I had no idea I was pregnant. It was the height of the Covid lockdown; my husband, our one-year-old son, and I had been out for our hour-long walk and all seemed fine. My husband took my son upstairs for his nap, so I decided to go sunbathe in the garden. Suddenly, I felt the most excruciating pain that knocked me for six. I knew straight away that something was wrong.
I stumbled into the house and got my husband to call 111. A rapid responder came to the house. He suspected appendicitis and asked if I could get myself to the hospital as it would be a long wait for an ambulance. My husband literally had to drop me at the entrance and leave me there. I was terrified and in pain.
In the accident and emergency department, I had a wonderful doctor who asked if I might be pregnant. I said that I doubted it as I had a coil and thought I was having a period. She did a urine test and found I was indeed pregnant. I was in total shock and then the grief hit, knowing what the issue likely was. Despite Covid restrictions, she gave me a massive hug and was so kind, as she could see what a mess, I was in.
An internal scan later confirmed that I had an ectopic pregnancy that had ruptured my Fallopian tube and that I needed emergency surgery.
I was taken to surgery straight away after a tearful call to my devastated husband, who was so upset not to be able to be with me.
When I woke afterwards, I was told they had removed my tube, but saved the ovary.
It was devastating for me as I was 39 and thought it meant the chances of another baby were very slim – plus the whole experience had been so traumatic, especially as I was alone throughout.
I ended up seeking counselling, and this really helped me to cope with my grief and trauma.
Miraculously, I found out four months later that I was pregnant. Nearly 12 months to the day of my ectopic experience, I gave birth to my identical twin boys, who along with their big brother, are the lights of my life. I feel so very fortunate to have had not one, but two rainbow babies, and it showed me that even in the darkest of times, there is hope. I will never ever forget the baby I lost though, and I hope there is never another situation like mine, where others must go through that experience alone.
Thank you to Victoria for sharing her experience with us. If you would like to share your experience of ectopic pregnancy, please visit our guide for more information.
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