3rd post ectopic period late, negative pregnancy tests

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1

Hi All

My ectopic was in mid November 2020 and I lost my left tube. I wasn’t offered any post-surgery follow up appointment.

It was 11 days later before my post surgery bleed started and my first period arrived exactly 6 weeks after my surgery date. I’ve read that periods often arrive 6/7 weeks post surgery so I took that as a sign that my recovery was going as expected. My 2nd cycle came a bit early at 25 days (I’d normally be around 27, give or take a day either side) but my 3rd period hasn’t arrived yet and today is day 31. I’ve done 2 pregnancy tests on day 27 & day 29, both negative.

I wasn’t able to detect my lh surge this month but a few of my test strips seemed faulty so I might’ve missed it and I had on/off pain on the side of my right ovary and tube throughout Day 13 which coincided with my expected ovulation date so I was fairly certain ovulation had happened.

I’ve had various symptoms over the last few weeks including mild pain, predominantly right tube side, also pain in my sides (above my hip bone). I’ve noticed this a lot since surgery. I’ve had thick, sticky blobs of cervical mucus recently which is apparently normal when your period is due. Also lower back pain, and shooting pains from my left buttock into my lower back which make make it hard for me to straighten my back for a moment.

Keen to know if others have had similar experiences and when/if I can expect my periods to normalise i.e. 27/28 day cycles.

P. S. I don’t know how much of my symptoms relate to my period versus general aches and pains. The left buttock may be tightness in my glutes from running, I need to do more stretching and have a sports massage.

Any feedback would be appreciated

NovemberRain

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Dear NovemberRain,

I am so sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy and loss,

Periods can certainly take a few months to settle into a rhythm that is more normal for you.

Periods can be delayed for a number of reasons including stress or even (as surprising as it may sound) excessive exercise or weight loss. Doctors normally consider menstrual cycles of between 23-42 days to be within normal parameters. If you have not had your expected period, we would advise retesting, using an early morning urine sample in a further week.

The pain may well be due to Your exercise. You could try some over the counter pain relief to see if this helps it settle. As you have been TTC, while I do not want to alarm you, if you experience any pain or unusual bleeding, please do get medical attention as soon as you can.

Sending much love,

Karen x

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