Earlier this year, I went through something I never imagined, an ectopic pregnancy. I went to hospital with severe abdominal pain but I wasn’t given a pregnancy test until 12 hours later. By the time it was finally discovered, my tube had ruptured and I was bleeding internally. I needed emergency surgery and I nearly died.
The hardest part hasn’t just been the surgery and physical recovery, but the emotional impact grieving a baby I never got to meet while also trying to process how different things could have been if it was picked up sooner. The silence afterwards, the waves of sadness and the endless “what ifs” stay with you.
One positive to come from my experience is that the hospital has now issued new guidance to staff: all women with abdominal pain must be given a pregnancy test immediately at triage. If my story can help prevent just one woman from facing the same delays I did, then sharing it will have been worth it.
To anyone going through this kind of loss please know you are not alone. The grief is real, your feelings are valid and there are people and organisations, like the ectopic pregnancy trust, who can support you through it.
I share my story as part of Baby Loss Awareness Week, to remember all the little lives gone too soon, and to stand with every family who has felt this heartbreak.
If I could say one thing: “An ectopic may change your story but it does not end it. There is hope, light and strength within you for days ahead”
Thank you to our contributor for sharing their experience. If you would like to share your experience of ectopic pregnancy, please visit our guide for more information.
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