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First pregnancy

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Lauren23
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2020 5:43 am

First pregnancy

Post by Lauren23 »

I found out I was pregnant very early on at 2 weeks (during covid19)
After assuming I had a miscarriage from the obvious signs I waited 4 weeks for an ultrasound just to be certain as , and they confirmed I did indeed have a miscarriage and that my scan showed nothing, however as I didn’t have money to pay for a visit to emerg they turned me away without a blood test so I was told over the phone about my results and I asked why I was getting progressive symptoms and still no periods but was told it was normal regardless of the fact it had been a month.
Fast forward 3 weeks later and all of a sudden I am hit with extreme pain all over my stomach, I suffer with very painful periods but it didn’t compare, I tried to sleep it off but 10 hours later it was getting worse so I called an ambulance. Turns out I was in fact 9 weeks pregnant and it was ectopic. I was bleeding internally as my tube had ruptured. I had surgery to remove the pregnancy and the tube but before hand I had to sign a consent form to possibly remove my ovaries as they thouhht I might have a burst cyst. Of course at age 24 I was very nervous and upset about this not to mention I am in a different country with no family around.
I haven’t really had time to process all of this as I am also in the middle of trying to return home after being away for 2 years. It’s been a very traumatic experience for me which I feel could have been prevented had I not been turned away.
I’m now left worrying about the future as I never imagined myself being in this position as I’m normally a very healthy person.

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

Re: First pregnancy

Post by EPT Host 20 »

Dear Lauren23,
I am so sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy and loss, from your own words it must have been extremely frightening and I am so sorry you have had to go through this.

Experiencing an ectopic pregnancy is a huge ordeal and you are in the early stages of recovery. Your body needs time to heal from your surgery which is in itself a gruelling task. You have also had to process the loss of your baby and been through an immense rollercoaster of emotions - all of this will take time to come to terms with.

You should take it very easily for about six weeks after surgery. Your body will be using its energies to heal internally. It is normal to feel physically and emotionally exhausted during this time and please do be kind to yourself. Recovery can take time and some days will be better than others, one day you maybe ok and the next you maybe in discomfort or more emotional. This is perfectly usual and the healing process will go back and forth in this way for however long you need. It is important to listen to your body's signals and pain and feeling tired are your body's signs to tell you to rest. We suggest keeping a healthy balanced diet, drinking lots of water and resting. Once your wounds have healed, very gentle exercise such as a short walk can help, but please do take this slowly.

Many of us experience ectopic pregnancy and we are generally fit, healthy, well women, sadly, often a reason cannot be found why we do have ectopic pregnancies. Reassuringly the chances of a further ectopic after a first in UK is 10%. So that's 90% chance of the embryo being in right place next time.
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. 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.

It is important that you focus on you right now, be kind to yourself and allow time to grieve, to heal both physically and emotionally.
You are not alone, these boards are filled with women who have had similar experiences and understand how you feel. Please do lean on us for as long as you need.

Sending much love and warm hugs,
Karen x

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