By registering on our forum, you can view and contribute to more topics on ectopic pregnancy. Your details are confidential and we do not send unsolicited emails. For your confidentiality, you can choose your own forum name to protect your anonymity if you so wish. If you register, there is no obligation to post; you can simply take comfort from the words of others. It is entirely up to you whether you post a message or read others' experiences or do both.

Dont know what to expect!

This is a welcoming place for you to ask your questions and share your knowledge and experiences of ectopic pregnancy.
To keep this as a safe space, before being able to post freely, an administrator will need to activate your account and authorise your first post.
Post Reply
Betty2020
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 9:48 am

Dont know what to expect!

Post by Betty2020 »

Hello, I am new to this forum, I found out at the end of April I was expecting my 3rd, was so delighted! Before I hit week 6 I started getting brown discharge like old blood which I assumed was implantation bleed, but then started to get blood when i wiped, i had and still have no pain or cramps and it wasnt heavy! I didnt have this with my other 2, so I was concerned. I rang doc who referred me to the EPU, they seen me on Thursday past were they did an internal scan, but notting showed up on the screen, the nurse said it may be a early miscarriage, but took my bloods anyhow to check the HCG, the HCG came back at 739 which was still high. Got my bloods done again yesterday within the 48 hours, they came back at 531, the doctor said this is indicating an ectopic pregnancy as HCG levels not going down too quick! I have to go in again tomorrow for more bloods :( but said if it is etopic I will have to get an injection. At the min this is alot to take in and dont know what to expect! I know I would have to wait at least 3 months before I try again too. But if my bloods got alot lower would I still need the injection? I am googling but not getting any specific answers, plus why me? Is it because I am over 35? If anyone has had this situation I would really like to hear xx

EPT Host 20
Posts: 3155
Joined: Thu May 31, 2012 10:58 pm

Re: Dont know what to expect!

Post by EPT Host 20 »

Dear Betty2020,
I am so sorry to hear of your loss and confusing time you are going through.
Diagnosing an ectopic pregnancy can sometimes be difficult, If no pregnancy can be seen in the uterus, or there is a small gestation sac in the uterus without a yolk sac or embryo, the pregnancy will be medically labelled as a Pregnancy of Unknown Location or PUL. It is important to understand that PUL is not a diagnosis; it is a label given until the final location of the pregnancy can be identified with certainty. In the event of a PUL, blood will be taken to measure serum progesterone and hCG and the hCG test repeated 48 hours later. The doctors would also want to repeat the scan. Discuss all your options with your medical team who have access to your personal medical notes.

Until the location of the pregnancy is known definitively or the serum hormone levels have decreased to below pregnancy levels, there is a risk of complications associated with an as yet undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy. For every 100 pregnancies labelled as a PUL about 10 will subsequently be found to be ectopic; and not all of these will need treatment.

If no pregnancy can be seen in the uterus but there is evidence of free fluid in your abdomen and or a possible ‘mass’ in the approximate location of one of your fallopian tubes, the doctor would then be likely to diagnose a possible ectopic pregnancy. An initial scan will detect over 70% of ectopic pregnancies. This will be why your Drs will want to repeat bloods.

There are a variety of methods to treat ectopic pregnancy, the injection of methotrexate is one of them but if your levels continue to decrease well, you may not need any medical treatment as the pregnancy will self resolve, this is known as medical management and we have more information about treatment options here
https://ectopic.org.uk/patients/treatment/

It is natural to ask 'why me', and whilst there are risk factors for ectopic pregnancy, many women including myself do not have any risk factors. I know that when I had my ectopic pregnancy I also looked for a reason and almost automatically we tend to blame ourselves. From the bottom of my heart, there is nothing you could have done to prevent the ectopic pregnancy from happening. I cannot emphasise enough - you are not to blame. Please be kind to yourself and I send you gentle hugs.
Karen x

The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust
Registered Charity Number: 1071811
Ectopic pregnancy patient information suite: Highly Commended in the 2019 BMA Patient Information Awards
**************************************************************************
During the coronavirus outbreak, The EPT team is still working hard to provide crucial information and support to women and families experiencing ectopic pregnancy as quickly and efficiently as we can.
If we have been able to help you, are you able to help us with a small donation or by volunteering or fundraising?
Further information is available at ectopic.org.uk
Email us: ept@ectopic.org.uk
We provide a call-back helpline service: 020 7733 2653
Take a look at our newsletters and subscribe to our mailing list here: https://mailchi.mp/986bdd6091ee/ectopic-matters
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
***************************************************************************

Post Reply