Me and my partner have been trying for nearly a year to get pregnant following loosing twins last year, one in the womb and one ectopic. I tried Methatrexate but it ruptured anyway so ended up in surgery. I’m trying ovulation tests now and taking folic acid but becoming very downhearted and every time my period arrives it’s getting harder.
Dear Soph19,
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.
I very much understand that strong desire to conceive. I appreciate how frustrating it can be if it isn’t happening as quickly as we would like. Conceiving successfully can take time and can take some couples more than a year or so.
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.
I wish I could give more precise information, but as I do not have access to your and your partner’s medical records, it is difficult for me to provide specific details. Generally, we and many healthcare professionals advise keeping a healthy balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight and abstaining from alcohol and smoking. In addition. having regular sex means having sex every 2/3 days throughout the month. Guidance from the UK’s National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence advises that having sex around the time when the woman ovulates causes stress and is not recommended. We here at the EPT suggest having intercourse 2/3 times between days 10-20 of their cycle when trying to conceive.
Importantly, help is available if conceiving naturally has not yet been successful after some time trying - and 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. As you have been trying for a year, I would think it worthwhile speaking to your doctors who can look into any appropriate tests for you and your partner and investigate further if you wish.
Sending much love,
Karen x
The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust
Registered Charity Number: 1071811
If we have been able to help you, are you able to help us with a small donation or by volunteering or fundraising?
Further information is available at ectopic.org.uk
Email us: ept@ectopic.org.uk
We provide a call-back helpline service: 020 7733 2653
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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
It’s over one year now I had ectopic surgery which my left tube was ruptured and removed, I have done series of scans as regards to fertility, my right tube is in order, I was told that I don’t ovulate from the hormonal profile test. I have tried so many things, English drugs even herbs, I don’t know if I can get advice on what to do, it’s getting to 2 years now.
Dear AngelD,
I am so sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy and loss and continued struggle to conceive.
In the UK, if conceiving naturally has not yet been successful after some time trying, 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. As you have been trying for over a year, I would think it worthwhile speaking to your doctors who can look into any appropriate tests for you and your partner and investigate further and refer you to a fertility specialist.
There is no medication that guarantees conception, if you have an underlying condition that is affecting your fertility, your doctors would be able to diagnose and treat the symptoms. They are best placed to advise you. Also, sadly some people take advantage of vulnerable people and suggest all sorts of natural/herbal/alternative remedies with various claims. Please treat these claims with caution as they may have unintended harmful effects. The only supplement we recommend while trying to conceive is folic acid for the healthy development of a foetus.
In addition we advise having regular sex means having sex every 2/3 days throughout the month. Guidance from the UK’s National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence advises that having sex around the time when the woman ovulates causes stress and is not recommended. We here at the EPT suggest having intercourse 2/3 times between days 10-20 of their cycle when trying to conceive. We also have information on our website on trying to conceive here:
https://ectopic.org.uk/patients/trying-to-conceive/
Sending much love,
Karen x
The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust
Registered Charity Number: 1071811
Ectopic pregnancy patient information suite: Highly Commended in the 2019 BMA Patient Information Awards
During the coronavirus outbreak, The EPT team is still working hard to provide crucial information and support to women and families experiencing ectopic pregnancy as quickly and efficiently as we can.
If we have been able to help you, are you able to help us with a small donation or by volunteering or fundraising?
Further information is available at ectopic.org.uk
Email us: ept@ectopic.org.uk
We provide a call-back helpline service: 020 7733 2653
Take a look at our newsletters and subscribe to our mailing list here: https://mailchi.mp/986bdd6091ee/ectopic-matters
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
It is advised that women under 35 should seek medical advice following 12 months of trying to conceive. Is that 12 months including suffering an ectopic or 12 months following an ectopic? I continually struggle with this suggested time frame because the only confirmed pregnancy I have had during the past 13 months was my ectopic in November 
Dear jmw5353,
I am so sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy and loss,
Medical professionals usually advise to ttc for 12months since your last pregnancy, so this would be from November.
I very much understand that strong desire to conceive. I appreciate how frustrating it can be if it isn’t happening as quickly as we would like. Conceiving successfully can take time and can take some couples more than a year or so.
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.
In addition. having regular sex means having sex every 2/3 days throughout the month. Guidance from the UK’s National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence advises that having sex around the time when the woman ovulates causes stress and is not recommended. We here at the EPT suggest having intercourse 2/3 times between days 10-20 of their cycle when trying to conceive.
Sending much love,
Karen x
The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust
Registered Charity Number: 1071811
Ectopic pregnancy patient information suite: Highly Commended in the 2019 BMA Patient Information Awards
During the coronavirus outbreak, The EPT team is still working hard to provide crucial information and support to women and families experiencing ectopic pregnancy as quickly and efficiently as we can.
If we have been able to help you, are you able to help us with a small donation or by volunteering or fundraising?
Further information is available at ectopic.org.uk
Email us: ept@ectopic.org.uk
We provide a call-back helpline service: 020 7733 2653
Take a look at our newsletters and subscribe to our mailing list here: https://mailchi.mp/986bdd6091ee/ectopic-matters
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
Hi Karen. Thank you for posting and shedding some light on the 12 month time frame. This has certainly helped to ease my mind and to not be so quick to jump to conclusions of needing medical advice just yet.