Parameters for determining the size of the uterus
To one degree or another, these parameters are determined by the constitution of the body and the age of the woman. In many respects, they also depend on the number of pregnancies, abortions, childbirth, diseases and other factors. Thus, the size of the uterus in different women will be different. However, there is a framework that determines the rate of a healthy uterus.
In this case, they operate with four main indicators:
- longitudinal dimension, i.e. length;
- transverse dimension - width,
- anteroposterior size
- and the thickness of the uterus.
One of the most accurate methods for determining the size of the uterus is ultrasound through the abdominal wall or through transvaginal scanning.
Natural changes in the size of the uterus: main periods
The size of the uterus changes in accordance with certain important periods and moments in the life of a woman, namely: with the onset of puberty, during pregnancy and during postmenopause.
In a newborn girl, the uterus is approximately four centimeters in length. Next is the period of involution, during which the uterus decreases in size and about a year becomes almost half. It begins to grow actively around the age of seven until puberty is completed.
For an already mature, but not yet giving birth woman, the size of the uterus is considered normal if the length, including the cervix, is 7-7.9 cm, the width is 3-3.9 cm, the anteroposterior size is in the range from 2 to 4.5 cm and, finally, the thickness of the uterus is from 2 to 4 cm.
During the period of gestation, the uterus naturally increases and can reach 32 cm in length and up to 20 cm in width. In the postpartum period, the uterus rapidly begins to contract and returns to its previous size. However, in the case of the first or second pregnancy, it will be slightly larger than it was before conception, adding one or two centimeters to each parameter. Thus, now the norm for the length of the uterus of the woman giving birth will be 8 or 9.2 cm, the width will approach 5 cm, the thickness will be from 2.9 to 5.1 cm, and the anteroposterior size is 4-6 cm. As a result of subsequent pregnancies the size of the uterus practically does not change.
The uterus may slightly change in size if the woman's pregnancy ends in a miscarriage or abortion. This is especially true for lengths that can increase up to half a centimeter.
Do not forget that the size of the uterus largely depends on the constitution and dimensions of the woman, therefore, the determination of the size for each woman is individual. The indicated framework of the norm is only a guideline, but by no means an obligatory dogma.
Uterine enlargement due to pathologies
It should be noted that an increase in the size of the uterus can also indicate the occurrence of certain diseases. A similar symptom is usually accompanied by fibroids, adenomyosis, cancer, ovarian cysts.
A common cause of uterine enlargement is myoma, which is a benign fibrous tumor in the uterus. A small myoma, which does not cause much discomfort, does not pose a threat to health.
Another disease often found in many women is a cyst, which is a formation in the ovary filled with fluid. Usually it does not cause much inconvenience and eventually passes by itself, but in some cases gives complications in which the size of the uterus increases.
Adenomyosis, in which the uterine endometrium grows , occurs in women, usually after thirty years. This disease is characterized by severe pain.
A cancerous tumor in the endometrium of the uterus, which leads to an increase in its size, most often appears during menopause.
The presence of diseases is evidenced by pain in the back, pelvis or abdomen, as well as during urination or sexual intercourse. If such symptoms appear, you should immediately be examined by a gynecologist.
Thus, to determine the size of the uterus, it is best to consult a doctor who, on the basis of ultrasound indications at different times, taking into account the individual and age characteristics of the woman, as well as the history of her illness, will be able to answer the question of what size the uterus should be for this particular woman .