What to Expect After an Ectopic Pregnancy

crystalknpp · October 2009

I had an ectopic pregnancy a week ago today. I had surgery and the baby as well as my left fallopian tube was removed. I have my Drs appointment today to have my staples removed Embarrassed

I was just wondering what kind of questions I should ask the Dr. and what I should expect during recovery? How long do I have to wait to start TTC again and how long is normal to wait before I get my next period? Ive heard so many "rumors" about having one tube. Some people have told me that I'll ovulate every other month? I've just read so many conflicting things and Im just curious what is actually fact.

DavezWife · October 2009

I'm so sorry about your loss.

Your ovaries do not evenly take turns. Sometimes my right one fires for 4 months straight, then lays low for a couple cycles. Never know. So just having one viable side doing the work is just kinda what it is. You'll still ovulate as you did before, you just won't have a path for the one side.

If you have not gotten the book "Taking Charge of your Fertility" I HIGHLY recommend it. It's an awesome book to learn about your body, how to read your fertility signs, whether you want to conceive or avoid it, and it does go into issues and problems to some extent. TOTALLY one of the best books out there, trust me.

GL !

crystalknpp · October 2009

So the months I ovulate from the left side will be a month I wont be able to get pregnant? I read somewhere that the remaining tube would pull the egg from the left side? I don't know. All of this is so new to me and so unexpected. Im not sure what is fact and what isn't. I just want things to be back to the way they were before all of this.

armysis24 · October 2009

i am sorry for your loss. i too had an ectopic, but DR was able to repair my tube. sorry you have to go through the loss of that too. my surgery was oct 1. i'm pretty much recovered now. it took a little over 2 weeks. i'm not allowed to ttc for a total of 3 months. DR is calling it a blood clot/hemotoma that i still have, more like the "scab" but since its inside it cant scab up, but he said it can take several months for it to completely go away. i dont know what your hcg levels were, but on the day of my surgery, mine were at 4500. i had to go every week to get them tested to make sure they were going down. last week they were at 9. i have to go again today and it should all be gone now. i am still also waiting on AF. i'm sure since my levels are finally gone, i'm hoping she will arrive any time now. i have never wanted her so bad!

ask when you can ttc again.

ask if you have any restrictions. ( i couldnt drive, work, or lift over 10lbs for 2 weeks)

i cant think of any more right now. every time i thought of something, i wrote it down so i wouldnt forget. oh, i am going to ask today if i'm allowed to use tampons once i get AF. may be a stupid ?, but i want to be better safe than sorry.

hope some of this helps. if you ever want to talk or have a ?, let me know. again, sorry for your loss.

DavezWife · October 2009

I've not had an etopic, but I'm not really sure of the whole "right side sucking the egg from the left ovary" thing... that's pretty far-fetched from what I know about our anatomy. sorry.

Grab the book. it's golden.

best wishes to you. I know it seems so rotten right now, but I know LOTS of gals that have gotten pregnant with only one tube. Tons. If you have troubles on your own, see an RE, they can help with meds, IUI, or worst case, IVF... but that's down the road.

HannaB · October 2009

I had an ectopic pregnancy, but was treated with methotrexate rather than surgery. We had to wait at least 60 days to TTC because of the shot. So with surgery, they may allow to start TTC again as soon as you start a new cycle.

re: only one tube. One of my friends had a tube removed in HS due to an ovarian cyst, and her RE told her that the ovaries do take turns, but do not (necessarily) evenly alternate. So it might go R - R - L - R - L - L etc. That ovary will still release an egg, but without a tube, the egg won't be able to travel into your uterus.

I second the rec for TCOYF.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

MrsBrandiGreene · October 2009

I had a ruptured ectopic in Sept. 2004 and nearly bled to death before they realized what was going on. My situation was rather extreme and took me about 6 weeks to recover fully - mainly from the blood loss. I lost my right tube, but as you can see I've been blessed with two beautiful children despite only having one tube. (I also had a miscarriage at 12 weeks between my two babies.) Your ovaries do take turns. My cycles were so messed up that I used a CBEFM to help me understand when I was ovulating. Best wishes to you for a full recovery and hopeful you have good news to report soon.

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