Dear Njohal,
I am so sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy loss,
It is normal to experience some pain after ectopic pregnancy as your body has been through a great ordeal. The pain could be due to adhesions or scar tissue which formed as part of your healing. It could also be due to heightened awareness because of your sad loss. You may also be feeling ovulation pain (many women including myself never felt ovulation pain before the ectopic pregnancy and experience these sensations after).
I think it may be worth keeping a pain diary to record when you feel the pain (including when in your cycle), its intensity on a scale of 1-10 and if anything helps such as rest, a hot water bottle, paracetamol etc. I would suggest keeping these notes for about 4/6 weeks and then seeing your doctors with this information as it would help them determine how best to manage your symptoms.
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.
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. We never forget but we can learn to accept what happened. It is a slow process that might be weeks or months ahead. In time, we can get to a place where we feel comfortable trying again. When this is, is individual for each person. There is no timeframe for recovery, take each day as it comes. 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. 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
The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust
Registered Charity Number: 1071811
Ectopic pregnancy patient information suite: Highly Commended in the 2019 BMA Patient Information Awards
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