it, if you ended up having it done at the same time as a c-section you might not think to ask and you might have an over enthusiastic surgeon whilst you're not really in a state to make such decisions.

[QTPie]

Hi again

My cysts were slightly different: they weren't due to pregnancy, but due to endometriosis (and called endometriomas - nothing cancerous though!). However I guess that they are caused similarly - basically endometriosis/endometriomas are caused by a reaction to too much hormone (oestrogen).

Yours may very well shrink back to nothing after birth or after you finish breastfeeding (if you do). You should make sure that they keep an eye on it.

When fertility is a concern, the cysts can be drained instead of removed (I had a mixture if drainage/removal). Less risk to the ovary, more chance of them returning in future.

Try not to worry too much - hopefully they will disappear after pregnancy :)