Hi Calm,
I’m so sorry that you have suffered an ectopic pregnancy and loss. I fully understand that strong desire to conceive again and 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. 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.
The chances of a further ectopic after a first in the UK are 10%. So that’s a 90% chance of the embryo being in the right place next time. 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.
When a person has only one fallopian tube, 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. Conservative estimates suggest that an egg produced on the tubeless side manages to descend the remaining tube around 15-20% of the time. This means that rather than your fertility being halved, it has been affected by around 30% or, looking at it another way, it means we have around a 70% opportunity of conception with each menstrual (period) cycle.
Please know that we are here to answer any questions and provide any support you may need.
With good wishes,
Michele
The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust
Registered Charity Number: 1071811
Ectopic pregnancy patient information suite: Highly Commended in the 2019 BMA Patient Information Awards
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Further information is available at ectopic.org.uk
Email us: ept@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.