Dear Tara,
I am sorry to hear of your worries,
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 the ordeal you have endured. I also felt twinges and aches after my ectopic pregnancy, particularly when I next felt 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.
To provide an overview - with a healthy pregnancy, hCG levels typically double every 48-72 hours. If levels rise normally, they can suggest (but not give a certain answer) that the pregnancy is implanted in the uterus. HCG levels that rise by less than 66 per cent over 48 hours can mean the pregnancy may be ectopic. So while hCG levels can rise with an ectopic pregnancy this isn’t necessarily at the “normal” rate. Declining levels can indicate that the pregnancy has ended - possibly a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy that is “self resolving”.
A Pregnancy of Unknown Location (PUL) is not a diagnosis but a label until the final location can be identified with certainty. I cannot be sure, but it certainly could be the case that it may be too early to see a pregnancy on your scan. For every 100 pregnancies labelled as a PUL about 10 will subsequently be found to be ectopic; and not all of these will need treatment.
I am glad you are booked in for another scan and although I do not wish to alarm you, I would advise to seek urgent medical advice with any abdominal pain, bleeding, shoulder tip pain or you feel dizzy and unwell.
I wish I could give you tips on how to make this week go quicker, I vividly remember the wait for my scans and it is such a worrying time. Take each day as it comes and try to keep yourself busy.
Sending much love and positive thoughts,
Karen x
The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust
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