Ectopic pregnancy-experiences

[HoggleHoggle]

I was 6 weeks pregnant but it was ectopic. The first I knew of this was when the Fallopian tube ruptured on Tuesday and I had emergency surgery. They removed the tube and as I had lost a lot of blood I also had a large blood transfusion. It was all so painful and terrifying.

I'm out of hospital now but feel so shell-shocked about the whole thing. I'm in so much pain that at the moment I'm focusing on that although I know the loss of my baby will hit me properly later.

If anyone else has been in this position I wondered if you could please help me with some questions?

How long was it until the pain subsided to a bearable level? I still can't stand up straight, how long did it take for you?

I am still suffering with the trapped gas from the surgery, which rises to my shoulders and is excruciating. How long was it until this dispersed?

If you also had a tube removed and went on to conceive again, did it take a long time? How long did you take to recover between the surgery and ttc?

I had a very painful birth and recovery with dc1 and the pain I'm in now is bringing all that back again. I can't imagine putting myself in this position again, I can't take more pain like this. But I would desperately like dc2. I am just so sad and angry, really, that this has happened to me.

I am so sorry to read what happened to you. I also had en ectopic pregnancy diagnosed at 6 weeks but my experience sounds quite different to yours (I did have to have surgery and lost a tube but it had not yet ruptured and I did not need a blood transfusion, I also didn't get the shoulder pain) but I can answer a few questions.
The trapped gas and pain disappeared almost immediately - I was sore and stiff from surgery but it wasn't as deep or intense as what had been building up for the last few weeks. I wanted to try and conceive again maybe six months later (the ectopic pregnancy was very much wanted but unplanned). We hadn't been using protection anyway but my ex wasn't really interested in changing his very unhealthy lifestyle (stress, heavy drinking, smoking, poor diet etc) so all I could do was take care of my own health and hope for the best. This was in 2011, with the surgery happening in the March. We did not have any luck conceiving, which I put down to myself as my ex already had a DD from a previous relationship.
However I concieved DS in April 2013 with a new partner after just a couple of months, and he is a happy healthy two year old.
It is so painful and I also felt very angry, and an incredible sense of betrayal that my own body could have done this to me. Sorry if this is a bit garbled I haven't posted in ages and am on my iPod but I hope you get there in the end and are managing to take care of yourself

I had one a few years ago - 8 weeks ruptured, full blood transfusion, agony and I was so tired, I literally slept for a month and was very weak. Tube removed too. I remember three days afterwards DH made me laugh and I cried with pain but after about a week I was no longer in pain.

I got pregnant six weeks later with DS (probably a bit soon, but the pregnancy was fine). I now have two DC, and got pregnant with DC2 when DC1 was six months old (first time we tried). Good luck and thank goodness you are ok - I know it sounds hard but try to be positive about it, you are alive and your DC1 still has a mummy.

Thank you so much for sharing strawberry and marigold, that's made me feel a lot better and I am so pleased you both went on to have further dc. That's wonderful.

I know what you mean about laughing, my sister visited me yesterday and always manages to make me laugh but at one point I had to ask her to just stop talking because it was too painful. I also had a cold before the surgery so am still sneezing and coughing which is bad luck!

I was thinking of maybe ttc again in late spring/summer, so I guess that would give myself about 4 months recovery assuming I was lucky enough to get pregnant quickly. I'm so apprehensive about it all and I'm sad that this is the attitude I have towards it, but perhaps that will ease with time.

I also totally agree about feeling betrayed by your own body. But I am so thankful to everyone who looked after me, as msmarigold said, my ds still has his mummy and I will be eternally grateful for that.

I really hope it goes well for you and you get pregnant again soon - I found getting pregnant afterwards really helped me as I didn't spend too thinking and analysing. Rest up. be kind to yourself and I'm glad to hear you've got supportive family like your sister around.

I had mine removed 11 days ago but not as an emergency. The gas took a week or so to clear - things that helped were walking around (literally pacing round the ground floor at home!), drinking peppermint tea (nurse also said eating anything minty and mint sweets would help) and I ended up taking lactulose for constipation a few days after the surgery.

Hi op hope your ok

I've had two.

1st time I knew I was pregnant and kept getting really bad pains they seen it was ectopic and kept me in. It was 6w 1 day with a little heart beat in my tube. They removed the tube that night. I was sore but ok. The wind pain was horrific and I thought my lungs were collapsing. That pain went after a couple of days and I drank lots of mint tea which helped get rid of the wind.

We then Had to apply for IVF as they said my other tube was withered and didn't even take it out as there was no possibility of it ever working. We had dd2 through IVF.

The second time I thought I had really bad endometriosis. The pain was from the depth of hell and I was bleeding heavily. I went to gp and it turned out I was having another ectopic so was took to hospital.

It fully ruptured as I was being examined by an arse whole dr whole left me writhing on s examination bed and sent a nurse in 10 mins later with some paracetamol then she left. I had to get of bed and crawl to the corridor and shout for help. An amazing registrar came over and really sorted me out she have me two doses of morphine and ripped the other dr a new arsehole for leaving me. I ended up with a transfusion too.

I wasn't in too much pain after that as I was in the land of purple unicorns after the morphine and the drugs to put me to sleep for operation.

They sent me home with some codine and I was ok but the wind pain was a killer but it goes after a day or two. Sitting up helps.

If your other tube is healthy there is no reason for you not to get pregnant naturally again. My friend went on to have three children after hers was taken out.

Try get as much rest as you can, sorry that you have lost the pregnancy X

I had a tube removed ages ago (close to rupture apparently).
I couldn't eat very much for ages, and lost a lot of weight.
I went back to work after my 2 week sick note ran out, but in reality, I shouldn't have. I couldn't stand up straight for about 3 weeks after surgery. Pain wasn't bad, but I had no strength.

DS1 and DS2 both concieved within 2 months of TTC each time. Trouble free pregnancies.

Oh, and visit the ectopic pregnancy trust pages and chat boards

Thanks so much all for your experiences, it is so reassuring hearing from people who have been through similar. I am feeling so drained today, I think I tried to do too much yesterday but I really wanted a bath. Am staying in bed today for sure.

The gas is still bothering me but easing up I think. I'm drinking peppermint tea and taking capsules so hopefully I shouldn't have too much longer of it.

I'm finding it so hard just staying in bed as I'm usually so active. I'm also really missing toddler ds, he is avoiding me at the moment because I think he's confused and scared . I'm so looking forward to being able to walk about a bit more so I can spend time with him.

I love hearing about how you've gone on to have further dc, that's so lovely and positive.

Hi HoggleHoggle, so sorry you are going through this.
I had my left tube removed in July, the consultant said that it was at the point of rupture.
I recovered from surgery quite quickly and was back to work after seven days (desk-based job). Make sure you take all of the pain killers they've given you. I was given a mix of codeine, ibuprofen and paracetamol and had to make sure i didn't forget to take them all or the pain crept in. I did find walking upright difficult and painful for quite a few days but got better quite rapidly after about five days.

By a horrible twist of fate, my other half had abdominal surgery a couple of days before me - we were a right state wincing on the sofa together as we recovered! :)

Have the hospital given you much advice with regards to TTC again? Mine recommended to wait for two periods before TTC to ensure my body had healed. Just make sure you are emotionally recovered too, not just physically.

Luckily I conceived again the first month we tried and I am now 20 weeks pregnant and all is well.

The hospital told me to go to the EPU when I was six weeks for an early scan to make sure the sac was in the right place, I then went for another at around 7 weeks to ensure the heart beat was visible.

It was so lovely getting the all clear from the hospital. The sonographer remembered me from diagnosing me in July with my ectopic and was so happy for me. She also saw on my scan that I had ovulated from my left ovary - the same side that I'd had my tube removed from, proving that the surgery doesn't necessarily mean that you can no longer conceive from that side.

Best wishes to you :)

Thanks so much for writing laughing, that's great news about your pregnancy. Do you mind if I ask how long you waited between the surgery and trying? (Sorry, I should be able to work that out given the dates!). The surgeon said I could try after 6 weeks but at the moment I have a figure of 3 months in my mind. If nothing else that pushes things into 2017 which somehow feels 'right'. I can't handle the thought of a baby this year, although I am simultaneously desperate for one!

The pain is hugely better 5 days on but I still feel incredibly weak. No energy at all but I suppose that's par for the course.

I'm thinking much more about the emotional side of things now that the initial shock and pain have worn off. I have decided to put the baby stuff I was saving for dc2 into the loft...we had been keeping it in our spare room since we moved last summer but I'm finding that too painful a reminder. I think a bit of a clean slate will be good for me at the moment.

Really pleased to hear that the pain is getting much better now HoggleHoggle.

I had my operation on July 12th and had a period in early August and then another in early September after which we started trying. Got a positive pregnancy test early October. I know I was very lucky to get a BFP so quickly but I wanted to share because positive stories really helped me with my healing process.

I found the first few weeks of my pregnancy extremely scary. Every single ache and pain convinced me that I was having another ectopic. I'd definitely recommend waiting until you feel healed enough to go through these emotions as it was a really tough time. I personally wanted to try as soon as possible because I was desperate not to have too big an age gap between my children (my DS is 3.5) but I probably would have fallen apart if it had been another ectopic.

Wishing you a speedy recovery x