![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/SEC_261260211-5c36.jpg\")
\n\t\tEmma was young when her doctor told her to have a baby for pain management purposes (Picture: Getty\/supplied)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tEmma was young when her doctor told her to have a baby for pain management purposes (Picture: Getty\/supplied)<\/p>\n
\u2018Have you ever thought about getting pregnant<\/a>?\u2019<\/p>\n Emma Prach froze. She was just 17, her hair streaked with purple from experimenting at school<\/a>, and unsure if she even wanted kids.\u00a0<\/p>\n But according to the doctor, having a baby could stop her endometriosis pain<\/a>, which caused her to regularly vomit, cry and pass out.<\/p>\n \u2018The suggestion took my breath away\u2019, Emma, now 21, tells Metro<\/strong>. \u2018I felt so hopeless.\u2019<\/p>\n An investigation by Metro <\/strong>can reveal that more than three quarters of women with endometriosis<\/a> have been told to get pregnant by doctors. The condition impacts 1.5million women in the UK.<\/p>\n The finding comes despite the fact there is no clinical evidence to support pregnancy as a long-term solution to endometriosis.<\/p>\n In partnership with Endometriosis UK, Metro surveyed 1,073 women with endometriosis and found 79% with the debilitating condition were given this same solution, a figure the charity has labelled a healthcare \u2018scandal\u2019.<\/p>\n With no helpful medical advice, Emma wiped smudged makeup from her eyes and took the three-hour bus ride home to Lanarkshire.<\/p>\n Now, four years later, she relies on strong, painkillers such as naproxen and co-codamol to take the edge off.<\/p>\n \t\t It was a solution also offered to me at the age of 21, a year after my endometriosis diagnosis. My pain was so bad I would fall over when sharp lightning pains shot up my sides.<\/p>\n \u2018Just get pregnant,\u2019 my gynaecologist said. \u2018It stops the pain because you won\u2019t get a period.\u2019<\/p>\n I left my appointment and cried hysterically in the hospital car park, feeling utterly defeated. I\u2019d waited weeks for that advice, and wasn\u2019t even offered pain killers.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tEndometriosis and pregnancy\t\t\t<\/p>\n Endometriosis is a condition where cells similar to those in the womb lining grow in other parts of the body, usually on the ovaries, outside the womb and on the fallopian tubes.<\/p>\n This tissue then bleeds during your period, which can cause severe pain \u2013 although this pain can occur outside of menstruation too. For example, you can get pain in your lower tummy and back, pain during sex, extreme fatigue, and pain of bleeding in your chest and shortness of breath.<\/p>\n There is no cure for this condition. Doctors may suggest pregnancy because you no longer get your period when you are pregnant, so the theory is your pain will decrease or disappear, as your endometrial tissue won\u2019t bleed and cause symptoms. There are also hormonal fluctuations which can help ease pain.<\/p>\n According to Endometriosis UK, pain can improve but can also return when you get your period after pregnancy. There are also reports of women who experience more pain in the first few months of pregnancy.<\/p>\n Source: NHS<\/p>\n But being pregnant doesn\u2019t put a stop to your symptoms, as Angie Newland, 52, discovered.<\/p>\n She\u2019d had her first baby at 24 after doctors said she\u2019d likely struggle to conceive due to her endometriosis, which causes fertility issues<\/a> in around 30% of women.<\/p>\n \u2018Doctors said I wouldn\u2019t be able to have children if I left it any longer because of how severe my endometriosis was,\u2019 Angie tells Metro<\/strong>. \u2018My pain didn\u2019t stop straight away, and once I gave birth the pain when my periods started again was horrendous.<\/p>\n \u2018I tried the Mirena coil<\/a>, HRT patches<\/a>, tablets \u2013 nothing worked. So a consultant said to me \u201cwell, just have another baby\u201d.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018I was absolutely horrified, having a baby didn\u2019t improve my endometriosis, it actually made it 10 times worse,\u2019 Angie adds. <\/p>\n \u2018Not only was I trying to raise my little girl, but I was also trying to cope with my endometriosis. It wasn\u2019t manageable.\u2019<\/p>\n Finally Angie underwent a hysterectomy at 30 which put a stop to her symptoms, and she now volunteers four hours a week on the Endometriosis UK helpline to support other women.<\/p>\n \t\t Pregnancy being pedalled as a cure or painkiller for endometriosis is likely a result of poor endometriosis knowledge among doctors.<\/p>\n \u2018Pregnancy does not take the endometriosis away \u2013 there is no cure and pain can return after giving birth when your period returns,\u2019 explains endometriosis specialist practitioner, Jo Hanley.<\/p>\n \u2018The majority of medical students are introduced to endometriosis as a part of wider gynaecology training, which is often far too simplistic, failing to cover the complexities, challenges and impact of the condition.\u2019<\/p>\n She tells Metro<\/strong> specific endometriosis training isn\u2019t mandatory for GPs, pharmacists, nurses and A&E workers, who are all points of contact for endometriosis sufferers.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not surprising almost half of all women visited their GP 10 or more times with symptoms prior to receiving a diagnosis, or that 52% visited A&E at least once, with fewer than a fifth being referred to gynaecology upon their first visit.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_7841-7f1c-e1754577573851.jpeg\")
\n\t\tEmma didn\u2019t know where to turn after pregnancy was suggested as a solution to her pain (Picture: Supplied)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/angie-and-ellie-baby-3-4ae0.jpg\")
\n\t\tAngie was 24 when she had her miracle baby (Picture: supplied)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Angie-Newland-b40c-e1754402626479.jpeg\")
\n\t\tAngie is now 52 and doesn\u2019t struggle with endometriosis anymore because she had a hysterectomy 22 years ago (Picture: supplied)
\nDoctors haven\u2019t received endometriosis education<\/p>\n