Heterotopic / ovarian eptopic

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Hi

So I was just wondering if many people had been in the same situation as I’m in as just feeling a bit confused about it all…

Basically on Christmas Eve I found out I was pregnant with my 2nd a few weeks later I had a slight bleed and sadly when I had an early scan it showed a sac but it hadn’t developed as it should so no heartbeat. I was gutted… I had to wait a week so the hospital was sure and then they gave me a medical miscarriage. I waited the three weeks and bled heavily in that time. I then started to get really sharp pains in my left side and due to the bleeding etc they said to go back to check nothing had been retained. In the scan then confirmed by blood test they realised I also had a eptopic pregnancy in my ovary so presume I possibly had a heterotopic pregnancy which naturally is apparently really rare. I had two scans where the pregnancy on my ovary wasn’t picked up and according to the hospital they cannot say 100% what has happened as the scan quality of my first two scans is so poor… It’s really hard not really knowing quite what’s happened, if it was one pregnancy or two or if it was actually just one but a mistake was made by someone. I guess the positive is that if picked up at the beginning I would have had an ovary removed and luckily as it was three weeks later my consultant said let’s just hold fire and see what my bloods were doing - they were at that point at 4800 and now around 1200 mark, I am hoping they will keep coming down naturally.

Has anyone else had similar? What is the likelihood it will happen again? I have so many questions but it’s a bit like there isn’t an answer as my scans are poor. Sorry for the ramblings I just needed to put it out there as it just feels a bit of a lonely place at the moment…

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Hi so sorry for your loss xx

I had a ovarian ectopic Aswell , on Christmas Eve 2017 ,

I fount out I was pregnant the 23/12/2017 the Xmas eve everything went crazy I had emergency surgery because of it rupturing and I was internally bleeding ,

I got told the ovarian ectopic is rare and that’s what has been scaring me the most , that it could happen again

Hope this helps

X

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Dear Kate M,

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

Sadly I am not medically trained and as we do not have access to your medical notes I cannot give you specific advice on your ectopic pregnancy.

As you have rightly said, ovarian ectopic pregnancies are rare and heterotopic pregnancies even rarer. If you have further questions about your treatment, you could ask for an appointment talk it through with your consultant. If you are experiencing difficulty with this, you can go through the Patient Advice Liaison Service (PALS) in your hospital who will be able to help.

The chances of a further ectopic after a first in UK is 10%. So that’s 90% chance of the embryo being in right place next time.

While generally it is possible to conceive after an ectopic pregnancy, the amount of time it takes varies from couple to couple. Factors include age, general health, reproductive health and how often you have sex, among other things. It may be comforting to know that 65% of women are successfully pregnant within 18 months of experiencing an ectopic pregnancy and some studies suggest this rises to around 85% after 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.

As a gentle reminder regarding conceiving again, 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. The first bleed soon after surgery for ectopic pregnancy is not classed as a period as it is the body’s response to falling hormone levels.

Making the decision to begin trying to conceive is an emotional rollercoaster compounded by our sad loss. Again, you are not alone. We here emotional support whenever you need us. There is a specific Preparing for your next pregnancy board you can look at too whenever feel ready.

Sending much love,

Karen x

If we have been able to help you, are you able to help us with a small donation or by volunteering?

Further information is available at www.ectopic.org.uk

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.