Going out of my mind - suspected ectopic pregnancy

[Ithoughtyouwere]

I found out I was pregnant on Saturday, completely unexpected as I have the hormonal coil. Was seen by EPAU yesterday but too early to detect anything on the scan, so they’ve taken bloods and will take more tomorrow to compare hcg levels.

I have two DDs - 4 and 2 years - and thought we were done with children. Now going mad overthinking all the scenarios of a high risk viable pregnancy, ectopic, miscarriage, from a completely unplanned pregnancy. I wouldn’t terminate if it does turn out to be viable.

I’m feeling sick, typically early pregnancy symptoms and having cramps though the spotting I was having has stopped. I keep taking FRER tests but the line doesn’t seem to be getting much darker (but not disappearing either) so I’m almost expecting the worst. Some stats give 50% of all pregnancies conceived whilst having the coil as being ectopic.

Appreciate this isn’t really AIBU but I jump wildly from each possible scenario as the waiting is the hardest thing ever.

?

First, breathe. You need to stop overthinking this and going into a panic with worst case scenario. Also, google is not your friend if you get anxiety.

And I was a coil baby, definitely not ectopic.

I had an ectopic miscarriage with a coil. The waiting around and constant monitoring was horrible. I was 24 at the time and not ready for children so it was all very overwhelming! Breathe and just try and stay calm for whatever result you have- easier said than done I know!

Thanks, I hope it wasn’t too traumatic for you (even if it was a while ago).

I know I’ll get more of an idea tomorrow with the blood tests and then within the next week or too if I have another scan but it feels like forever. I’ve told my boss at work as I can’t face work right now, even though physically I’m just feeling a bit nauseous.

Did you go back to the coil after the ectopic?

I did have another one put in and never had any problems since. My ectopic was 12 years ago now.

I'm a terrible worrier, and the thing I find can help is the Stoic idea that there are things we can control and things we can't. If the former, decide what to do about it and do it, and if the latter, there's nothing to be done.

At the moment, there is nothing you can do, except to wait for the tests. If it turns out there is an ectopic pregnancy, then you can deal with the situation at that point.

Worrying now isn't going to achieve anything. The uncertainty of not knowing is very hard though - uncertainty seems to be the thing that worriers hate.

I should add that I don't always manage to follow this advice, but if I can, it helps.

I hope everything turns out alright in the end, and that if there are difficulties you manage to get through them.

I should add that I've been worried sick recently about something that could have big adverse financial implications - I've been awaiting a decision by an organisation. I just about managed to calm the worry by using the Stoic technique I mentioned. I've just received the decision and it's fine. So I saved myself a bit of worry about something that didn't happen.

I tested positive on 28th December, very unexpectedly after coming off the pill. Both myself and my partner decided that we aren’t in the right position to bring a baby into this world. So contacted the local abortion clinic, upon visiting there they calculated from my ‘last’ period I would be around 8 weeks however couldn’t find anything on the ultrasound, so had to do an internal one. Where again they couldn’t see anything. Due to having some pains on my left side they referred me straight to the early pregnancy unit where they took some bloods.

My Beta HCG level was showing 750, which has to be a minimum of 1500 to scan. So told me to come back in 48 hours for more tests. Which I have since done and they called to say the levels have increased however not to the level they should be. So have to go back again tomorrow for more tests. Has anyone else had this? I’d just like to add since this, we have decided that through everything this baby would be a total blessing into our lives. From the initial scan the only information they could provide me with is that I have a bicornuate shaped uterus, and was an abnormality developed in the womb myself. Could this be something causing an issue, has anyone else had this?