Success Story: My Healthy Baby After an Ectopic Pregnancy

TRIGGER WARNING: This post is about my experience with an ectopic pregnancy. Though many women face this type of loss, some are not in a place to read about my truths. Give yourself the space and time you need before reading this post.

What is an Ectopic Pregnancy?

An ectopic pregnancy happens when a fertilized egg implants and grows outside of the uterus. Ectopic pregnancies, sometimes called tubal pregnancies, most often occur in a fallopian tube, which carries the egg from the ovaries to the uterus.

Ectopic pregnancies are not viable and result in loss.

Our Success Story

On Christmas Eve, we found out we were expecting our second little bundle of joy. I took the test in the afternoon, minutes before our big family gathering. We spent Christmas feeling entirely grateful for the most special gift of all.

The Initial Pain

3 weeks later, that joy turned to heartache as we experienced a miscarriage. Like many unsuspecting women, I became a part of a group that no one hopes to join.

I noticed a small amount of blood accompanying my morning pee, so I called the on-call doctor. We were on vacation, at the time, so she told us to go to the nearest Emergency Department (ED).

After a cervical exam, testing my HcG levels, and performing an ultrasound, the ED doctor muttered the words, “I’m sorry. It appears you have lost the baby.”

The doctor continued to give us information. He said my HcG levels were 168, far lower than what a viable pregnancy should be, and my uterus was “empty.” We left feeling complete devastation.

Suspecting an Ectopic Pregnancy

3 days later, I was home and followed up with my OB/GYN. She checked my HcG levels (they need to be at 0 to ensure my body no longer recognized this pregnancy). My levels had gone up, slightly, to 303. That was cause for concern.

The OB started to suspect an ectopic pregnancy. I was asked to come back immediately to have my labs checked again, do a transvaginal ultrasound, and discuss our options.

Again, my HcG levels went up, but barely. Because of the insignificance of the jump (from 303 to 445), the results were inconclusive.

The team was relying on the ultrasound to give us more information. Unfortunately, due to positioning and other factors, it showed very little. It, too, was inconclusive.

Our Options

Our options were threefold:

Wait one more day to see if my body would naturally let this pregnancy go,
Schedule a d&c and laparoscopy and hope to find conclusive results, or
Try a very harsh medication called Methotrexate to stop my cells from growing.

We opted to wait one more day to see if my body would let the pregnancy go. It didn’t. My labs were now 488, and the OB/GYN advised to do the d&c and laparoscopy.

If gone undiagnosed, an ectopic pregnancy can cause the fallopian tube to rupture and be very dangerous for women. My body was essentially a ticking time bomb for that. I was scheduled for immediate surgery.

Surgery

The d&c and laparoscopy lead the OB/GYN to the pregnancy in my tube, which was inflamed and not salvageable. She took my right fallopian tube out.

After surgery, I was in recovery for about an hour and half before coming home.

Grieving Our Loss

With so much happening all at once, grieving had been put on hold. But the time had come to start grieving the loss of our Christmas miracle. We took time to process our loss, feel the pain, and heal.

The grief came in waves, suddenly washing over me with harsh reminders that we will never have the opportunity to meet our little sweet pea. With time, coping, and openness, it has gotten better.

Moving Forward

When following up with the midwife team, I had many questions. What does this mean for having another child? How will my body change now that I am missing my right fallopian tube? Are our chances of conception diminished?

I was assured that my body would function relatively normally and that natural conception was still a very good option for us.

I was also told, though in the past many women were told to wait three or more months to try and conceive again, that information is outdated. The midwife said, “As soon as your head and your heart are ready to try for another baby, your body is ready.”

Just two months later, the pregnancy test came back with two pink lines. Just like that I was pregnant again.

I won’t lie to you. The next pregnancy came with more anxiety. The first trimester, especially, was accompanied by a constant sense of worry.

But it was also met with extreme gratitude. Every day I used the manta, “Today, I get to be pregnant.” And I will forever be thankful that my body had the courage to become pregnant again.

We will be meeting our healthy Baby Boy at the end of November!

A Note to Other Women

To all the women who have spoken out about pregnancy loss, thank you. Thank you for letting me know we were not alone.

And to all the women who might experience this type of pain, please know I am walking right along side you. I will always be a listening ear for those grieving what could have been.

Ectopic Pregnancy: Q&A

Is an ectopic pregnancy and a miscarriage the same thing?

Kind of. Both a miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy result in loss of a baby. Both are emotionally challenging. Both are physically challenging. However, an ectopic pregnancy may cause internal bleeding and endanger your life.

How often do women experience an ectopic pregnancy?

According to March of Dimes, 1 in 50 pregnancies in the United States is ectopic.

Who is at risk for an ectopic pregnancy?

Women are more prone to having an ectopic pregnancy is they are over the age of 35, have endured IVF, or have had two or more elective abortions.

If I have one ectopic pregnancy, will I have another?

There is about a 15% chance of having two or more ectopic pregnancies.

What are the signs and symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy?

The initial signs of an ectopic pregnancy is typically light vaginal bleeding and pelvic pain. If the fallopian tube is rupturing, you will have heavy internal bleeding and symptoms are life-threatening including lightheadedness, fainting, or shock.

The Wrap Up: Our Success Story After an Ectopic Pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancies are a cruel kind of loss. Accompanied by emotional turmoil and physical distress, they bring heartache and confusion among many other emotions.

The encouraging part is this: There is always healing and hope.

Many women go on to have a healthy, viable pregnancy after a tubal pregnancy. It doesn’t take away from the grief you’ve felt. But the grief does change over time.

I’m wishing you all the encouragement in the world.