Uterine Positions: What Is a Tipped Uterus?

April 14, 2011 | 3 Comments

Many women are told that they have a “tipped uterus.” This is significant because it can affect the difficulty of an exam, such as an ultrasound. Knowing the uterine position makes it easier for a physician to complete procedures such as biopsies, or help with pregnancy examinations.

A physician may not be able to hear a heartbeat for a pregnancy in a retroflexed uterus as early as he might in an anteverted uterus. A woman with a retroflexed uterus might have back pain from fibroids, whereas a woman with an anteflexed uterus may have more abdominal cramping with fibroids. While differences such as these exist among the different uterine positions, they are not abnormal. Uterine position is not an indicator of health and does not affect a woman’s ability to conceive or carry a pregnancy.

Uterine position is much like eye or hair color. Several variations exist, and they are all normal. Just as a woman might have blue or brown eyes, she may have a retroverted or an anteverted uterus. In fact, five different uterine positions exist.


The position of the uterus has to do with how it is tipped from the bottom of the cervix, and whether it flexes, or folds, and in which direction.

• The anteverted uterus tips forward.
• The anteverted and anteflexed uterus tips forward and folds, or flexes, forward at the cervix.
• A retroverted uterus points straight toward the head.
• A retroflexed uterus flexes backward at the cervix, so that the body and fundus of the uterus point toward the back.
• A retroverted and retroflexed uterus tips backward and folds, or flexes, backward at the cervix.

The uterus may also tilt toward the right or the left. As a pregnancy grows, the uterus becomes retroverted. It generally returns to its normal position after the pregnancy.

The different uterine positions are completely normal. They can present a bit of a challenge during some health examinations, but may require nothing more than patience. A “tipped uterus” does not affect fertility or any other health concerns.

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3 Responses to "Uterine Positions: What Is a Tipped Uterus?"

1. king says:
   September 16, 2011 at 2:13 pm

   I have been diagnosed with an anteverted retroflexed uterus, and told that my womb is stuck to itself, will I we able to conceive and hold a pregnancy to full term?
2. patricia says:
   October 11, 2011 at 3:19 pm

   hi i recently went for an ultrasound and found im 5 to 6 weeks pregnant , i went in as ive been suffering from pain on right side and during intercourse , doctors found i have anterverted uterus- intra uterine could this be the cause of my pain? i also suffer from severe back pain ……… plz help??????
3. Diane Ursu says:
   October 29, 2011 at 10:02 am

   King and Patricia, read the second paragraph of this article. Uterine position is not abnormal. It’s like having green or blue eyes.
    
   King, if your doctor is treating your retroflexed uterus like it’s a bad thing, then get a new doctor. It may cause some frustration for your doctor because it can be more difficult to examine, just like having extra fat on the body, but retroflexion is common and normal. If it is actually stuck, that has nothing to do with the position, but is probably an indicator of endometriosis, which is a pathology that may occur regardless of uterine position. I suggest getting clarification about what the actual situation is: is it actually stuck, like it is glued; or is it just folded back, which is normal?
    
   Patricia, and anteverted uterus is also very common. Your pain probably has much more to do with the corpus luteum cyst on your ovary—I’m guessing it’s on the right ovary since that is where the pain is. You may also experience this pain during ovulation. The corpus luteum cyst secretes progesterone during the first trimester. This hormone tells your body that you are pregnant and that it should not abort the pregnancy. It’s a good thing. It should clear up by week 12.