How Do You Know if Your Pregnant When Your Tubes Are Tied
An ectopic pregnancy is an alarming and sometimes life-threatening status. Here's how to spot the symptoms and what to expect if you take one.
What is an ectopic pregnancy?
An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilised egg implants outside of the womb. This happens well-nigh frequently in one of the 2 fallopian tubes, which are too minor to sustain a pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy can likewise occur in the cervix, an ovary, in the abdomen, or even inside a Caesarean scar.
How common is an ectopic pregnancy?
According to NHS statistics, 1 in every 90 pregnancies in the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland is ectopic – around eleven,000 a year. A number of celebrities have suffered ectopic pregnancies, including Nicole Kidman, vocalist-songwriter Vanessa Carlton, and actress and model Jaime King.
Who is more probable to have an ectopic pregnancy?
Ectopic pregnancies can happen to whatever fertile adult female. Yet, there's an increased risk if you've had i before, if y'all've had tubal surgery previously, or if you have aberrant fallopian tubes or endometriosis.
The following tin also increase chances of an ectopic pregnancy:
- A history of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
- Recurring sexually transmitted infections that can scar the tubes such every bit chlamydia or gonorrhoea
- Using an intrauterine device (IUD)
- Abdominal surgery
- Emergency contraception
- Being meaning over the age of forty
- Smoking
You are not more probable to have an ectopic pregnancy if you lot've had miscarriages, abortions or played sport. The status also isn't hereditary.
How do I know if I accept an ectopic pregnancy?
There are not ever clear symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy, which makes information technology hard to diagnose. Symptoms mimic signs of early pregnancy, so it's oftentimes picked up during an ultrasound scan.
Early on symptoms (before the 12th week of pregnancy) include:
- A positive pregnancy exam (but y'all may also go a negative reading)
- Brown, watery discharge or vaginal bleeding
- One-sided tummy pain
- Discomfort when going to the toilet
- Diarrhoea
- Pain in the tip of the shoulder
Sometimes an ectopic pregnancy ends in rupture, which is when the pregnancy tears the fallopian tube and causes internal bleeding. This is serious and requires emergency surgery. Call an ambulance if yous're significant, or think you're meaning, and become the following symptoms:
- An intense hurting in the stomach
- Severe hurting in the neck or tip of the shoulder
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dizziness, fainting or collapse
- Going stake
Credit: Getty
What does ectopic pain feel like?
It is ordinarily an intense hurting in the abdomen or pelvis, and it tin can exist on i side or all over. Hurting is besides felt in the shoulder or cervix where claret from a ruptured fallopian tube may build up and irritate nerves. Not all women feel pain, nonetheless, and information technology can vary from a low anguish to sharp, stabbing pain. Dr Jackie Ross, Consultant Gynaecologist at Kings College Hospital, describes information technology equally "a sharp, stitch-like pain, but the hurting can likewise exist more than non-specific than that."
What colour is ectopic bleeding?
Any bleeding from an ectopic pregnancy can look like a normal period. It could be bright blood-red or a darker chocolate-brown colour, which is why some women mistake it for a menstruation. If yous accept any other aberrant symptoms and there is a chance you could be significant, you should consult your doctor.
How presently would I know if I have an ectopic pregnancy?
Ectopic pregnancy symptoms typically emerge between weeks four and 12 of pregnancy. This could be before you fifty-fifty realise you're pregnant. Otherwise, you may notice the embryo in an early on scan (12 weeks or earlier). If y'all're not due a scan but you have symptoms or concerns, y'all must visit your GP or the Early Pregnancy Unit of measurement.
How long can it go unnoticed?
If it's non picked upwards in a scan, an ectopic pregnancy tin go unnoticed for the start 16 weeks of pregnancy, until the fertilised egg is large plenty to cause meaning hurting. Nevertheless, it usually creates symptoms earlier than this.
What happens if I have an ectopic pregnancy?
The NHS offers three treatments if it is discovered early enough:
- Close monitoring – the fertilised egg will sometimes deliquesce and no handling is needed
- Medication to stop the unviable pregnancy
- Surgery (usually keyhole surgery) to remove the fertilised egg and, sometimes, the affected fallopian tube
However, if the fallopian tubes flare-up or rupture, you lot will undergo emergency surgery to remove the egg and fallopian tube.
Credit: Getty
Can an ectopic pregnancy survive?
Sadly no. An ectopic pregnancy is non a viable pregnancy equally the fertilised egg won't take room to grow outside the womb and the pregnancy tin can't exist moved.
Will an ectopic pregnancy reduce my chances of getting pregnant?
According to the NHS, most women get pregnant once again, fifty-fifty with ane fallopian tube. "If you take 100 women who've had an ectopic pregnancy 60-70 percent of those women volition exist able to get pregnant again naturally," says Dr Jackie Ross. Fertility treatment is too an option for anyone who has suffered from an ectopic pregnancy.
Professor Dharani Hapangama, is consultant gynaecological surgeon at the University of Liverpool and researcher at women'due south wellness inquiry clemency Wellbeing of Women. She recommends mothers getting early scans for subsequent pregnancies: "When they know they are pregnant, their location of pregnancy needs to be checked. This is usually around six weeks of pregnancy at a dedicated early on pregnancy unit of measurement in the local hospital.
"If 1 fallopian tube is removed and if the remaining tube is normal, the bear upon on fertility is non much. But the risk may be higher the side by side time; then the location of pregnancy needs to be checked early in the pregnancy."
Tin can I give birth after an ectopic pregnancy?
"Giving birth afterward previously experiencing an ectopic pregnancy should not exist affected," reassures Lesley Gilchrist, Registered Midwife and Founder of My Adept Midwife. "There are ii fallopian tubes, and so if the ovary and fallopian tube on the unaffected side are good for you so future pregnancy is possible." Nevertheless, you should ever inform your doctor or midwife of your by medical history then they can keep an eye on how your time to come good for you pregnancy develops.
Where can I go for support?
"The earlier a women comes and seeks assist, the more than options she has and the better the assessment can be made," advises Dr Jackie Ross.
The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust charity is a helpful resource that offers counselling, email support and discussion forums for women who accept a shared experience. Loss and grief are natural feelings, and information technology'south essential that all women get the help and support they need.
If yous'd like more information, lookout this educational video on where and how ectopic pregnancies happen:
Source: https://www.goodto.com/family/ectopic-pregnancy-signs-symptoms-487523