Jusy going to get straight to the point here. I had surgery last week for a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. I bled for 5 days which I’m assuming was my uterine lining shedding. I then had brown discharge for 3-4 days followed by yellow discharge over the last 3 days which my doctor thinks is caused by an infection. My problem now is that yesterday I started to bleed again like its a period. My surgery was only 12 days ago so I’m pretty certain it can’t be a period. If it wasn’t a weekend I would call my doctor, but I don’t want to call 111 over something that’s potentially nothing to worry about. My question is has anyone else experienced anything similar? and if you did what happened? Just really want this experience to be over.
Dear Scarlet2803,
I am so sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy and loss,
It is not unusual for women to bleed after treatment for ectopic pregnancy. This first bleed after treatment is a response to falling hormone levels and involves shedding of the uterine lining and is not classed as a period. The length of the bleeding can vary from woman to woman and some women do report spotting and bleeding for up to around six weeks after an ectopic pregnancy.
Your periods can take a while to re-establish - they can re-start anything between two and ten weeks after surgery and most women find that their period arrives sometime around week six or seven after surgery.
The first period may be more painful or less so than usual, heavier or lighter, last for longer or shorter than usual – there really is no set pattern.
The bleed could therefore possibly be following the surgery or it could be your period. I would advise monitoring the bleeding and you should be able to manage any discomfort with over-the-counter pain relief and should not be soaking a pad in less than an hour. If this is not the case, you should seek medical attention.
Sending much love,
Karen x
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