r/EctopicSupportGroup

After 6 months of ttc, I had an ectopic pregnancy at 7 weeks which sadly ended in a rupture, meaning I had to have emergency surgery at the start of february and lose my tube. It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions since then, but I can’t say I feel like time has “healed”. I have good days, but I also have overwhelming bad days where I could still sit and cry for hours about it all. I wanted that baby so much, and i feel so upset and guilty they never got the chance to be here.

I’m at the point where people seem genuinely surprised I’m still struggling so much, since so much time has passed, but I really do grieve my baby every waking second. I’m on the fence between, I’ll never apologise for having so much emotion towards my loss, and also criticising myself for being so sensitive and weak for not being able to move on. I’ve tried to access (free) counselling, but I’ve been rejected multiple times which makes me feel as if even the support systems don’t think I should be this upset.

Has anyone else felt so deeply affected by their ectopic? Does it actually ever get better, or is this something that everyone who’s been through it carries?

We’re still ttc, 3 months and no luck, and I think a rainbow would be the only thing that would pull me out of this storm but that feels so far away :(

has anyone had any heavier bleeding after their tube was removed? i had emergency surgery on monday night and didn’t bleed at all yesterday. woke up this morning with a decent amount of blood. i have a follow up today but im nervous. i thought i was in the clear and felt a huge relief from this entire process.

Hi everyone!

I went to my OBGYN for a normal well woman check up and found out I was pregnant on April 30th! Completely unexpected because I had been bleeding for about 14 days prior to the appointment so I thought I had my period. My period is usually about 6 or 7 days, so the bleeding was very abnormal for me. My last normal period before that was March 18th to the 24th, with an estimated ovulation date of April 8th.

-Hcg level on April 30th was 410 and no intrauterine or ectopic pregnancy noted on ultrasound yet. They did note that I had a small cyst on my right ovary. I was still having some light bleeding at this time. I also began experiencing morning sickness around this time.

-May 3rd Hcg level only increased to 526. With the light bleeding and slow hcg level increase, there was some talk about an ectopic. I had no pain or anything, so they told me just to get more blood work. Still experiencing morning sickness and now I'm always tired.

-May 5th hcg level was 1,127 and no signs on intrauterine or ectopic pregnancy seen on ultrasound. They did note that my right ovary was enlarged and no change in size of the cyst. No more bleeding at this point. Still having nausea, fatigue, and now constipation. No pain.

-May 7th hcg level was 2,173. Same symptoms as previous, no bleeding or pain.

Today, May 12th. I get repeat lab work on the 14th. I have been taking pregnancy tests daily and I'm at the point where the positive is popping up before control. This has been happening for the past week and my tests are only popping up faster and darker than the previous ones. If I miscarried, wouldn't they be getting lighter?

My period tracking app is putting me at about 6 weeks and 6 days. I was supposed to get a repeat ultrasound on May 14th, but my OB office called me this morning saying they were canceling it and that they want me to get more blood work instead. That was all they told me.

I am kind of frustrated at the lack of communication and explanation of results. Is there any chance this pregnancy is viable? Is there a chance I have an ectopic pregnancy in my right ovary? I'm an ER nurse and have seen how quick ovarian ectopic pregnancies can go downhill, but my OB does not seem concerned. I sent her a message voicing my concerns, but I have not heard anything back yet. Help!?

Update 5/12: went to the ER and had blood work and repeat hcg level drawn. Ultrasound was inclusive and there were no signs of intrauterine or ectopic pregnancy, but my hcg level increased to 7,190. I was hoping this would ease my anxiety, but with no clear view of the pregnancy and my hcg still rising, now I'm even more concerned 🙃

Hello! we conceived on our 2nd cycle TTC which was PUL/ectopic and treated with MTX (two doses) took 10 weeks to fully resolve which was first week of January. We were cleared to TTC right away and now have gone 5 cycles without success. I am going to ask my provider for an HSG, what else should I consider? My husband and I are 29 and healthy, I ovulate regularly with LH & temp tracking, we have done extensive functional medicine labs and everything is normal. How long to keep trying until we get more help? It feels like each month gets harder and I lose more and more hope ❤️‍🩹

Hi everyone,

I recently had 2 doses of MTX shot, today was day 7 since 2nd shot and looks like my HCG is going down at an expected rate. I’m trying to figure out what to expect over the next few weeks/months.
My doctor told me to repeat blood work weekly until hCG is negative, and mentioned that it can take about 4–6 weeks. I was also told to follow a low folate diet until it’s negative. I’m a little confused about how strict that needs to be, especially since a lot of the healthy foods I usually eat are high in folate, like beans, lentils, quinoa etc.
I also asked about exercise, and I was told I could continue weights and HIIT if I was already doing them before. I used to work out intermittently until I ovulated, but I’m still unsure when people usually feel comfortable starting again more consistently.
I’m also worried about gaining a lot of weight during this waiting period. Since we have a 3-month wait before trying again, I’d really like to use this time to focus on being healthy again and reducing weight in a safe way.
For those who’ve been through this:

• How long were you told to stay on a low folate diet?and how long did it take for HCG to be negative?
• When did you resume working out?
• Did you modify your diet or exercise at all while waiting for hCG to go down?

I would really appreciate any advice you might have.

I previously had an ectopic (treated with MTX) and was so grateful for the wealth of knowledge, experiences shared, and kindness here.

I got a positive pregnancy test last week. OB clinic couldn't set up hCG labs until this week to monitor for another ectopic just in case. First hCG was this past Monday.

Then Tuesday (yesterday) I started bleeding. Also cramping, low back pain, and occasional throbs on the left side of the pelvic area. It's less than a pad per hour and the clots are very small so my OB said I don't need to go to the ER at this point.

Today I go in for my second hCG. I'm only 4w5d along.

I'll have a third hCG on Friday, and then an ultrasound next Tuesday when I'll be 5w4d. That's assuming that my bleeding and clots don't increase and necessitate going to the ER.

It's so hard in the waiting period to know whether this is a regular miscarriage (chemical pregnancy?) or an ectopic where my life could be in danger again. What helps you mentally and emotionally when you are waiting to see if it's another ectopic?

I asked this question before but I didn’t get many responses so I’m trying again.

I see a lot of women here have had to get surgery and remove or repair a tube. My ectopic was resolved with MTX and I didn’t need any surgery. Has anyone proceeded to get pregnant after with no intervention on their tubes? Did you get an hsg test first? Or did you just go for it?

We discovered our pregnancy was ectopic on April 3 and got MTX on April 7 to resolve. My HCG levels were not super high to begin with, which somehow felt invalidating but I guess good in terms of resolution. I am still not at 0 HCG but hoping today was the last draw.

I have had emotional ups and down but thought I was on the upswing. When I went in for my draw today there was a visibly pregnant woman and her toddler getting on the elevator in front of me and I had to walk away and burst into a whole meltdown on the side of the parking garage. Just from seeing someone pregnant. Then of course going to the OB I see several other beautiful bumps and happy couples. Of course I do not know these people and wish them all well but I didn’t realize how triggering it would still be.

I only knew I was pregnant for a couple weeks before this. I feel like I should be “over it” as it’s been over a month / that I am not entitled to this level of grief but it’s the hardest shit I have been through. I feel like my body is still holding the trauma; I’ve had all kinds of skin problems and bloating. I feel really disconnected from my body and have so much bitterness, grief, and anxiety about the future.

Not sure what I’m looking to get out of posting this but just looking for an outlet. This subreddit has been so helpful to me and I’d like to give back in some way and interact more with others here. What a terrible club.

Hi, so I got an ultrasound day before yesterday and yesterday, didnt find anything except my uterus thickening. First hcg, came out 283 and second 241, in 48 hrs. I am just wondering, if it can still be ectopic? Super worried! No sac was found at ultrasound. But I don’t know, what to do. As I am about to travel. Dont know what to do. Also, they did another ultrasound yesterday, transvaginal and abdominal both, nothing found! But i am just worried if its ectopic. But numbers dropping sounds better than going little up or plateauing, what you guys think? Is it okay to travel out of states

TIA

Hi everyone. I’m mostly posting to see if anyone can relate because I’m starting to feel really alone in this.

About 13 months ago, I had an ectopic pregnancy and was given MTX. We waited to start trying again, and now we’ve officially been TTC again for 10 months with not a single positive test. Before this, I had gotten pregnant with my husband multiple times, so this whole experience has been really confusing and emotionally draining.

What’s making this harder is that I constantly see stories of women getting pregnant again within 1–3 cycles after their ectopic. I know everyone’s journey is different, but it’s hard not to feel like something must be wrong with me at this point.

We are working with a fertility clinic. My husband’s testing came back good, and I’ve been doing monitored cycles/letrozole, but every month that passes without even a faint positive gets harder mentally. I think part of me expected that because I had gotten pregnant before, it would happen again quickly.

I also feel stuck between hope and fear all the time. I desperately want to be pregnant again, but after experiencing loss and an ectopic, TTC doesn’t feel exciting anymore. It mostly feels stressful and scary.

I guess I’m just looking to hear from anyone who took longer to conceive after an ectopic and still eventually had success. Did anyone else experience a long gap afterward even though they had been pregnant before?

I had my first appointment on Tuesday. We were so excited. We suffered a chemical pregnancy in November, and I had been feeling great during the first 7 weeks of this pregnancy. I had pregnancy symptoms but was overall functional. I didn’t have any pain, bleeding, or any sense that I was having an ectopic pregnancy, or even that anything was wrong in the first place. I was so confident going into this appointment only to leave with the world crushing beneath our feet.

We found out the egg had implanted outside of my uterus. I’m still trying to make sense of it because it genuinely doesn’t make sense to me. I’m healthy, in shape, have normal/regular periods, why did this happen? Is it just a string of bad luck? Am I not meant to have kids? I just feel so worthless that my body isn’t doing what it’s designed to do. I’d love to hear encouraging stories of people who have had multiple miscarriages and have gone on to have healthy pregnancies. Other than that, I just want to feel less isolated.

Hey!

To preface: I had an ectopic pregnancy in 2023 which lead to a rupture and emergency surgery to remove my left tube. The pain was traumatic and I thought I was going to die at one point.

Fast forward to March 2025: I gave birth to a healthy baby girl.

I just found out I was pregnant on Friday. My excepted period was on May 4th. A few days before my period, I was so crampy so I thought it was coming but it never did. The cramps have continued and on Tuesday I had shooting pain on my right so which subsided after I took Advil. I took pregnancy tests on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday- all negative, then positive on Friday. The line was faint, but still positive nonetheless. I know each pregnancy is different but this is so unlike me. I usually test positive the day of my missed period. There can be so many reasons for this but I can’t help to go to possible ectopic. I’ve been crampy since last week, and last night started having mild lower back pain and dull achy pain on the far right side of my hip. This is not helping my nerves. I’m going to the doctors on Thursday and know this is nothing I can do right now. I just needed a place to let out my worries :(

I am 4 weeks pregnant after one ectopic and one chemical. I went to meet my friends new baby yesterday who I would have been due to give birth with at the same time but I had an ectopic and lost my baby. I then fell out with her shortly after my loss because she announced her pregnancy weeks after I had lost mine without any sensitivity towards me. We would have been literal days apart. She apologised and we moved on. Her baby was beautiful and I’m so happy for her, but I knew it would be hard. My other friend who was there is also very pregnant and due in a few months. Neither of these friends have ever experienced loss. They do not know I’m pregnant just now, but they know about my loss and that I’ve been trying. The whole conversation circled around babies, pregnancy, labour, and miscarriage yesterday. I cried the whole way home and had a panic attack because I feel so triggered by seeing them. I’m so worried I have another loss, I barely slept lastnight for the anxiety. I don’t know why I’m posting this, but I suppose I just need to get it out into writing. If anyone has kind words I would love to hear them, this feels like an incredibly lonely place to be. I realised when I was driving home lastnight that I thought a new pregnancy would instantly make me feel better, but I’ve realised that nothing will ever take away the pain of having an ectopic and losing my first pregnancy when all my friends are having lovely pregnancies around me. I was also fired after my ectopic (was definitely discriminated against) so I have a lot of trauma from this part of my life. I think I’m just looking for kind words and a bit of reassurance that I’m not going insane and these feelings are normal? 🥺❤️‍🩹 thank you x

I am currently undergoing my third back to back miscarriage in 11 months, and I’m worried this one could be ectopic and am looking for some input. The idea of taking methotrexate and having to wait three months to conceive is agonizing.
My first pregnancy was a chemical pregnancy and presented very similar to this one. Two weeks ago I took a HPT and had a faint line and immediately expected miscarriage. I took a test 48 hours later that really showed no darkening and went into my OBGYN for bloodwork. My first hCG was 60, and my second hCG was 81. I started to bleed last Sunday and was ordered to come in today for follow up where my hCG came back at 118. Im experiencing some cramping on my right side but it comes in waves and have an ultrasound scheduled for tomorrow morning. Obviously I’m terrified. Could this just taper off and be a normal miscarriage instead?

I’m looking for advice or similar experiences because I’m in a really stressful limbo situation right now. My doctor is suspecting ectopic pregnancy

My last period was March 20. Early on, my doctors initially thought I was having a miscarriage because my hCG levels dropped twice (55, 39, 35 within a week). After that, (about two weeks later) the levels started rising again, but still not normally. My hCG was a little over 500, then 889 a few days later, and now around 1300.

I’ve had multiple ultrasounds. They can see what looks like a small gestational sac in my uterus, and the sac has grown slightly over time, but there is still no yolk sac, fetal pole, or heartbeat. My doctor says this does not look like a normal viable pregnancy at this point, but they also cannot fully rule out an ectopic pregnancy because sometimes a “pseudo sac” can appear in the uterus with an ectopic pregnancy.

I’ve also had intermittent left-sided pain but no bleeding since the time my hcg dropped (I bled heavily for a day).

The hardest part is that because my hCG is still rising and there is technically still a sac visible, my doctor wants me to repeat hCG bloodwork again and wait for another ultrasound next week before making final decisions. I understand why medically, but emotionally it has been really difficult living in limbo not knowing if this is a miscarriage, abnormal intrauterine pregnancy, or ectopic pregnancy.

Another complication is that I am still breastfeeding my almost 1 year old daughter full time, including overnight. Because of that, my doctor does not feel methotrexate is a good option right now. She said if intervention becomes necessary, the likely option would be surgery (D&C and possibly laparoscopy if they suspect ectopic). She explained that if they do surgery and do not find pregnancy tissue in the uterus, they may need to look at my tubes and potentially remove a tube if there is an ectopic there.

I’m struggling with the fear of surgery, the possibility of losing a tube, and the idea of suddenly weaning my daughter in order to take methotrexate. I also feel emotionally confused because my body still feels pregnant with nausea and symptoms even though things are not looking hopeful.

Has anyone had a similar situation with hCG levels dropping and then rising again, along with an empty gestational sac/pregnancy of unknown location? How long did your doctors wait before deciding treatment? And if you were breastfeeding, how did that affect your options?