Has anyone had a heterotopic pregnancy?

[Glowinthedarkskeleton]

I was told at a private scan today I had likely miscarried, I got my head around that and came into the EPU to confirm and discuss next steps.

Whilst here I was scanned and the sonographer found a viable pregnancy with a heart beat, measuring 6 weeks instead of 8, but definitely there!

However as she continued looking, she discovered an ectopic twin pregnancy in my ovary which was getting ready to rupture. It’s actually so swollen you can feel it through my stomach (I had thought that was my uterus).

I’ve been admitted and will have surgery in the morning to remove the ectopic. This may cause the viable pregnancy to miscarry, but they will do their best to avoid that.

So today I’ve been not pregnant, pregnant again and then too pregnant. My head is spinning.

Add into the mix this was a pregnancy after quite severe PND the first time. The double HCG has had me on my knees mentally so the past 6 weeks have been hell. I’m relieved that this aspect will be calming soon, but now so worried that my pregnancy won’t survive.

I’m rooting for the tiny baby I saw on the scan today but absolutely terrified. It’s a 1 in 30000 chance for this happening in a naturally conceived pregnancy and I’m just so shocked.

Would love to hear from anyone who has gone through this. If you don’t mind sharing, even if it wasn’t good news I would be really interested to hear the outcome as there’s so little info online or on other ectopic boards.

Sorry that should say abdomen not stomach

Not experienced a double one but had a single ectopic. Just wanted to say good luck 🤞 x

Sending hugs to you, I really hope things go well for you x

Not experienced myself but wanted to wish you lots of strength and luck for tomorrow.

Thank you all I appreciate it!

Best of luck OP and wishing you all the best.

I'd be keen to let the private scan place know what has gone on as this sounds like negligence on their part if they A) missed a possible life threatening ectopic

and B) didn't see the viable pregnancy!

Admittedly, at an that stage, things are so tiny, as in mm's, but even so! Best of luck and let us know how you get on

Wow I've never heard of this, I'm sorry it's happening to you and wish you all the best for tomorrow!

I had a ectopic removed in June and joined a group online. I know of two people on there that have been through a successful heterotopic pregnancy, one giving birth last month at full term.
Good luck

Private scans are often only abdominal, whereas the EPU can be transvaginal. Good luck, OP xx

Best of luck OP, hope it all goes well tomorrow

What a rollercoaster! Poor you. Hope tomorrow goes well

Yes it happened to me. Surviving twin is 27.
Best of luck!

I had a private transvaginal at 6 weeks which based on today’s dates would have been 4, so I guess very little to see but they found the sac and yoke. I had this because I was worried about an ectopic or twins, due to the intense symptoms so early. Crazy to think I was right.

Second scan today was abdominal only and she showed me the empty sac, I think it was just too hard to see on an abdominal. With that I don’t think they would have been able to see the ovaries in enough detail but she did refer me to the EPU with a letter and say I should go today, so I think she saw something which worried her or the absence of something. But I agree about letting them know, I have their email from the report so thought I’d mention it.

I’m sort of viewing it that the private scan place could have saved my life or at least a horrible rupture as without that today I wouldn’t have come here unless it had ruptured.

As I write that I’m so confused because a yoke sac shouldn’t have been visible at 4 weeks and 2. Maybe the baby is measuring small but that part was rushed today as the focus was on the ectopic, I guess I will learn more in the coming days hopefully.

Thank you for commenting and for sharing that there are support groups and good stories, that’s really helpful to know.

Wow cherry that is great news, thank you for sharing and I’m so glad for you!

I was in hospital not so long ago with suspected heterotopic pregnancy, I had multiple scans as they could tell properly and my first was too soon, they discussed surgery with me and said that it wouldn't harm the viable pregnancy, sorry you're going through this but hope everything turns out ok for you!!

Couldn't tell**
Turned out to be a twisted cyst and blood clots.

This has blown my mind! Have everything crossed for you tomorrow x

@Glowinthedarkskeleton

Hi,

I’ve had IVF cycle in June and went for my 7 week scan last Wednesday. I was told I am expecting twins and then they found an ectopic too. I ended up having emergency surgery that evening. I had my tube removed. Came home the next day and just slowly recovering now. I will be going back on Monday to have another scan to see if the twins are okay. I was also told that it is very rare and so when I checked on Mumsnet not many threads so didn’t start a thread as a lot of people comment that they haven’t heard of this.

I hope you are okay.

@GreenShades I’m sorry you’ve been going through this too, that must be ever rarer. I really hope your twins are ok! And that your recovery goes well

@Glowinthedarkskeleton thank you! Hope your surgery goes well and the rest of your pregnancy goes smoothly.

No heterotopic pregnancy here, but I had a single ectopic rupture last September. Just wanted to wish you best of luck with the surgery (try not to worry about tube loss effecting fertility (lots of positive stories out there - I fell pregnant the first month I was allowed following surgery!)
Again, I recommend searching facebook for ectopic pregnancy support groups - you might find people on there have more experience. Wishing you the best of luck for baby 2 - and whatever happens, just breathe, take your time to process it and keep talking, we're here to help xx

I hope surgery goes well, please let us know you are ok and how things go if your comfortable xxx

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who commented, it was helpful to have a bit of a virtual handhold. Surgery is done and I’m recovering, will have to wait and see what happens now.

@Glowinthedarkskeleton that's great news! Hope everything goes well with your pregnancy. Have you been given a follow up scan? I am having my follow up scan on Monday.

Hi @Glowinthedarkskeleton. Glad to hear your surgery went well.

I had a heterotopic after IVF. The ectopic twin was missed on several scans and only discovered when it ruptured my tube.

I was “luckily” in hospital at the time, having management of the miscarriage of the first baby.

I was minutes from dying so it was all pretty hairy and took a lot of time to recover as I had an emergency laparotomy.

It sounds like yours has been identified and dealt with which is brilliant news, as much as such an awful thing can still have positives. There’s a heterotopic support group on FB but it gets very few posts tbh.

Wishing you all the best and a successful pregnancy from now on.