The idea of an ovarian cyst is frightening to most women, especially those who aren’t exactly sure what it is. It’s hard enough learning that you have an ovarian cyst when you’re not pregnant, but when you are it’s that much worse. An ovarian cyst is not always a worst-case scenario but is of course frightening nonetheless. There are a few different types of ovarian cysts a woman can develop, two types which are especially common.

There are the follicular cysts for one, which are caused by the growth of a follicle. There are also luteum cysts which are quite common and which are more related to the menstrual cycle of the woman. These cysts often do not exhibit any symptoms, so most women are surprised during a regular pap test when their doctor lets them know they have one or more of these cysts. Doctors will tell you what sort of cyst you have if they find one during a regular examination.

When it’s an ovarian cyst during pregnancy, much more caution must be taken in regards to treatment and the way the cyst is dealt with. When a woman is dealing with an ovarian cyst during pregnancy, because there’s the chance of harm to the mother and baby doctors need to be extremely careful in what they choose to do. Large cysts can cause discomfort and pain to the pregnant woman, and if the cyst were to rupture which happens a lot, this could actually cause a miscarriage or premature labor. If a cyst were to rupture in a woman while she was pregnant, there’s a chance it could cause a miscarriage or premature labor.

This is why when an ovarian cyst during pregnancy is found doctors monitor the woman very closely to keep an eye on the location and size of the cyst. If it’s not really bothering the woman and not growing exceptionally large, doctors usually chose to leave it and then deal with it after the woman has gone through labor. If a cyst becomes twisted in the woman’s body this can be extremely dangerous, and this is really one of the worst-case scenarios because doctors would need to operate right away. This is a serious situation and one in which doctors usually have to operate immediately.

Surgery is only considered as being a last case resort and cysts usually don’t become twisted and in this shape unless the woman was neglecting her health and it went unnoticed. Doctors are extremely careful and for the most part decide to go through with surgery only when the cysts are 6 cm or larger in diameter. It can be a horrifying thing to deal with an ovarian cyst during pregnancy, but fortunately there are skilled doctors and advanced medical treatments that can help decrease the chances of something going wrong. This is why it’s so important to get regular pap tests so your doctor can provide you with a proper examination and make sure that you’re healthy and don’t have cysts, especially if you’re trying to get pregnant.