One Year on Possitive story

Louise82 · 25 January 2020 06:53

Hello,

I wanted to come back to this forum and tell of my expetience last year.

At the end of February last year I suffered an ectopic pregnancy. At first I thought it was my period starting as I had light bleeding. When the light bleeding didnt get heavier after a few days I thought it was an irregular period as the month before I had an early miscarrage. I didnt think it was a pregnancy as I had done a first responce test a week earlier and negative. But when the light bleeding hadnt stopped for 10 days I thought something was wrong so I did another test and it was possitive, turns out I had done the first responce too early. I went to the early pregnancy unit and they confirmed it was a miscarrage in an unknown location and I should come back next week as they couldnt rule out ectopic. When I went back they found it was ectopic in my right tube.

The hospital recommended expectant management. It seems to be their policy to recommend that where possible. I agreed to this and that I would come back for a blood test in a few days. I found expectant management really hard emotionally and there seemed to be little I could find from people who have been through the same experience. I was constantly in fear that my tube would rupture and totally obsessed with my HGC levels and very disheartened when they didnt come down between tests.

It took around 6 weeks for my HGC levels to come back down low enough to be discharged. This was just in time to allow us to go on a holiday we had booked some months before.

On that holiday I felt myself ovulating from my left “good” side so we decided to try again. Advice from doctors was that it would be best to wait for at least one cycle. But the reasoning behind this was mostly to do with whether we were ready emotionally to try again and I did feel ready, it just felt right.

I got pregnant in that holiday and 9 months later our son was born. I brought him hime from hospital last week.

At the time of my ectopic pregnancy I was starting to lose hope that we would ever have a baby. I had already had two early miscarrages and a stillbirth at 22 weeks the year before. But we did in the end so I wanted to share my story in case it gave others some hope.

I also wanted to share for anyone going through expextant management. It not for everyone and a very difficult thing to go through emotionally but it has worked for me and I am very glad I opted for it

Thanks

EPT_Host_20 · 25 January 2020 07:02

Dear Louise82,

Congratulations on the safe arrival of your son.

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences and give hope to others, especially at this busy time.

Enjoy every moment.

We would gently remind ladies reading this post 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.

Sending much love and an extra cuddle for the little one,

Karen x

The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust

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lifeisnow · 14 May 2020 10:30

Hi Louise82,

It was soooo good to read your story, as I am on this journey for expectant management and what you described is precisely what I’m feeling and am going through right now: I feel anxious, paranoid with any little cramp or pain in my body, and constantly worried that my tube will go rupture.

I was diagnosed with ectopic pregnancy two days ago, as I feel generally pain free, and my HCG was 1226, the medical team suggested expectant management. I was in a state of shock and confusion. Only when I started researching about it, I realised I could be in danger of losing my left tube. My second blood test came back at 1184, slightly down, but not that much. I’m due to do my 3rd blood test tomorrow morning, but I don’t know whether I should request medical treatment.

I don’t know how you went through 6 weeks with this constant worry. I’m now 6 weeks coming to 7 weeks pregnant, I fear that the possibility of tube rupture grows as time goes along… Does the embryo still grow in the tube, when the HCG comes down?

Love to everyone who is going through this difficult journey x

EPT_Host_20 · 17 May 2020 19:48

Dear Louise82,

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

If the embryo was continuing to grow, your hCG level would be increasing instead of steadily decreasing as yours are.

We have more information about medical management here

https://ectopic.org.uk/patients/treatment/

Feel free to discuss your options with your medical team. Methotrexate injection is often an option but as I do not have access to your medical files, I cannot state whether this is an appropriate option for yourself.

Methotrexate injection has side effects too, and a longer recovery time than medical management. There are more details in the link above.

I would suggest talking through your options with your medical team,

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.