Worry to get pregnant again.

Preparing For Your Next Pregnancy
1

Hi, I had quite stressful last 10 weeks.

February 11 I found out I was pregnant which 5 days later (16.02) I miscarried, I have done pregnancy test to confirm it 2 day later and the first line was really light.

Then the next week around the 26.02 we had unprotected sex. Week later I had done another test and the first line was stronger which we decided to give it another week. Week pass and I do the pregnancy test and it is positive. After getting to the hospital and getting scan done which confirmed there is nothing in my uterus, they took my blood because my urine sample shown positive (This was Friday 12.03). The next day I got call that my numbers show pregnant, my numbers were 1024, and I was invited Sunday for another blood test which I had done.

Monday comes I got call that my numbers are 1063, which is not good as they were meant to multiply. Tuesday I got another blood test and schedule scan for Thursday.

Thursday my numbers are only 1094 and scan did show nothing. They take my bloods again.

Friday morning I get call that I need to get to the hospital immediately. My numbers are 1154, it is not a healthy pregnancy so I decide to end this pregnancy by having injection of Methotraxate because my chance of ectopic pregnancy grew quite high.

After the injection everything seemed good, I had no pains or bleeding, on Tuesday (23.03) I had my blood test done to check the hormones level and if my liver are doing good. Wednesday come 5am I start having really bad pain on my left side so I go to hospital where I ended up until Thursday. Because of the pain they done scan again, could not see the embryo but they seen a free fluid by my left ovary and fallopian tube so they scheduled me for laparoscopy surgery the same day at 7pm.

Thursday morning I see doctor. I am told that they found the embryo stuck by the end of fallopian tube. I guess that I nearly could have had a normal pregnancy but was not lucky enough. And also the doctor told me that they have removed my left fallopian tube and that I do not need to worry about my fertility because the right tube will take over.

I did not have chance to form bond with any of these two pregnancies so it did not hit me a lot. But now I am terrified of getting pregnant again, after the second pregnancy happening within a week of the miscarriage it seems it is too easy to get pregnant again, but I am terrified that the next pregnancy will end as ectopic again and that I will loose my other tube as well and I will loose the chance to carry my own child again.

I do not even know what I need help with, maybe a reassurence that this fear will go away, maybe hear someone else’s experience, like mine. Or I just need to talk about it but the person who I would like to talk about all of this (my mum) doesn’t understand what I am going through.

2

I’m sorry that you’re going through all of it. I had my ectopic treated by surgery in autumn 2019. Haven’t started TTC since then but me and my husband are planning it in few months. Ectopic has left me really scared of being pregnant again (that was my first and the only pregnancy) to the level I was considering not trying at all.to avoid the risk of going through ectopic again. In my case fear is still there even after 1.5 year. However, desire of having baby has grown stronger than fear. From my experience I can tell you that my feelings have been changing and evolving over time. At the beginning they were overwhelming, now they are much weaker but are still with me.

If you need someone to talk directly, feel free to drop me a private message.

Take care.

3

Hi guys

I am also really scared to get pregnant again, I am 33 so don’t have long if I want children as I have none yet.

I am terrified and haven’t tried since by ectopic last year. I also probably will need fertility treatments even though I ovulate on my own. So I am in limbo as I don’t want to take birth control as I want to conceive, but I also don’t want fertility treatments and am not ready yet. Yesterday I finally decided I might try again next month then cried at the thought of another ectopic and realised how scared I really am.

I know other women had ectopics the same time as me and have conceived since and I am scared!

In fact the doctors made a huge deal about the 3 month MTX wait (as if this was a reason to get surgery) but it has been well, well over 3 months and I am still not ready?!

I have started seeing a counsellor, in the past I have sound psychologists not so good but I am seeing a fertility specific one now and she has been helpful, just someone to listen is good. If you can afford it I’d recommend. If not, that’s what these boards are for! Feel free to message me also.

best of luck to you both

4

Dear Petrushe,

I am so sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy and losses,

When we experience ectopic pregnancy we are suddenly faced with a life threatening emergency and it’s treatment, reduction in fertility, concerns about the future and the loss of our babies. Experiencing any one of these is an ordeal, putting them together is immense and your feelings are completely normal. As the ladies on this thread have mentioned, The emotional impact of ectopic pregnancy can take a long time to resolve, we are here for help and advice but you can also speak to your GP about counselling if you feel you need further help.

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. 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.

Generally, when a person has only one fallopian tube and both ovaries, 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. The fallopian tubes are not attached to the ovaries and, at the point of ovulation, some very delicate structures called the fimbriae begin to move gently creating a slight vacuum to suck the egg toward the end of the tube it is nearest to (like lots of little fingers waving and drawing the egg towards it). So, if you have only one tube then there is only one set of receptors working and one set of fimbriae creating a vacuum and so the egg is much more likely to find its way to that tube, whichever ovary it is produced from. Conservative estimates suggest that an egg produced on the tubeless side manages to descend the remaining tube around 15 to 20% of the time.

In terms of chances of future successful pregnancies, studies do not show a significant difference between treatment routes, whether surgical, medical using methotrexate or expectant management (allowing time for the body to resolve the pregnancy itself).

It is normal to feel anxious about the future. We experience a mix of emotions from wanting to try again to being petrified of what may lie ahead. We never forget but we can learn to accept what happened. It is a slow process that might be weeks or months ahead. In time, we can get to a place where we feel comfortable trying again. When this is, is individual for each person. There is no timeframe for recovery, take each day as it comes.

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.

These boards are a safe space to share, ask questions, or to vent. They are filled with people who have been through similar experiences and journeys, and we are here for you for as long as you need.

Sending much love,

Karen x

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