Dear Rck,
I am so sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy and loss.
Whilst I understand the desire to conceive, we and many medical professionals advise waiting for two menstrual cycles. 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.
Ultimately the decision is yours, but I would be concerned about concieving whilst your hCG levels are still elevated. Unfortunately some women do experience some complications following surgery, and if anything was missed, hCG may rise again, meaning you could potentially require further treatment. This is why following this type of surgery you continue to have hCG monitored until it reaches pre pregnancy levels. If you were to become pregnant prior to your hCG levels reaching per pregnancy levels, medical professionals may have a difficult time telling if this was a new pregnancy or complications from surgery, potentially putting you and a pregnancy at risk.
Regarding statistics, 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.
I hope this helps,
Sending much love,
Karen x
The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust
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