Hi in Feb I was pregnant with twins but I had a ectopic pregnancy that caused the removal of my left tube as well as a miscarriage at the same time and a bleeding syst on my left ovary that had left my stomach filling up with blood. As you could imagine I’m still torn up about the situation I was in. I was eight weeks pregnant at the time I am now desperate to get pregnant again. It breaks my heart having to wait as I have no idea if I can only release one egg every two months as I only have one tube left the hospital didn’t give me any information what so ever. Any help would be very much greatful thank you for reading xx
Dear Leahbessant27,
I am so sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy and losses. To experience one loss is difficult, to deal with multiple losses is heartbreaking and my heart truly goes out to you.
We and many medical professionals advise waiting at least two menstrual cycles before trying to conceive again, as this time has passed, you can start trying to conceive when you feel ready. It is normal to feel anxious about the future. We experience a mix of emotions from wanting to try again to being petrified of what may lie ahead.
Generally, when a person has only one fallopian tube and both ovaries, they are 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.
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. 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.
Importantly early scans avail. As soon as you know you are pregnant, contact your local EPU to inform them and book in for an early scan at around six weeks. Remind them of your previous ectopic pregnancy. This self refer route is the best route in our view. Hopefully you will have some comfort to know you are under the radar of medical professionals right away.
Making the decision to begin trying to conceive is an emotional rollercoaster compounded by our sad loss. You are not alone, we here emotional support whenever you need us.
Sending much love,
Karen x
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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.
If you dont get pregnant within 6 months then speak to your doctor ive just been referred to get checks as ive been trying for 6 minths with no luck. X