Miscarriage / ectopic pregnancy help

[Georgie4591]

Wondering whether anyone else has had the same or a similar experience and might be able to shed some light for me.

I suffered 2 miscarriages in August and October this year, both at about 5/6 weeks.

I fell pregnant again very quickly after the second miscarriage and everything was going really well.

On Boxing Day I started bleeding (at 11 weeks) lightly, informed by my EPU that they would book me in for an earlier scan in NYE (my original scan was booked for 8th Jan). Over the next few days bleeding got worse and experienced a lot of pain. Long story short went to a&e in NYE and was told that the pregnancy was ectopic and I’d need emergency surgery to remove the pregnancy and my right tube. Obviously unbelievably traumatic and I’m still coming to terms with it all.

Anyway, fast forward a few weeks. Went to my doctor to ask to be signed off work for slight longer as I’m not ready to go back yet. Also asked what my options were in terms of tests that I could have or specialists that I can see as obviously I’ve had 2 miscarriages and an ectopic and now have only 1 tube. He was totally useless and very unsympathetic, told me that there are no tests and I just need to “get pregnant again and would be looked after”. I don’t think this is right, I have a friend going through a similar thing and she has been referred for tests but I just wanted to see if this is the norm for others?

[itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted]

Unfortunately whilst the way your GP put it was insensitive he is correct

Most recurrent miscarriage clinics won't see you until you've had 3 miscarriages in a row - ectopics don't count

I had a ruptured ectopic and lost my left tube and fought really hard to get a HSG test to check whether my right tube was blocked - it came back all clear and in the follow up with the surgeon from my ectopic (you should get one within 3 months or so) she said the remaining tube looked "healthy".....

I still went on to have another ectopic and lost my remaining right tube.

There is no test available to tell you if your remaining tube is working - and the HSG can give false hope - what matters is the little hair like muscles called cilla in the tube and there is no test other than actually getting pregnant again with a uterine pregnancy to tell if these are actually capable of moving an egg through the tube.

I know it's frustrating and I was the same - I wanted answers and I wanted to feel like I wasn't playing Russian roulette with my life every time I tried to get pregnant again

You will be offered a scan at 6 weeks pregnancy though next time to check for ectopic due to your history although I know that little consolation x

[Georgie4591]

Thank you for your reply.

The line of “playing Russian roulette with my life every time I tried to get pregnant again” really resonates. I’m so scared that it will happen again and I’ll loose the other tube - so sorry this happened to you!

A friend of mine has had a few miscarriages and 2 ectopics (1 was medically handled and the other she lost a tube), she’s been referred to a specialist fertility doctor so I was just wondering why this wasn’t offered to me. I have another appointment with a different doctor this week to see what my options are and whether there is anything I can do to try to prevent losses in the future.

[itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted]

I'm guessing if your friend doesn't have children already then she has been referred for standard fertility support on the NHS and ultimately IVF - but friends of mine have experienced that and were told an ectopic or miscarriage counts as getting pregnant to the NHS it resets the waiting time limit the NHS imposes (6 month ttc if your over 35 or 1-2 years if younger)

The doctors like to argue that a tube removal doesn't lower your fertility by much but it does. Also most women's domain any ovary is their right one - so you are reliant on the other tube flooring over to collect the egg and that depends on lots of factors like adhesions and scarring as to whether it can do that x

[momoo22]

So sorry to hear of your losses @Georgie4591

And yours @itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted

I also suffered this recently and wondered if it was age related I'm 42.

I didn't realise that your right one is your dominant one and therefore the chances of us conceiving again are remote. Not sure I could face the risk again anyway

[Georgie4591]

I didn’t know that either @momoo22 😳

I’ve never had an issue with getting pregnant, I actually fell pregnant very easily but now I’m worried that with my “dominant” one being removed plus the miscarriages that I’ve experienced that I’m just clutching at straws.

I’m so ready for more children (DD is 6) and I’m so worried that this dream might not happen for me and if I do fall pregnant again, I’m putting my life on the line for it