What reason did they give you for your ectopic?

Preparing For Your Next Pregnancy
1

Hi everyone I’m newto this board. I found out my pregnancy was ectopic on the 19th August, I was nearly 7 weeks. Had no pain at all only bleeding which is why I had an early scan. I never even prepared myself at all for an ectopic.

Anyway I had a laparoscopy and my left tube removed, thankfully ovaries are still in tact.

For those that had surgery and tube removed, did the hospital give u a reason as to why it happened I.e infected tube? I don’t have any of the risk factors it gives you for an increased chance of having an ectopic.

They just told me everything looked healthy and it was “one of those things” but from everything I’ve seen online it says it’s usually down to Infection etc.

The ONLY thing I can think of a potential reason is that About a week after I would have gotten pregnant, I got a really nasty 48 hour sickness bug as well as an ear infection. My immune system is pretty low generally anyway but I felt like my body was just giving up at that time. Could that have been a reason why it happened?!

I’m wanting to make myself as healthy as possible before we start trying again, but I really am petrified this is going to happen again. I’m now on iron tablets and I’ve got an infection in my stitches which I’m on antibiotics for and they’re making me feel awful.

I just want to get back to normal :(.

2

Hi there - my consultants were pretty vague about why it happened with no history of any issues or infections. I did have a retained placenta after having my son and wondered whether that was the cause but they said it wouldn’t be connected.

The only thing the surgeon suggested other than it just being one of those things is that because mine was on the right side that an infection in the appendix could be to blame but I’m.pretty sure I would know if I had had an infected appendix at some point.

It’s hard not knowing the whys, especially in order to be reassured it won’t happen again.

3

Hi,

I was told it was “one of those things” too, which is hard to hear as I would almost prefer a reason, so that I could try to avoid it from happening next time. I have also been blaming myself and thinking was it this or that, but like the hosts on here will tell you, we cannot blame ourselves, we were just unlucky it happened to us.

I’m still in mixed emotions about trying again as I just don’t think I can go through all the heartbreak if it was to happen again, so I want to be as healthy as possible too. I’ve started taking folic acid, but are still on iron tablets as my blood levels are still low following surgery.

4

Hi Rog 1311,

I’m so sorry to hear that you have suffered an ectopic pregnancy and loss. It can be a confusing time, leaving us with many questions. I will do my very best to help. In regards to your sickness and ear infection, we are not aware of a causal link between ear infections/immune systems and ectopic pregnancy.

Your ectopic pregnancy was only a month ago and it is still early days in your recovery. You have had a massive physical and emotional upheaval, and recovery from ectopic pregnancy will take time. Everyone’s path is unique to them and there are no set timeframe for emotional recovery. There are no “musts” or “shoulds” or deadlines. Grieve as you wish and cry, vent, release your emotions as you need.

I found that the first few months were the hardest, as I didn’t fully understand why it happened to me. Slowly, the darkest clouds lifted and I began to have some ok days and even some good days again sometimes. Recovery is not always a smooth path however and some days were good and some not so good. With time though, I began to accept what had happened and, although we never forget, it is something that is a part of us that we learn to live with.

Like you, while I also read the risk factors, I related to none of them. I spent hours wracking my brain on what could possibly be happening in my body. However, with two surgeries for two ectopics, my doctors continued to diagnosed my ectoptic pregnancies as “bad luck”. While I still wish there was more research directed towards finding out “why” ectopics occur, I’ve also come to a peace with understanding there was nothing I could have done to prevent it. In my case, which I found as a positive, I became more aware and intentional of my levels of stress and my overall well-being. Whether that had any effect on my future pregnancies, I can not say. I just believe it helped with my overall welfare.

Please do allow yourself all the time and space that you need to heal and know that you have a supportive environment here for as long as you need.

My best to you,

Michele

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Further information is available at http://www.ectopic.org.uk

Email us at 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.

5

Hi there

When I was 14 I had appendicitis that was never properly diagnosed. I had searing pain in my right side and was vomiting. I was rushed to hospital and given morphine for the pain. I didn’t know this at the time, but it must have ruptured and leaked bacteria into my abdomen. This wasn’t picked up even after 7 days in hospital. Years later at after 3 months TTC, I had an EP @ 6 weeks, and the surgeon found a lot of damage to both tubes as a result of the appendicitis (adhesions indicated infection, and appendix looked abnormal). He removed both tubes to prevent a inevitable 2nd EP. I wish I’d/my parents had been more aware of the fertility consequences of that infection at the time, and that I’d had a more thorough diagnosis and treatment. As a 14 year old I remember very little of that week, but it’s had quite an effect on my adult life.

6

Hey,

Wanted to add that I also wanted to know why. I was also told they didn’t know but I had my gall bladder removed a couple of years before my ectopic and the surgeons were very interested in the fact I’d had that. I needed my right tube removing and that would be the side any scar tissue or related gloop would have slid down to. I’ve read there can be a connection.

Initially I thought it was because I’d had a very intense Thai massage when I would have been ‘just’ pregnant, where the masseuse stood on my hips whilst I was face down. I was horrified that this could be the reason. I’ve asked a few Gynos and they’ve said it probably wasn’t that as the egg wouldn’t been so small etc.

So I think it may have been some gunk from the gall bladder op as my ectopic was right on the end of my tube which is quite rare and implies there was something sticky that the egg got stuck on.

I agree with what the forum poster has said though, things definitely get easier with time xxxx

7

Hi, am new! I found out I was pregnant on the 4th of Feb after having really bad right abdominal pain and deciding to go to the hospital as I thought it may appendicitis!! For some strange reason, after being asked by doctor so many times am I pregnant and frustratingly saying no ( as I had my period on 23rd Jan) my bloods(HCG) confirmed I was about 5 weeks and half pregnant!! This was a massive shock!! The ultrasound confirmed it was an ectopic pregnancy and everything happened so fast, had larproscopy and right tube removed. The doctors explain the procedures very well, and just put it down to “one of those things” . They did say to me whether I have had any sti such as chlamydia or gonorrhoea as they r thought to increase the chances of ectopic pregnancy. Looking back now, around the 6th of January, I got a horrible a horrible bug, which I first thought to be flu, I was vomiting not so much with lack of appetite and a horrible cough. This lasted about a week till I went to my gp and they gave me antibiotics for 7 days. Could this have caused the ectopic pregnancy, just my immune system being very down and everything not working as it should. It’s a heartbreaking experience I still cry when I think about it. I desperately want to be a mother and to have found out that way and only being pregnant for few hours before the hope was all taken away from me. I keep being positive as we are thinking of trying after few months we’re am fully recovered, however part of me don’t want to as it’s all fear of it happening again. Just keeping positive!!

8

Th3 difficulty with ectopic a lot or the time is there never really is a reason or another answer as to why it happens conception just happens in the wrong place and the ovum never gets to where it needs to be. I never got an answer or explanation doctors just said yep something small there Thakeham methotrexate and follow the bloods pathway and then that was it. No follow up or call to check I was OK. X

9

Hello, I was in a similar situation - I had what I thought was a period and then about 10 days later got severe abdominal pain and bleeding and was rushed to A&E, they did bloods and confirmed 6 weeks pregnant, embryo had implanted in the end of my tube so full salpingectomy on right tube but ovary saved. After my surgery the doctor said they had found a lot of adhesions in my pelvic area, probably from undiagnosed Pelvic Inlammatory Disease which had gone untreated. She removed the adhesions as much as possible and said she was not surprised we had struggled to conceive (7 years TTC) as my whole uterus area was fixed with these adhesions rather than being flexible. I am hoping and praying that the removal of the adhesions will now help me conceive again. I was given 2 strong courses of antibiotics to kill off anything that could have been causing the PID but she said it could have been from years and years ago and had now cleared. I have since looked in to PID and can be from so many things that I had no idea about. I am so gutted to have lost our baby but am glad to have some sort of an answer as to why we havent conceived before - the embryo literally couldnt implant (except from in the wrong place) Doctor said we have most likely conceived many any times without implantation.

Wishing everyone luck and health, this is such a hard thing to go through xxx