Hi, I’m a 26F looking for advice from anyone who has dealt with uterine fibroids and fertility uncertainty.
I have a strong family history of uterine fibroids—many women in my family needed hysterectomies in their late 20s to early 30s. I started developing fibroids at 17. I was initially placed on birth control to manage symptoms, but I was never given follow-up imaging during those years to confirm whether anything was changing.
At 23, I finally had an ultrasound due to worsening symptoms and was found to have around 15 fibroids, with the largest being grapefruit-sized. I was referred to an OB-GYN and eventually underwent a myomectomy about a year ago.
During surgery, my right fallopian tube had to be removed due to fibroid placement. There was also concern about the left tube, but it was ultimately left intact so I would still have some fertility potential. I currently have about 7 fibroids remaining.
It’s been about 11 months since surgery. Since then, I’ve only had four periods total. I was told irregular cycles were expected post-op, but I’ve also had a couple of extremely heavy cycles lasting up to two weeks with significant blood loss, to the point where transfusion was almost necessary.
My doctor advised waiting about 1.5 years post-surgery before trying to conceive, so I still have a few months left before that window opens.
I’m posting because I’m trying to understand how others would approach this kind of situation. I would like to have children in the future, but I’m currently 26, not in a long-term committed relationship, and unsure how to balance timing, fertility uncertainty, and finding the right partner.
For those who’ve faced fertility concerns like this—how did you decide what to prioritize? Did you wait for the “right” relationship, or make decisions based more on timing and medical uncertainty?
Any perspectives are appreciated.