Hello, I am completely new to this forum. In February this year I found out that I had an ectopic pregnancy. This was dealt with through expectant management and after many visits back and forth for bloods to be taken it was confirmed that my numbers were negative and I could be discharged. However, I had let the midwives in the Early Pregnancy Unit know that I had still been experiencing pain on my left side and so they agreed to another scan (this was on the same day that my bloods came back negative). The sonographer could still see the mass which they thought to be the ectopic pregnancy in my left tube and remarked that there was some more fluid in my pelvis than there had been in the previous scan. I was told to wait at the hospital until a doctor looked at the scan as they may wish to speak to me. After a couple of hours, while still on hospital grounds, one of the midwives phoned me to tell me all was fine and I could be discharged. I queried that fact that the ectopic could still be seen on the scan, despite the numbers being negative, and asked if I could come back for another scan at a later date to confirm that it was no longer showing. I have been unable to get a straight answer on this other than for them to say that they will not offer another scan and that they just go on the bloods being negative. They said that the ectopic might take some time to go away but have not been able to give me any indication of how long this might take. I am so confused by all of this as they have suggested that I can start TTC again straight away, but surely if there is still something remaining in one of my tubes, this would cause issues? I find it surprising that they would not offer another scan to confirm that this is gone. Has anyone else had a similar experience to this?
Dear ljc,
I am so sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy loss,
In the UK, women aren’t routinely scanned or offered additional investigations to see if a mass is still present before ttc again.
We wouldn’t suggest trying to conceive straight away. We and many medical professionals advise waiting for two menstrual cycles. It is important to allow time for your body to recover and emotions to surface and be worked through. This is so that you have some comfort that your body is returning to its natural rhythm and you have a last menstrual period date from which to date a new pregnancy - key information in checking you are not suffering from an ectopic pregnancy in the future.
This is generally also allows time for any mass to be naturally reabsorbed. It is generally possible to conceive after an ectopic pregnancy. The time it takes to conceive successfully after an ectopic pregnancy varies considerably from couple to couple. This can be affected by factors including age, general health, reproductive health and how often you have intercourse (sex). Overall, 65% of women are healthily pregnant within 18 months of an ectopic pregnancy. Some studies suggest this figure rises to around 85% over two years. Sadly, it is not possible to stop an ectopic pregnancy from happening. Importantly, help is available with future pregnancies with an early scan at around six weeks gestation to check that the embryo is in the right place. We are here too for emotional support, as and when you need us.
Sending much love,
Karen x
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Thank you for your response, and advice re the time to wait before ttc again x