Dear OliviaRose,
I am so sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy and loss, we generally feel a mix of emotions from wanting to try again to being petrified of what may lie ahead. I did not have surgery following my ectopic pregnancy, I had methotraxate injection, but I also went on to have a successful pregnancy. I completely understand how worrying it all is.
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.
Regarding your query, we and many medical professionals advise waiting at least two menstrual cycles before trying to conceive again - and this is the same with expectant management treatment, too (ie allowing time for the body to resolve the pregnancy without medical or surgical treatment).
This “wait” is to allow your cycles to resume and have a last menstrual period date from which to date a new pregnancy - important information for checking for ectopic pregnancy in the future. It also allows time for your emotions to surface and be worked through after your ordeal.
It may also be reassuring to know that 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. 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.
Sending much love,
Karen x
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Further information is available at www.ectopic.org.uk
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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.
