Pregnant after ectopic

[Minispringroll]

Hi there,
I got my positive result this week, although I have been quite certain for about a week already. Should be getting close to 5 weeks now, so still really early days.
When I showed DH the test, I burst into tears.

I guess most people are quite happy when they find out that they are pregnant. It's so far taken us 4 years...I should be overjoyed. Similar to last time, though, I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much. This is my third pregnancy and the two previous ones were both ectopic. I'm now worried about every niggle and every little bit of pain. I guess it doesn't help that I'm about to start a new job...It's not even the possibility of a pregnancy I'm worried about. It's having to take time off due to yet another ectopic that worries me.

We are under the care of our local fertility clinic and I had a laparoscopy a few weeks ago to check my tubes. (Left one seems ok, although that's where they had to remove previous pregnancy from. Right one is blocked.) I'm still waiting for my follow-up appointment from the surgery, but it's been moved a few times. At the moment, it'll be when I'd hit about 7 weeks. I've never made it beyond six and last ectopic was only discovered because I insisted on seeing my GP (nurse wouldn't see me before 12 weeks) and he insisted on me being seen at the hospital. Had called the EPU back then, but they wouldn't scan me before 8 weeks, either. Both previous ectopics have been quite different in terms of symptoms and while the first one resolved itself, for the second they wouldn't even let me go home to get my stuff and I had to stay in hospital for several days.
When I go to my follow-up appointment, would they be able to check that it's in the right place this time? Should I let them know before I go in?

Honestly, I'd like to just have someone tell me that it's where it's meant to be this time round. That in itself would be quite an achievement already.

[FuzzyOwl]

I am sorry to hear about your previous ectopic pregnancies and really hope everything is ok this time for you. I think that an EPU can tell if a pregnancy is ectopic from around five weeks and whilst I understand most have a policy to not scan before seven or eight weeks, I think you must be a high enough risk that something to be done to check whether your pregnancy is progressing as it should.

I would call your fertility clinic and ask them what they can do to reassure you and take it from there. I really hope they do check for you and if you have any doubtful pains or anything and your GP/EPU won't help you, go straight to A&E and they should be able to refer you to be checked for an ectopic pregnancy.

[Eastend2015]

I'm so sorry for your losses and what you have been through. I've had one ectopic and one MMC before this current successful pregnancy. The ectopic was identified at about 5.5 weeks by scan at EPU (thanks to a clued up GP) and resolved itself. With the MMC, the EPU scanned me at six weeks to confirm it wasn't ectopic then when they scanned again 2 weeks later sadly it hadn't developed. This time, I hadn't had any bleeding or pain so had a scan at 7 and 9 weeks then the usual process after that. I'd definitely speak to your EPU and fertility clinic about your history. I agree with the PP about a general policy of reassurance scans from 8 weeks but an ectopic is a totally different kettle of fish. Wishing you lots and lots of luck!

[NotSpartacus]

Minispringroll you need an early scan to confirm location. I have had two ectopics followed by three subsequent pregnancies in which I was scanned no later than 5 weeks. One of those pregnancies was my DD and they confirmed she was in the right place at about 4+2.

That scan was at UCH. If you are London based, go there first thing Monday - Friday and join the queue at the EPU (which will be huge on a Monday). If not, see your GP and get them to refer you for a location scan. Failing that, can you contact the consultant who looked after you previously ( find out their secretary's number and call). I have found consultants generally pretty keen to diagnose ectopics early so they may help you get a scan.

Good luck and don't forget that the odds that this pregnancy is in the right place are in your favour,

[DessertOrDesert]

Can you self refer to EPU? When my midwife refused to refer for pregnancy post one ectopic, I range EPU (it wa on my discharge letter, if you still have it), and said I was pregnant, no sinister symptoms, but had previous ectopic, did I need to do anything. I was scanned at 6+0 - the earliest they would scan.
DS is currently Sat on the sofa. His little brother (also scanned just after 6 weeks) is Sat on the floor.

[Minispringroll]

Hi,
Thanks for the responses. I wasn't sure how early on they can scan. (Last time, local EPU made me feel like I was a bit of a loon for ringing them so early...)
I'm still confused as to what constitutes symptoms of an ectopic and what I'd need to be worried about...as opposed to what's normal.
No spotting and no weirdly funny pain as yet. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed. Got some general back ache, which moves up and down quite happily, a little bit of cramping, which comes and goes...and quite a bit of indigestion. Not something I tend to get, but I've had that on and off for the past week.
I guess I'll contact the EPU and the hospital (two different places) tomorrow or Monday. Have started to feel nauseous most afternoons, which isn't something I'm used to and I hope it's a good sign. (I've never actually had any symptoms before, hormone levels were always too low.)
I'm nowhere near London, but wouldn't be able to go and queue up anyway. I'm starting my new job on Monday. I should, however, be able to make it to the EPU at the hospital our fertility clinic is at by the early afternoon on Monday. It's in the same city I work in, so much easier for me to get to than our local EPU. They treated me to begin with when I had my first ectopic.
As I recall, they are also open on a Saturday,...but you can't self-refer. I was referred through A&E last time, but that was after I started bleeding at five weeks.

[NotSpartacus]

As I said, they can scan early, but you often hear that there's no point scanning until 6 weeks as "they won't see anything". This isn't true, a decent sonographer / doctor with a good machine would be able to check location before 6 weeks. What they won't see is a heartbeat, but when ectopic is your prime concern, that doesn't matter.

Ectopic symptoms are a funny thing - doctors are trained to look for pain and bleeding but I had no symptoms whatsoever of my two. I only realised things weren't normal in my first one because I chart my temperature and my temps were not doing what they should in pregnancy. The doctors thought I was insane!

I do hope you get your scan and that it puts your mind at rest.

[Petal7]

I have had 2 ectopics (managed with methotrexate) and one miscarriage that may well have been an ectopic that resolved itself. I was always offered an early scan, (6-7 weeks) so I would press for one. If I had any spotting I had repeat blood tests every 48hrs.
I now have 3 healthy dc.
Do press for an early scan - my GP referred me, but I could have self referred to my EPU. Once they knew my history, they were very happy to oblige. Peace of mind counts for such a lot after ectopics. Best, best of luck to you.

[Minispringroll]

Have checked and EPU at hospital near my work won't accept me it seems...no bleeding or pain, so don't meet their criteria. Might still be able to be referred for a scan, though. I think I'll contact fertility clinic and ask for advice. My follow-up appointment with them should have been yesterday, when I had hoped to be able to ask about it, but was cancelled due to strike day. So got to wait for another two weeks now.
Our local hospital is quite small and I seem to present them with a medical mystery every time I go there. (They've been brilliant when I had to stay in and the care I received was amazing,...but they tend to appear quite confused by my results every time. )
NotSpartacus It's really confusing, isn't it? I didn't have any pain the first time round...and very little spotting. Then no bleeding whatsoever and only one night of really weird pain deep in my upper thigh with the second. I knew something was up, though, and had this feeling that I just HAD TO get a scan and get it checked. Not feeling like this at the moment, but it's a bit earlier than last time...
I'm also not sure whether I should be looking out for any pain on the left. If my right tube is shot anyway, would there be much chance of anything happening on the right side? The dye didn't even make it through, so I doubt anything would get far enough to get stuck...

[NotSpartacus]

That's appalling. I'm going to assume the person you spoke to was not medically qualified. Two options then : lie and claim shoulder tip pain if that will enable you to self refer; or try to make contact with the consultant in charge of the service (I bet they would have a different view).

They are not meeting the NICE guidelines, which say women with previous ectopics should be able to self refer: NICE. They are guidance rather than law, but not meeting them on something like this is really poor. Bizarre that your hospital would scan a woman miscarrying at 5 weeks (not a big deal medically and a scan makes no difference to outcome ) but not someone with a higher chance of a life threatening condition where a scan could save them from a very traumatic open surgery, or could save their life! This stuff makes my blood boil

[KacieB]

Yes - while I usually don't like the "lie and get tested" approach, I would too.

I had a self-resolving ectopic, then three very early MCs, and we've now paused for a few months to try and regain some sanity. But every time I saw a positive test afterwards I felt awful and worried, so I know a little of what you're going through and its horrid. Ectopics are so terrifying - you don't seem to need pain or bleeding for them to happen.

Having said all this - the pg symptoms are a good sign, so fingers firmly crossed for you!

[Belle55]

Hey, I had a managed ectopic last May. I'm now 28 weeks pregnant with my subsequent pregnancy and all going well so far so there is hope!
I was given a scan at five weeks to check it was in the right place-which they could tell. This was at King's in London and they had told us to come back when five weeks. It's about your health as much as reassurance as far as they're concerned. We also had an 8-week reassurance scan. Both at the walk in EPU.
Hope all goes well and there's no reason to think it won't this time.

[Minispringroll]

Thanks all. I'll ring the fertility clinic on Monday. It's in the same hospital as the EPU, but that EPU doesn't accept self-referrals. I'm hoping that they'll either tell me to just go downstairs for a check-up (therefore referring me) or that they could give me a follow-up appointment before the one I've got in two weeks' time. They've scanned me in the clinic before. It does say on their website that they won't really accept referrals before six weeks, but we'll see.
I've got back ache and the nausea has continued on and off. (No actual vomitting. I don't tend to throw up much...possibly about twice in the last decade, both due to food poisoning.) No proper pains and no spotting. Fingers crossed.

I don't really want to start my first week and tell my new employer that I already need time off for this. I had my last ectopic a week before I started my previous job and had to start late. Had already joked with DH that I should change jobs more often, since I seem to get pregnant when I'm leaving somewhere...; I might actually get through a whole pregnancy at some point.

Thanks, Belle. That's giving me some hope. Congratulations and hope the rest of your pregnancy is going well.

[CoccoPopps]

Hi, I had an ectopic last february, currently 26 weeks with this pregnancy. As soon as i found out i was pregnant i was paranoid about it being another ectopic. I saw GP asked for a referral to EPU, they'd basically said to do this when they discharged me from hospital last time. I had a scan at 6 weeks to check the position which admittedly was the earliest they said they could scan, I also got to see the heartbeat as well which was lovely, but don't worry if you can't, often its 7 weeks onwards..

Good luck hope its sat nav is fixed this time and has found its way to where it should be. xx

[Minispringroll]

Have tried to ring the fertility clinic this afternoon but couldn't reach anyone. Have therefore tried our local EPU. Midwife on the phone was lovely and I've been booked in for a scan at 6+3...just over a week to go. Let's hope I make it that far and that things turn out ok. Niggly pains have continued, but have continued all over...think it's partly indigestion and partly me not really sitting down much today. Didn't feel anything at all while I was distracted at work.

[NotSpartacus]

I think niggly pains are pretty standard in any pregnancy, especially when you are worried. Well done for getting a scan, and best of luck.

[TitaniumSpider]

I was 9 weeks when I had my first scan after my ectopics, they couldn't see a pregnancy in the right place until 8 weeks and then couldn't see a heart beat until 10/11 weeks.

Good luck OP.

[somethingfromnothing]

I hope you manage to get hold of the epu mini I have had one ectopic that resolved itself and a second loss that was either an ectopic or an early mc. My epu told me to phone if I manage to get pregnant again.

I have to admit that reading the posts above of all you lovely ladies who have managed to get pregnant after multiple ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages has given me hope

[Minispringroll]

Have been for a scan at the EPU today. DH took time off work as well (he's been with me at every single appointment in the last four years).
They found a sac and baby measured 5+4 with a heartbeat. It was tiny and we needed to use the dildocam, but it was definitely there...and in the right place.
Spoke to midwife after, who was really happy for me (she'd looked after me during and after ectopic in the summer), so now really hoping this one will be ok.
I'm not sure whether it just measures small. Nobody seemed concerned about it, although I'm pretty sure I'm 6+3. They seemed a little surprised about the heartbeat so early,....so I hope it's just little. (I was only 3 pounds at birth..)

[somethingfromnothing]

That's brilliant news! You must be so relieved

[Helloall1]

Wonderful news. So glad you got your early scan.

It's so infuriating how things differ in geographical areas. Sorry you were dismissed initially.

I had an ectopic last year, no external bleeding at all, just very ill, very quickly. After emergency surgery I was told whenever I get pregnant again I would be scanned early and monitored closely.

It's taken a while, but we're now pregnant again and I'm super nervous but excited!
We had a scan at 5.5 weeks and saw heartbeat and things in right place. Then 7 weeks and 12 weeks up to now.

All fine so far, but obviously I'll be nervous throughout.

Wishing everyone luck

[Minispringroll]

Quite relieved for the moment. We're going back for another scan in four weeks, but we've still got our original appointment with the fertility clinic next week. Let's see what they say.
Booking appoinment isn't until 10 weeks.
Now just hoping that the little one will hang around for the next few months.

Very happy for the moment. Fingers crossed.

[Helloall1]

Fingers crossed for sticky bean!

We've booked a private scan for 16 weeks too. I'd love to have one every week, for reassurance.

[Belle55]

Really good news. Stay positive, there's no reason it won't work out this time.