“Lights whizzed past overhead. Anxious faces peering at me, ‘Hang in there, you’ll be fine, just getting you to theatre.’ Just like Grey’s Anatomy everyone was in scrubs. The pain was excruciating. I was terrified. I don’t remember anything else until I woke up in the HDU. Martin held my hand like he’d never let me go. I almost died. I’d never really heard of Ectopic Pregnancy. My consultant said I was lucky to be alive and lucky to have kept my womb after life-saving surgery.
I was 5 weeks on, but we hadn’t even realized I was pregnant. I didn’t feel lucky. It was then the tears started.”. Sinead (35) came to me for relief of anxiety, insomnia and sex problems after suffering an ectopic pregnancy.
How did it start?
’’To be honest I was thinking jet-lag, too much dolce vita, or a wee infection after our dream holiday. The neck and shoulder pain seemed part of it. I hadn’t missed my period. Long-haul flights always play havoc with my cycle.We were hoping to get pregnant soon but weren’t focusing on it.”
What is ‘Ectopic’ Pregnancy?
Ectopic means ‘outside.’ Babies usually settle and grow in the womb. If they implant in a Fallopian Tube or in the abdomen, there isn’t room to grow. The placenta invades blood vessels causing hemorrhage. It’s a medical emergency, usually happening during 4th-8th week of pregnancy.
Why does it happen?
The embryo fails to implant correctly due to problems caused by scarring and damage to the cilia lining the Fallopian Tubes.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Tubal Surgery, D&C procedure, IUD coil, STI and Ashermans Syndrome and Smoking are implicated.
What are the signs?
Missing a period and having pain are warning signs, similar to miscarriage.
1) Pain and cramping: recent onset, sudden or worsening in the abdomen and lower back. Blood pooled inside presses on the diaphragm to give ‘referred pain’ in neck or shoulders. Some women with ectopic pregnancy can have pain during sex, while peeing or pooing.
2) Bleeding: vaginally …may be brown spotting or red.
3) Fainting, dizziness, nausea or weakness
Diagnosis is by ultrasound and blood hormone-level tests.
Treatment
Emergency care involves scans and life-saving surgery to stop bleeding and may include emoval of Fallopian Tubes or the womb.
Methotrexate is a medication that shuts down the placenta to terminate the pregnancy.
Future Fertility
The news is good … 70% of women will conceive following ectopic pregnancy.
Minding yourself
‘The emergency treatment was fantastic. Afterwards everyone sympathised with me about losing a baby. I didn’t feel I had. It’s different to a miscarriage where you are bonding already. My confidence in becoming a mother normally was shattered. I was so afraid that something would go wrong again. It affected us both, on our relationship.’’
Helena supported me, knew the medical side and allowed me to process it my own way. You just can’t talk to family or friends about it. I got my health and my confidence back. I felt normal again. Now I’m wondering what being a twin mom will be like!”
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