Dear Jmacombe,
Whispered congratulations on your pregnancy.
After an ectopic pregnancy, finding we are pregnant again can be a mix of emotions and I can completely understand your feeling nervous. It is perfectly normal to feel scared after our previous experience. When I next fell pregnant my mind started racing and I was only really able to relax to some degree after my early scan. It is a nerve-wracking time and you have a friend here who understands how you are feeling.
When diagnosing an ectopic pregnancy, doctors use a combination of transvaginal ultrasound scanning and blood tests to check HCG levels. Usually scans take place at around six weeks gestation as there is a reasonable chance of seeing an embryo at around this time. If scans are inconclusive, doctors would carry out a series of blood tests to check hCG levels to see if the numbers are rising as expected. However, in isolation, hCG tests only provide a part of the picture - declining levels indicate that a pregnancy has ended and will be miscarried. It can also possibly indicate an ectopic pregnancy that is “self-resolving”. Also hCG levels rising by less than 66% over 48 hours means it is likely (but not certain) that it is ectopic. If levels rise normally, they suggest the pregnancy is implanted in the uterus. You may see from this that hCG levels only indicate certain possibilities and are not in themselves a definitive guide. A positive identification of an implanted embryo on a scan is usually needed before a final diagnosis/certainty that the pregnancy has implanted in the uterus.
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 this time and I will continue to send positive thoughts.
We also have a Pregnant After Ectopic forum board that you can look at with lots of positive success stories.
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
Jesse
love to you all.