Dear Loulabelle
I am so so sorry to hear of your loss. I also had my right tube removed after my ectopic pregnancy and understand that yearning to conceive again. I will do my utmost to support you and answer your questions as best I can.
I know how sometimes statistics can be bewildering, but I hope it offers some comfort to know that overall, 65% of women are healthily pregnant within 18 months of an ectopic pregnancy and some studies suggest this figure rises to around 85% over two years.
The time it generally takes to conceive successfully after an ectopic pregnancy varies considerably. This can be affected by factors including age, general health, reproductive health and how often you have sex (intercourse). Unfortunately, we don’t have access to your medical records to comment on these. However, the numbers I mention above are on our side and it is usually possible to conceive. When I had my ectopic, I wanted to hear positive stories too so it may be helpful to know that I have managed to conceive successfully with just my left tube.
The science-y bit to explain what happens when a person has only one fallopian tube may also help to make sense of it all - the good news is that a person with one tube is still able to get pregnant from an egg at the opposite ovary as an egg from one ovary can travel down the tube on the other side. The fallopian tubes are not attached to the ovaries and, at the point of ovulation, some very delicate structures called the fimbriae begin to move gently creating a slight vacuum to suck the egg toward the end of the tube it is nearest to (like lots of little fingers waving and drawing the egg towards it). So, if you have only one tube then there is only one set of receptors working and one set of fimbriae creating a vacuum and so the egg is much more likely to find its way to that tube, whichever ovary it is produced from. Conservative estimates suggest that an egg produced on the tubeless side manages to descend the remaining tube around 15 to 20% of the time.
Having ‘regular sex’ means having sex every two to three days throughout the month. Some couples may try to time having sex with when the woman ovulates (releases an egg). However, guidance from NICE (National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence) advises that this causes stress and is not recommended. The EPT advice is that women trying to conceive should have intercourse 2 or 3 times between day 10 and 20 of their cycle. The EPT advises that women under 35 should seek medical advice following 12 months trying to conceive and those over 35 should seek advice after 6 months.
Regarding an HSG, doctors prefer not to use this test unless they really need to because it is not a 100% accurate test. For example, if the fallopian tubes go into spasm during the test they can appear blocked even though this isn’t the case. The test can also not determine what the internal villi of the tube look like. Furthermore, it is an invasive test and there is a small chance that it can cause infection of the fallopian tubes hence their preference to only perform the test when it is unquestionably required. Also, typically during surgery, doctors would have looked at your remaining tube and would have told you if they saw anything that might affect your chances (you may wish to give them a call to ask).
I know it sounds so easy for me to say and, as someone who has walked a similar path to you, please try to be gentle on yourself. Trying to conceive after an ectopic brings with it so many emotions and you do have time on your side with your age. We are all here for you and, if you have any further questions or just want to let off some steam, do feel free to use these boards for as long as you need.
Sending you lots of good wishes.
Munira
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Email us at ept@ectopic.org.uk. Our helpline is 020 7733 2653 (available Monday to Friday 10am - 4pm).
Detailed medical information can be found on our website. Please remember online medical information is NO SUBSTITUTE for expert medical advice from your own health care team.
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