Endometrium

Looks like

The velvet lining of the womb, a few millimetres thick, rebuilt and shed every cycle.

What it does

Where an embryo implants; without one, a pregnancy cannot take.

Keeping it well

Treat heavy bleeding rather than tolerate it; bleeding after menopause is investigated to exclude cancer.

Related conditions

• Absent periods (amenorrhoea)
• Adenomyosis
• Asherman's syndrome
• Bone metastases and spinal cord compression
• Cervical cancer
• Cervical insufficiency
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Endometrial (womb) cancer
• Endometrial polyps and hyperplasia
• Endometriosis
• Female infertility
• Fetal growth restriction
• Gestational diabetes
• Heavy & painful periods
• Hereditary cancer syndromes (BRCA, Lynch)
• Hyperemesis gravidarum
• Maternal (puerperal) sepsis
• Menopause & perimenopause
• Miscarriage
• Molar pregnancy and gestational trophoblastic disease
• Obstructed labour and obstetric fistula
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Placenta praevia
• Placental abruption
• Postpartum haemorrhage
• Preterm labour and birth
• Stillbirth
• Uterine fibroids