Hi All,
So I had an ectopic pregnancy and had to have emergency surgery at the beginning of July. I had no symptoms, and was about 11 weeks along. I lost my left tube and a little bit of me at the same time. Corney I know!
I’ve had lots of different advise from doctors, one said as soon as your ready one said after one cycle so you have a date another said 2 cycles and another said 3.
I’m happy to wait the 2 cycles/3 months but I’m terrified that barrier protection isn’t 100% effective so what if I do get pregnant before that time? Is that an issue? We haven’t had sex since the diagnosis because I’m terrified of pregnancy and this last one I caught immediately.
Anyone have any similar experiences/conerns etc? Help!!!
Dear Ghost5891,
I am so sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy and loss, it can be a very difficult time and it is not corney to feel you have lost a little bit of you too. I and many other women, feel exactly the same way. Be kind to yourself and allow time to heal both physically and emotionally.
Regarding your query, we and many medical professionals advise waiting at least two menstrual cycles before trying to conceive again. 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.
If you do think you have become pregnant before this timeframe, please do seek medical advice as soon as possible. It is recommended to have an early scan. 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.
Making the decision to begin trying to conceive is an emotional rollercoaster compounded by our sad loss. Again, you are not alone. We here emotional support whenever you need us.
Sending much love,
Karen x
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Hi there,
I had surgery to remove my right fallooian tube and with it, my precious second pregnancy on 27/10/16. This would be our second child and a very much loved and wanted child. We had a straightforward first pregnancy and so naturally, as soon as we knew we were expecting again, we made plans for our second child. Our hopes and dreams were quickly dashed when we were told that the pregnancy was in fact an ectopic pregnancy and my right fallopian tube was removed. We were absolutely heartbroken. I was so worried about what this meant for my fertility. We knew that we definitely wanted another child and genuinely as selfish as this sounds because I already had one beautiful little boy, I knew my life wouldn’t be complete without having another. We talked about and fretted over what this meant for our fertility whilst also coming to terms with the fact that we had lost the child that we had made plans for. We were approaching 8 weeks pregnant when our tiny angel was taken along with our hopes and dreams.
My husband told me that we could try again and there would be other children and I remember lying in bed sobbing my heart out that I didn’t want another child, I wanted that one. The 27/10/16 was the day of my surgery, I bled very heavily for around 10 days after surgery. I was told that this wasn’t a “proper period”. A few weeks later, I hadn’t had my first period and was starting to worry about where it was. I took a pregnancy test to rule it out and it was positive. The doctors told me that it was likely the hormones left over from the ectopic pregnancy but I felt hopeful otherwise. On 31/07/17 I gave birth to my daughter Evelynne. She is beautiful and our little miracle. It is thought that we conceived around 3 weeks after surgery to remove the ectopic pregnancy. I never post on forums or anything but I wanted you to know that hope is not lost. Yes… any subsequent pregnancy is a blessing but it won’t replace the little person who you hoped you were having. The cruel thing about miscarriages/ ectopic pregnancies is that you loose a little person that you thought you were going to have. You made plans for him/her and you will never know if it would have been a boy or girl or who they may have turned out to be. It’s heartbreaking and I totally get it! Evelynne is here and she is just beautiful but my mind still goes back to our now “middle child” who we will never know and our children will never know.
I guess after all my warbling on my message is this… there’s still so much hope after an ectopic! Hope for your fertility! Hope for your future! It’s such a bad place to be when it happens to you but rest assured, your fertility is much less affected than you think it is!
It took me 18 months to conceive my first child and I had two Fallopian tubes back then. It took me around 3 or 4 weeks to conceive after surgery to remove my right fallopain tube!!
Sending all my love and well wishes! Xxx
Thank you Jenna for your reply. It’s comforting to know that although the advice is 2 cycles it doesn’t really matter too much if it’s less. It’s been a real struggle since the surgery because I kept panicking, what if.
It’s a terrifying idea to try again on the basis it is more likely to happen again but it’s great to know that people do go on to have normal pregnancies afterwards, thank you.
Unfortunately my brother announced the day before I found out it was ectopic that his girlfriend is due about a week before we were. I know I’m always going to be wondering what my baby would have been doing as their boy grows up.
So glad your little one is doing well
Thank you x