What does an ectopic feel like?

amwangel

so I am almost 5 weeks (estimated, got pregnant after a stillbirth at 21 weeks, so no LMP) and have had some weird pain/sensation to the right of my uterus. It's not super painful and it's only sometimes when I'm sitting down but I'm suddenly worried this might be ectopic. My midwives don't take HCG levels, just a urine test, so I don't have those as indicators.  

For those who've experienced ectopic pregnancy - did the pain start out as mild? Should I be concerned? I don't remember this from any of my other 5 pregnancies...it feels different than my uterus cramping and stretching, but who knows. 

This is complicated by the fact that I'm traveling for 2 weeks, so away from my midwives. :-/ 

lilp2015

When I was 5 weeks pregnant I had an u/s to confirm pregnancy (pregnant after a loss before my cycle) they seen where a cyst had burst (could see fluid) I had been having uncomfortable pain on that side but wasn't sure what it was until the u/s. 

penelope4612

Ectopics can be really different for different people.  Mine started out as twinges and ultimately progressed to a nonstop aching pain on one side that radiated down my leg.  It was pretty painful.  But I also knew I was at high risk for ectopic because I had been spotting and my provider checked my hcg levels which were going up and down, but they couldn't find anything on ultrasound.  I think other people don't feel anything until the Fallopian tube bursts.  However, for my current pregnancy, I had a similar one sided aching pain that I was told was just my corpus luteum.  That pain did come and go through, it wasn't nonstop.  I had it until about 8 weeks I think.

If you're concerned, you should call your doctor.

waterfall213

My sister didn't feel anything until her tube ruptured. Then she was in awful pain and on the verge of passing out. She did have some spotting beforehand. 

amwangel

Thanks everyone! So the acute pain is gone (it was stabbing on the right side, it hurt! now just general achy/heavy uterus that happens in early pregnacy), so I'm hoping it was maybe corpus luteum like @penelope4612? Or a cyst like @lilp2015? Fingers are crossed that it doesn't rupture since I'll be on vacation in a few days!