trying again after ovarian ectopic

xxnic87xx · 31 July 2017 14:40

Hi Guys

I am writing this post for a little support, im feeling really down at the moment. In JanuaryI had an ovarian ectopic pregnancy which was treated with a shot of methotrexate. My periods seem to be back in routine, ive been doin the clear blue ovulation tests and getting smiley faces but its jst not happening for us. I am getting myself upset thinking there is something wrong as I fell straight away in my first month when tried previously. everyone around me is pregnant at the moment and im feeling so low and down about things. this is goin to be my third month of trying and ive decided to not do the tests i dont know if thats more added stress than needed. im desperate for a baby xx

EPT_Host_20 · 31 July 2017 20:58

Dear xxnic87xx,

I very much understand that strong desire to conceive. I appreciate how frustrating it can be if it isn’t happening as quickly as we would like. I too was treated with methotraxate and personally it took 7 months for me to conceive again. Your feelings are completely normal.

Trying to conceive again can be a challenging time for couples especially after experiencing loss. 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.

I wish I could give more precise information, but as I do not have access to your and your partner’s medical records, it is difficult for me to provide specific details. Generally, we and many healthcare professionals advise keeping a healthy balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight and abstaining from alcohol and smoking.

Importantly, help is available if conceiving naturally has not yet been successful after some time trying - and the EPT advises that women under 35 should seek medical advice following 12 months trying to conceive and those over 35 should seek advice after 6 months. 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.

In addition. having regular sex means having sex every 2/3 days throughout the month. Guidance from the UK’s National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence advises that having sex around the time when the woman ovulates causes stress and is not recommended. We here at the EPT suggest having intercourse 2/3 times between days 10-20 of their cycle when trying to conceive. We also have information on our website on trying to conceive here:

https://www.ectopic.org.uk/patients/trying-to-conceive/

Sending much love,

Karen x

If we have been able to help you, are you able to help us with a small donation or by volunteering?

Further information is available at www.ectopic.org.uk

Email us at ept@ectopic.org.uk.

Our helpline is 020 7733 2653 (available Monday to Friday 10am - 4pm).

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.

xxnic87xx · 1 August 2017 15:20

Thanks Karen and was everything ok when you became pregnant again? I know I maybe heading down a long road and seem impatient but I just have lost hope in ever concieving again and having a baby. I am so worried the same thing will happen again an ovarian ectopic is so rare and i still have two tubes and two ovaries so i guess im lucky its just constantly playing on my mind every day x

EPT_Host_20 · 1 August 2017 20:17

Dear xxnic87xx,

You are right in that an ovarian ectopic pregnancy is rare and whilst we cannot prevent ectopic pregnancies happening, 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.

When I next fell pregnant, I experienced severe pain at around 5.5 weeks. My hCG levels were high but nothing could be seen on the scan so they mentally prepared me for another ectopic pregnancy. A week later and there was a little heart beat, in the correct place. So it didn’t go smoothly but was a success in the end.

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.

I completely understand your worry, we feel a mix of emotions from wanting to try again to being petrified of what may lie ahead. You have friends here who understand and will be with you every step of the way.