First Ectopic Pregnancy, Periods, Diet & Exercises

Preparing For Your Next Pregnancy
1

hi everyone,

I am new here and I have got a lot of questions. I was reading some other posts but apparently everyone’s experience is bit different than mine. So, I thought to post a new topic. I will try to mention only the important information.

My tube was ruptured and I started bleeding both internally & externally. I had a life-saving surgery on 19th May (I was 7-8 weeks pregnant), my right tube was removed. my surgeon called me after two weeks to check how am I doing (If I read other posts than I guess not every surgeon does that?). I have got an post-op appointment on 26th june.

Few things that my surgeon asked me to avoid till post op appointment;

-lifting objects (no more than 1kg) for six weeks

-no sex for six weeks

-no household stuff like vaccum cleaner for six weeks

-do not try to concieve untill I get 2-3 periods

She advised me to take paracetamol (8*a day + another heavy pain killer -in case my pain gets worse but thank God I didn’t had a severe pain after opt). I also got laxatives (but they made me feel sick so I quitted taking them). At the moment, I am just taking one paracetamol per day (before sleeping).

She encourages me to walk as much as my body allows it. She said it helps to recover soon.

here are my few questions/concerns;

-Period; I still didn’t get them. I asked my surgeon about it and she said it will take 2-3 months before they will return. What I don’t understand is that almost everyone gets them after 4-6 weeks than why in my case will it take too long for them to return?

-Diet; she said that my HB level was dropped from 8 to 6 after the surgery but she didn’t suggests me any vitamins/medicines to take. Is it safe to buy vitamins from drug store and start taking them?

-Exercises; my belly still looks bloated and I have gained weight! I want to loose my weight. any suggestions? which exercises are safe to begin with at home?

I am sorry about the long post and for providing too much information.

2

oh and I forgot to mention that I am 32 years old and it was my first pregnancy. I do not smoke or drink alcoholic beverages. I drink red bull though (2-3 times a week till I got pregnant. After that I quit drinking it).

3

Dear Belle

I am so sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy and loss. You are welcome here for as long as you need to ask any questions or express your emotions in a safe, supportive place.

It is reassuring to hear that your doctor has given you some guidance on recovery after an ectopic pregnancy and that you have a couple of follow up appointments. They seem to be taking very good care of you and we can also provide additional support at this difficult time. To answer your questions:

  • Periods:

While everyone’s recovery path is unique as our individual gynae is so different, periods can take a while to re-establish and generally 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 2/3 months that your doctor mentioned could well be reference to the longer timing of ten weeks and she could be giving you this possible longer timeframe to manage expectations. I think it would also be worthwhile asking her if she is aware of anything specific to your circumstances that might lead her to think that your periods could restart then. I am afraid that I do not have access to your medical records and so it is impossible for me to comment on individual circumstances.

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. You should be able to manage the 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. I thought I would also mention that the first bleed that occurs after surgery is not considered a period as this is the body’s response to falling hormone levels.

  • Diet:

I have come across some debate on whether iron supplements are effective in situations where lower red blood cell count is the result of surgery. This could perhaps be the reason why your doctor did not prescribe any supplements to you and I think it would be worth speaking to her to ask her reasoning and whether she would advise/it would be worth taking any iron supplements now.

  • Exercises:

During your operation, the surgeons would have inserted a small amount of gas into the abdomen in order to expand and see things more clearly. The bloatedness that you are experiencing is a reaction to the operation and the inflammation following this. The length of time this feeling continues varies, but it should settle within six weeks. If it continues for longer than this, I would suggest speaking with your GP. In terms of exercise, if you had keyhole surgery, you can start gentle exercise within two weeks of the operation. If you had open surgery then you should wait six weeks for your abdomen to heal. Gentle, non-impact exercise like swimming is usually safe as long as your wounds are healing.

I hope that this helps and feel free to let me know if you have any further questions.

EPT Host 12

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@EPT Host 12, thanks a lot for your detailed reply. I appreciate that. I will post the comments of my surgeon here after the post-op-appointment which is due this thursday. May be it will be helpful for others as well.

5

Hi Belle,

Sounds like you had a pretty rough time, I’m really sorry you ended up going through that.

I’m on week 7 post op now, from the sound of it we had a pretty similar experience 7/8weeks, ruptured, heavy blood loss ending in major surgery. As I lost a lot of blood I was given iron tablets but I could only take them for about a week. The doctor said as long as you have a balanced diet your iron count should sort itself out, lots of greens :smiley:

My doctor said last week I could start exercising again as long as it wasn’t marathons, tomorrow I’m going back to my first aqua fit class, that is apart from going out for a walk every day or so. I’ve just started driving again and going back to work next week. The first time I got back in the car I understood why they don’t want you driving, it’s amazing what your body uses those muscles for. Use your partner for as much as possible, your body needs time to recover.

Do what you feel comfortable with, your body will tell you if it’s too much.

Take care

Laura