TTC with one Fallopian tube

[Hannabanana2021]

Anyone here TTC after Ectopic surgery or with one Fallopian tube due to medical reasons that want to support each other? Or if anyone has any successful stories conceiving with one tube welcome to bring positivity to the post x

@hmmmmm123 congratulations and sorry about your previous losses 💜

My ectopic was ten years ago but if it’s any consolation I conceived very easily twice afterwards - on one tube. First month of trying with both pregnancies and each time at the early scan they said I’d ovulated on the side with the missing tube and that the other one had swept up the fertilized egg. It’s quite amazing what our bodies can do but please rest assured one tube can manage quite well on its own in many cases. Good luck to all trying.

@Motherdare thank you so much for your comment 💜

@Bundaberg84 Ah thank you! Feels sooo good to be able to talk to people who know and understand. Also sorry about the names, will learn soon! :)
Private surgeon done the flush when taking the fibroid out. It was keyhole surgery. He said it wasn't blocked (So I guess thats good).. And he cut away the film that had grown around the remaining tube and that was sent to pathology and it was all clear...Funny enough (that wind pic made me LOL) I also imagine the tube to be of similar built which means the film that had grown around meant it couldn't float freely to collect egg before? God I am so technical :D
No way of knowing whether it worked or not I guess, as its first month of TTC. I am due on in about a week and really feel like I am going to come on so not got my hopes up. I have my follow up with my NHS surgeon in April so perhaps will voice these concerns and see if he can send me for HSG? How long have you been trying now since the ectopic?

@HoneyLemon29 yes I know what you mean. I think its the complete uncertainty of whether your going to be a good story or a bad one makes it really difficult. Also all this worrying surely cant help conceiving.
I completely agree, there is so much unknown about ectopics... I was so shocked when given the diagnoses... It was something that I knew so little about.
I just emailed a place about acupuncture to help me relax! I am cycle day 22 but like I said I am not expecting much... How long have you been trying since the ectopic? Sorry if I am asking questions that you guys may have mentioned in the thread already.

@FoggySpecs Yep you are very lucky indeed, send those good vibes our way :)

@NewtoTTC87 I've heard a lot about acupuncture but it's still early days for me so if I haven't conceived in a couple of months I may look into it. This is the first cycle we are actively trying and tracking through Premom app. Last month we were semi protected. Had a couple of "accidents" through ovulation but nothing came of it. I did get a lot of pain on my left side during suspected ovulation and AF showed 2 weeks later exactly so I'm assuming it was ovulation pain and my tube did not move that time. Or it did move and the swimmers got lost 🤦‍♀️

@HoneyLemon29 oh I didn’t think that at all don’t worry!
@hmmmmm123 sounds like you’ve been through it too but what a happy ending! 🥰
@Motherdare that’s reassuring thank you x

@HoneyLemon29 I am pretty sure I ovulated on the side I have a tube but nothing happened. But yeah, in the end, chances of conceiving each cycle are around 20% - 30%, depending on the source. So there's never a guarantee :)

@Bundaberg84 that's a good point. Even with all your fertility intact and healthy there's still no guarantee you'll end up pregnant straight away. I think I'm just going off previous pregnancies and hoping it would've happened just as soon 🥺

@NewtoTTC87 I wrote a reply below your recent post but you might have missed it as we were both posting at the same time 😂

@FoggySpecs @hmmmmm123 @Motherdare Lovely to read the positive stories. I really hope we can all add to those soon 🤞🏼

@Bundaberg84 I had it done 5 months ago, so the elusive 'easier to conceive' period has passed. That's why I want another one 😂

I also read 80% of people who have ectopics will conceive within 2 years. Now I hope we all get there much sooner, but it also makes me realise 5 cycles trying isn't that long. Really doesn't make it any easier though.

@HoneyLemon29 good to hear you are fine to TTC. How was the hospital?

@NewtoTTC87 sorry to hear about your journey. It's so difficult not to get anxious about the remaining tube. I drive myself mad wondering if my pre-ectopic losses were all in my tubes, and maybe they just aren't working properly, but no one can give you the answer. It's mad they can't check insider the tubes in some way, but I guess it's such a fine art, it would be easy to cause damage.
Please don't feel guilty about decisions in the past, its played no part in where you are now. I know that's easier said than done, but you can't change it now, and you know it was the right decision at the time.

I have acupuncture. No idea if it's doing any good, but it helps me to feel like I'm being proactive and I find it quite relaxing

@HoneyLemon29
So we are kind of similar in terms of timing as this was the month we tried for the first time... is the app you're using good? I am using flo. Also what cycle day are you on? Good luck!
I used opks this month and it was a bit much. Think next cycle I will just chill and just do the deed every other day after period.
I will let you know about acupuncture. It is worth of a shot if it will relax me a little.
@Bundaberg84 that is a good point about the odds. I really find it hard to differentiate what side my ovulation pain is. It seems to move side to side. It is great that they can tell at scans which side it was.. will be looking forward to that info!

@myrainbowjourney I just went back the thread to re-read your post. I am really sorry about what you went through...
Like you said, it's easy to drive yourself mad wondering... but somethings will remain unknown and best not to entertain some thoughts.
Thank you for your understanding, it really really means a lot. I feel it's a burden I am carrying and not being able to be open makes it heavier. It felt so good to be able to say (well write) it today.
I am definitely going to give acupuncture a shot, if it relaxes me, it is definitely still a win.
Are you discussing having another flush with bundaberg? Also did you go private?

Thank you @NewtoTTC87, it's certainly been a tough ride. Hopefully we will get there in the end and it'll all be worth it.

I think talking about these things makes it all a little easier. We take on such a lot, I find even just my feelings I hide away and keep in. Eventually you just break.
Don't get me wrong, I've also been guilty of wondering if I've done something to make me deserve all this, but it's so poisonous and not true at all. We have to carry enough without allowing these thoughts to creep in.

I have gone private. I didn't have a great nhs experience with the ectopic, I've actually complained. This was another burden I was carrying and it was eating away at me. I needed the outlet and it really helped to write it all down. But they weren't willing or able to do the extra tests I wanted. I knew in my gut there were issues as I was losing so many pregnancies, but they said it was bad luck and keep going. So I went private and he did the hyfosy before we started his treatment, to make sure it wasn't pointless.
I'd like another for reassurance but he doesn't think it's necessary. I just want someone to tell me my tube is fully functioning but I don't think anyone can guarantee that, sadly. Unless I got pregnant and it was confirmed in my uterus.

I think it sounds positive that the film was removed from your tube. Hopefully this cycle is the one. Fingers crossed for you!

@myrainbowjourney the hospital wasn't great but could've been worse. I have a huge lump on my thyroid which you can see and they've told me it's completely benign and not causing my thyroid any issues. But during the scan they found 2 more lumps the other side which weren't there 2 years ago. She's not worried enough to say I need to stop TTC and she'll just keep an eye on them and scan again in 6 months. But I am able to now rule out a thyroid issue causing pregnancy complications 😮‍💨😮‍💨

@NewtoTTC87 the Premom app is great. The app is completely free and the it's about £8 for 25ish ovulation tests on Amazon. You take the tests everyday and then take a picture and run them through the app, it detects how much LH is in your system and picks up when it begins to rise and jots it all down on a chart. On the chart you can see a clear peak in LH the day before you're supposed to ovulate and then tells you how many DPO you are. I'll send some pictures. The first 2 are my own charts but the 3rd picture is what a full cycle will look like it also syncs with other woman at the same stages and you can all chat about anything you like with a username or anonymous. Red line is LH on the graph and you can see the peak in LH I think it's 12/36 hours before ovulation and also the blue line is Basal Body Temp and you can see how it's rose after the peak signifying ovulation has occurred and progesterone is rising ☺️ it's a lot to take in but really simple when you're used to the app x

I lost an ovary and tube to ovarian cancer/ginormous cyst 5 years ago at 23 and was told it wouldn't affect fertility as the remaining side just picks up the slack. 2 years ago we conceived our first child totally unplanned, this year we conceived our second on the first go (though we did just do it every night for a week!). Nature always finds a way!

Yes they told me the other fallopian tube picks up the slack too. I have no ide which side the DC came from. But I think the body is amazing, fingers crossed for everyone trying.

I’m TRC baby no 3. Had two children followed by ectopic that ruptured resulting in removal of tube. I’m on cycle 4. Desperate for this to work

@MummyMe87 not far behind me, I'm 9.
Sorry for your previous loss 💜. I also feel desperate for this to work. How long have you been TTC for?

@HoneyLemon29 I’m only on cycle 4, so 4months TTC. My first baby was unplanned, second took 6months, ectopic was unplanned also. I’m now 35, so obviously that bit older.
I keep being told my fertility isn’t affected that much with one tube but I can’t kick the feeling that it has really dropped. I don’t know that my left tube is fully functioning 🤷🏼‍♀️

@myrainbowjourney I am sorry you had a bad experience with the NHS. Thats a shame. You did the right thing by complaining. Hopefully you get an outcome that somewhat satisfies you, although what was done was done. What I find with NHS is, you can be super lucky and land an amazing doctor and team or you can have the most careless team in the world. I was under gynae and they knew I had a fibroid for the last 2 years and they told me to try anyway. They said I may have some risks like bleeding however I will be under close observation. I waited until after the wedding to try however we kept on rescheduling due to covid. When I had the ectopic, the surgeon was shocked that I even got pregnant with a fibroid so big and said it would have been a very risky pregnancy and I should NOT ttc until it was removed. So I wasted 2 years not having the fibroid removed because they didn't highlight how bad it was. I couldn't believe they gave me such careless advice. My private surgeon said he thought the ectopic could have been because of the fibroid too as it had squashed every reproductive organ together. I don't know how true all this is... So overall NHS has also disappointed to me massively.

No one deserves this. So don't even go down that route.

So what is the treatment you're having private called? How long is it for? And how often can you have the hyfosy? Tell me to buzz off if I am asking too many questions! I feel like I don't know anything 😂

And yea fingers crossed for my poor tube.

@HoneyLemon29 This does sound good as the lines are so hard to interpret. I tried to attach a picture of how I tracked but it wont let me. It's basically cycle day and stuck the stick down, I stopped on the day I peaked. It looks way more budget! 😂 I did use the clear blue digital which confirmed when I ovulated - seemed on par with the sticks however we didn't get to do the deed on the actual day - life got in the way - so we done it the following day in the evening so it seems like I missed the window :( this cycle. I might give your app a go this cycle. What cycle day are you on now? x

@bogoblin So happy to hear that. Especially going to through something so horrific at a young age. 🥰

@MummyMe87 So many people are getting pregnancy after 35 so don't stress yourself out. I am 34 and my age is the last thing that I worry about to be honest. Fingers crossed for you. 🥰

@NewtoTTC87 Unfortunate new users can't post pictures straight away 😬 they have you wait a couple of days before they let you post a picture. I remember it happening to me. I'm cycle day 10 and these are my tests so far. Due to ovulate in 6 days so hopefully I'll see my peak on Wednesday 🤞

@NewtoTTC87 you're totally right, it's luck of the draw who you get. Most of the care was good, they made some mistakes in not picking up the ectopic. They admitted that and I accept that these things happen. What crushes me, is they got the tissue results from the 'miscarriage' procedure (had to have a MVA to recover the tissue for testing) which confirmed no pregnancy tissue was removed. They didn't call me in, just left it. And then I fell incredibly unwell at home and there starts the events which lead to emergency surgery. They should never have left me.

Anyway, it felt good to get it down on paper. Naturally I'm now worried if I ever get pregnant, they will hate me, but they shouldn't be able to get away with some of it. I don't think I'm really after an outcome, I'm not expecting much, if anything. I just think they need to appreciate the damage they can do.

I'm so sorry for what you went through with them too. It's not good enough at all. I really hope their treatment of you hasn't caused more issues.

I don't mind answering questions. I just felt like something was going on to cause all the losses. The ectopic threw a little curveball as it might have been a healthy pregnancy if in the right place. I'd read about the immune system causing recurrent losses, but the nhs don't find that testing, and I found a lot of them didn't agree with it because the treatment is steroids.
But I went to see a consultant, who diagnosed me with high NK cells and super high activity of the cells. Basically suggests my immune system is attacking the pregnancy as a foreign body. So I now have to have treatment to suppress my immune system so it won't attack if I get pregnant. Haven't yet got to the point to see if it works but hopefully I will.
The hyfosy was just at the start to make sure my tube wasn't blocked. They don't think I need another, I just wonder if I want one.

@NewtoTTC87 I know so many women have babies after 35, I’m a midwife in London so see hundreds and hundreds over 35 but yeah obvs the older you get the older your eggs get so it plays on my mind a bit.

I was really lucky with my care having my ectopic, bar a short period of time waiting for the scan whilst I was in agony, but I knew everyone as it was where I work. I know a lot of women have poor care 😞

@NewtoTTC87 also I love what you said about age being the last thing you worry about. I'm 36 and let worry creep in but really, there are bigger fish to fry here!

@MummyMe87 good to hear there are lots of babies being born to older mummies 🤞🏼

I mentioned before my step mums pregnant and she's 40 this year. With her youngest being 1. She also has PCOS. My dads in his 50's but I don't think age has the same affect on sperm as it does eggs. I hope this makes anyone feel better :) 💜