# can a D&C affect fertility at all?



## soozandlily

I had a D&C back in Dec 2009 after a missed m/c @ 12 weeks. The surgery as far as i'm aware went fine, although when I woke up I was kept in recovery for a little longer as my blood pressure was really low and I kept being sick.

We have not used any protection since then but not actively tried either until Dec 2011 which is when we began TTC baby No2. I've been pregnant three time's one was a spontaneous m/c in May 2006 one I went full term which resulted in my DD in Nov 2007 and then the third was the missed m/c. 

Since the D&C my cycle's have never been regular, they can vary from the average 27/28 days up to the longest being 54 days, but on average they are around the 36/37 day mark. My body has changed a lot over the last 2 years as well. In the Feb of 2010 I began to get a specific type of eczema on my hands which is called pompholyx which is like little blister's that form on the palms of my hands then they dry up and so does the skin which then cracks and falls off. This has continued constantly since then and there's never really a break where it doesn't occur. I've never experienced any form of eczema or dermatitis before until this started. My weight has also steadily dropped from a healthy 119/120lbs to 102-105lbs since then and at 5ft4.5 this make's me underweight.

I feel that this is a great concern for me and that it may be why I'm having difficulty TTC this time around. Wondering if anyone has any similar experiences?


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## ttc1soon

I discussed the D&C and fertility with my doctor before I had mine because it concerned me. She said that in my case she was doing a suction D&C, not a scraping and that in the past a scraping D&C could leading to scar tissue build up but the suction does not do that. She also said that having a D&C can affect fertility sometimes if it performed in the second trimester but didn't go into detail since I was still in the first trimester. It seems unlikely that a D&C would cause you other problems like eczema but it could be an underlying condition causing it that might lead to fertility issues. It would be good to discuss with an OB.


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## soozandlily

ttc1soon said:


> I discussed the D&C and fertility with my doctor before I had mine because it concerned me. She said that in my case she was doing a suction D&C, not a scraping and that in the past a scraping D&C could leading to scar tissue build up but the suction does not do that. She also said that having a D&C can affect fertility sometimes if it performed in the second trimester but didn't go into detail since I was still in the first trimester. It seems unlikely that a D&C would cause you other problems like eczema but it could be an underlying condition causing it that might lead to fertility issues. It would be good to discuss with an OB.

I'm actually thinking I have a thyroid issue, for some silly reason I didn't mention it on my original post... I have no idea why lol 

But yeah, I'm wondering if there's any way the D&C could of possibly 'triggered' a shift in my homones in some sort of way... I know it sounds a bit crazy but don't know if surgery in general can just cause an imbalance or anything like that. I have blood tests at the beginning of my next cycle which hopefully will provide some much needed information!


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## ttc1soon

As far as I know (I am in the medical feild but just in x-ray so I only know "enough to be dangerous" my teachers always told us) but the D&C does basically the same thing you period does just manually and a bit more rapidly so I wouldn't think it could change your hormones. I know a miscarriage can cause a change in hormones and your cycle but I wouldn't think it would be that drastic, or for that long. I know my cycle was different afterwards. But I do know a thyroid issue can cause fertility problems (its one of the things my doctor mentioned to me) and it can cause weight issues although usually weight gain not loss but in some people it can cause unexplained weight loss too. I have read though that not being at an ideal bmi can cause fertility issues on its own so that could be contributing too. I really hope you find your answers soon.


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## lovewithin

hey, your thyroid might be really the right clue. it is often associated with unhealthy weight changes, both gain and loss, and with major variations in the cycle.. there are specific test you can demand for it, try mentioning it to your doc :) good luck with ttc!


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