Can You Get Pregnant With Endometriosis? What Our Stage 3 Diagnosis Taught Us

Written by Sydney Brickey, founder of WeFertility

Last updated: October 14, 2026

Many people with endometriosis do get pregnant, though it can make the road harder and change which treatment makes sense. Gina has stage 3 endometriosis, and we found out about it in the last place we expected: our first monitoring appointment to prepare for IUI.

What happened to us

Gina had been having strange, painful episodes, and she bled heavily. When the episodes got bad enough, her doctor ordered an ultrasound. The feedback we got: the results were inconclusive. No answers.

Then came our first monitoring appointment to prepare for IUI. Our fertility doctor did an ultrasound, found a cyst on each of Gina's ovaries, and said, "Oh, you do have endometriosis. You have these two cysts."

We were confused. We told her we didn't know Gina had endometriosis, or endometriomas. So she pulled up the records we'd sent ahead of the appointment and said, "Yeah, it states it right here." Gina's scans from earlier that year said "endometriomas observed."

Sadly, that was the first time we'd heard it. Nobody had told us. If someone had, we would have been more proactive, and maybe done things differently to prepare for our fertility journey.

There was another surprise. Gina had stayed off birth control because we thought it would hurt our chances. Then our doctor prescribed it to help align her cycle for treatment.

We did three rounds of IUI, and none of them worked. With stage 3 endometriosis on record, our doctor said we could move on to IVF sooner than our insurance wanted. Here's how we knew it was time.

Why read your own medical records?

Because the summary you're given isn't always the whole story.

You have the right to see and get copies of your own health records. Ask for the full written report after every ultrasound and test, and read it yourself. If there's a word you don't recognize, ask what it means.

Can endometriosis affect fertility?

It can. The World Health Organization estimates endometriosis affects about 10% of women of reproductive age worldwide, and as many as 25 to 50% of women with infertility have it.

That doesn't make it a dead end. It makes it worth knowing about early, so you and your doctor can plan around it.

Does endometriosis mean you'll need IVF?

Not always. Your stage, your age, and the rest of your fertility picture all matter. For us, stage 3 endometriosis plus three failed IUIs is what made IVF the right next step.

What should you ask your doctor about endometriosis and fertility?

• Can I get the full written report from my ultrasound, not just the summary?
• Does anything in my records point to endometriosis?
• What stage is it, and how might it affect my fertility?
• Is IUI still a good option for me, or should we consider IVF sooner?
• Will my diagnosis change what my insurance requires before IVF?
• Should I send my records to my fertility clinic before my first appointment?

How do you keep track of your records during treatment?

WeFertility isn't a symptom tracker, and it won't diagnose anything. But it helps make sure your records don't sit unread in someone else's system.

Put every appointment and ultrasound on your WeFertility calendar, and it syncs to the calendar you already use. When a visit is done, mark it complete and upload the report right to that visit, so you and your partner can actually read it. When a new clinic asks for your history, share, email, or text it straight from WeFertility.

This is our experience, not medical or legal advice. Talk to your clinic, attorney, or tax professional.

How WeFertility helps

WeFertility remembers, so you don't have to. Every appointment, every report, and every next step, shared with the people helping you through it. Try it free for 30 days, then it's less than a coffee a month. Download WeFertility on the App Store.

Wondering when to switch treatments? Read how many IUI cycles before IVF or why you should keep your own copies of your documents.