Experts don’t know why placenta previa happens, but they have identified a few risk factors, including having previously had a baby, scarring on the uterus from previous surgeries (such as cesarean deliveries, uterine fibroid removal, and dilation and curettage), previously having placenta previa, carrying more than one fetus, being 35 or older, being a person of color, and smoking, the Mayo Clinic explains.
Lakshmi also reflected on other parts of her motherhood journey on the podcast. “For a long time, I think as many women, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a mom in my 20s,” she explained. “But then that changed as I grew older, and I always thought I would be a mother. I always knew I wanted to be a mother. But it wasn’t a concrete idea, I think, until much later.”
She shared on the podcast that prior to having her daughter, she was diagnosed with endometriosis and told it “would be very difficult, if not impossible, to become pregnant naturally.”
Being diagnosed with endometriosis really put a spotlight on wanting to have children for Lakshmi. “That put the issue very front and center in my mind and I was devastated. I really didn’t know if I was going to be able to have children, and I knew I wanted to have children,” she explained.
READ RELATED: Lee Bo-young Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics
Endometriosis is a condition that is thought to happen when endometrial tissue (or tissue that acts like it) develops outside the uterus, usually on other organs within the pelvis and abdominal cavity, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. That tissue responds to hormonal changes every month that cause it to bleed and lead to inflammation, swelling, and scarring. It affects around 1 in 10 reproductive-aged people with uteruses, though that may be an underestimate, percent of childbearing-age women and is considered a leading cause of infertility, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, although it’s certainly not a guarantee that someone won’t be able to conceive.
One of the most common symptoms of endometriosis is heavy and extremely painful periods. Other symptoms include breakthrough bleeding, pain during sex, and pain while going to the bathroom, according to the Mayo Clinic. Several other celebrities have spoken about their experiences with endometriosis, including Chrissy Teigen, Olivia Culpo, Savannah Chrisley, Julianne Hough, Tia Mowry, Amy Schumer, Lena Dunam, Halsey, and Sarah Hyland.
Related:
Source: SELF
