Ovarian Cyst or Pregnant

Def. need more info. You can be very pregnant with no symptoms. I never had any symptoms with my first pregnancy. And you can get pregnant while using protection. But if she has not gotten a positive pregnancy test result she needs to immediately get in to see another doctor and find out what's going on. A large cyst can be very serious is causes a torsion (I think that's what it is when the cyst gets so big it causes the ovary to twist). This is not something I'd wait a few weeks on.

okay...so my many years of fertilty drugs etc.....from what I know.....she probably was preganant at some time...BUT...her body shed the egg.....and the cyst that should have been sloughed off too...BUT it stayed...thinking there was a fertilzed egg...and stayed to produce hormones to support the egg...usually the cyst is sloughed off by the third month because the fertilized egg does not need the support from the cyst......sometimes women do get abnormal cysts that do not shed and need to be removed....

I do not have that kind BUT....I the kind that do give me pain and the remnants sit on nerves when they are shed before expelled

if a cysts stays long enough it can take on a life of it's own such as fibroid tumor etc....

I am 43 and have never had a child physically..and I do have pain with my cysts each month....she'll need to monitor herself and sounds like she is with getting it checked out instead of writing it off as either pregnant or starting menopause..

also I think for us women who have never actually had a child physically have our own problems compared to women who have had a child who produce more hormones etc....

tell her to hang in there and never be afraid to ask questions or go in when she's unsure of what she is feeling etc.

I have not personally experienced this before; but a woman at my job did. And she also looked pregnant. I suggest your sister get a second opinion and fast. Good luck to your sister.

The doctor would not have told her she is pregnant without taking a urine sample, and if she had an ultrasound then they would have seen the baby. Age doesn't matter. My dad was born to his 40+ mom, and a friend of mine had her first child at age 43, with no fertility treatments. And both my nephews were conceived while my sister was using protection, a condom the first time and a diaphragm the second time. She could have a dermoid cyst. These are usually benign, but can twist or rupture during pregnancy. So, doctors like to keep an eye on it and often go in laparascopically to get the cyst out around week 20. My cousin is going through this right now, only they found the cyst when she miscarried her first pregnancy a few months ago. But yesterday, they did an ultrasound to check on the cyst and the baby at the same time, and told her there is no reason to end the pregnancy. The baby has a good, strong heartbeat, and the cyst is small. They are just going to watch and wait.
If they told your sister she is pregnant, and her belly is sticking out and she has missed periods, then she is probably pregnant and has a cyst. My advice would be to just be happy for her until you hear otherwise.

Dear G.,
It's very possible to be pregnant AND have an ovarian cyst. It happens quite frequently as a matter of fact. Using birth control is not a 100% guarantee that she can't be pregnant. I know several women in their 40's who had their kids basically raised and had "surprise" babies.
If she is indeed going to have a child, hopefully there is time for the shock to wear off before it gets here.
I wish her the best. Let us know how she's doing.

Your post leaves a lot of questions: Did the doctor tell her she was pregnant?? Did she take a test?? Even with protection she CAN get pregnant - only abstinence is 100% effective in preventing pregancy...

A cyst is a fluid-filled pocket on the ovary - often, they occur when your ovarian follicles release an egg at ovulation - these fluid cysts do typically disappear on their own. Now an ovarian MASS is solid tissue that is not going to go away on its own - it can make your belly look bigger... without more information there is no way of saying what is going on with your sister... she can be pregnant and still have a cyst or even a mass on her ovary - they are not independent of one another.

It sounds like a Corpus Luteum Cyst, and not likely a big deal and happens with every single pregnancy, whether you know it or not.
http://www.drspock.com/article/0,1510,5335,00.html

"She uses protection so I know she can't be pregnant." Umm, want to tell that to my diaphragm baby, and condom baby, and my pill baby? Three different kinds of birth control- three babies. Heck, with my condom baby I was using the Nuva Ring too!

If the doctor diagnosed her as pregnant, it's because she has hcg in her blood or urine. This basically doesn't happen unless someone is pregnant, or with some kinds of cancer- it doesn't happen because someone has an ovarian cyst.

You should probably prepare to be an aunt.

Updated

It sounds like a Corpus Luteum Cyst, and not likely a big deal and happens with every single pregnancy, whether you know it or not.
http://www.drspock.com/article/0,1510,5335,00.html

"She uses protection so I know she can't be pregnant." Umm, want to tell that to my diaphragm baby, and condom baby, and my pill baby? Three different kinds of birth control- three babies. Heck, with my condom baby I was using the Nuva Ring too!

If the doctor diagnosed her as pregnant, it's because she has hcg in her blood or urine. This basically doesn't happen unless someone is pregnant, or with some kinds of cancer- it doesn't happen because someone has an ovarian cyst.

You should probably prepare to be an aunt.

She could be pregnant AND have a cyst or only a cyst. A pregnancy test would clearly indicate whether or not she is pregnant. Either she has HCG at pregnancy level in her blood or she doesn't. At this point, she would also be able to clearly see the baby on an ultrasound as well. No method of protection is 100% other than abstinence, so she may be pregnant.
As far as the cyst, there are different kinds of cysts. There is the normal "corpus luteum" cyst which often occurs with ovulation and there are abnormal ovarian cysts, such as what is commonly referred to as a "chocolate" cyst which is abnormal and is actually an endometrioma (as in a growth caused by endometriosis.) The cyst could be interfering with her ovaries and hormone production. It could also be big enough to cause back pain and swelling.
She needs to get clear on whether or not she is pregnant as well as what type of cyst she has, so she knows how to take care of herself and can discuss possible treatment options. I'm really surprised her doctor hasn't already made clear to her what is going on.

I got pregnant while "protected" twice so unless she's had her ovaries and uterus removed, it's not impossible to get knocked up.