Dear Mariaidris,
I am so sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy loss,
You are still in the early days of your Recovery and pain is quite common following surgery. Your tummy can also feel swollen and painful and again this can be normal. We would advise to use the painkillers you have been given per instructions. If your pain is not controlled when taking medication regularly of you develop a temperature or smelly vaginal discharge or your surgery wounds become red, sore and weeping, please seek medical advice again.
Sometimes if we are taking lots of painkillers it can also cause constipation where we have trouble going for a poo and this can also cause tummy pain. If this happens please speak to a local pharmacist who will be able to advise you on the best treatment.
A urinary tract infection will not affect your remaining fallopian tube so do not worry about that.
We have more information on physical recovery from ectopic pregnancy on our website here
https://ectopic.org.uk/physical-recovery
With regards to trying to conceive again, generally, when a person has only one fallopian tube and both ovaries, they are still able to get pregnant from an egg at the opposite ovary as an egg from one ovary can travel down the tube on the other side. The fallopian tubes are not attached to the ovaries and, at the point of ovulation, some very delicate structures called the fimbriae begin to move gently creating a slight vacuum to suck the egg toward the end of the tube it is nearest to (like lots of little fingers waving and drawing the egg towards it). So, if you have only one tube then there is only one set of receptors working and one set of fimbriae creating a vacuum and so the egg is much more likely to find its way to that tube, whichever ovary it is produced from. Conservative estimates suggest that an egg produced on the tubeless side manages to descend the remaining tube around 15 to 20% of the time.
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.
Please be kind to yourself and allow time to grieve and heal both physically and emotionally. We will be here for you for as long as you need,
Sending much love,
Karen x
The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust
Registered Charity Number: 1071811
The EPT is awarded the PIF TICK as a Trusted Information Creator, the UK-wide quality mark for healthcare information
If the information provided here or through the EPT website has helped you, you can donate towards our support services, volunteer, or fundraise to raise awareness.
Further information is available on our website.
Email us: ept@ectopic.org.uk
We provide a call-back support line: 020 7733 2653. We are able to provide support in multiple languages including British Sign Language.
Take a look at our newsletters and subscribe to our mailing list.
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