Possible Ectopic

[Shananaaah]

Hi everyone,

Well what a week! Last Saturday we found out that I am pg. Which is awesome. However on Thursday, I started getting brown watery spotting (only when I wiped, and even then, only every 4th time or so). I also developed a wierd twang on my right hand side below the belly button.

I asked a bunch of people about this and they said they had bled etc while pg, but this felt different, so I went to see dr on Friday. He has said that it could be an ectopic pregnancy, or threatened miscarriage. He sent me straight off for blood tests and an ultrasound - the blood tests had great HCG levels and I had repeat tests today to see if the levels are rising correctly (get results this afternoon) but the ultrasound couldn't see anything as I was only 5 weeks pg and they said you usually can't see anything until 6 weeks.

So! I now have to have bed rest until Friday when I go and have another ultrasound, where (fingers crossed) my little muppet will be safely attached in the right place, and will continue to be ok until April.
Its frustrating as hell though - I am the LEAST patient person in the world, and Friday seems a long way away.

HAs anyone else experienced this kind of thing?

[FourAngelKisses]

Hi, I haven't experienced this before, I just wanted to wish you the best of luck. :hugs:

[melfunction]

I had to have blood tests every 3 days for the first 4 weeks after I found out I was pg. It was thought I had an ectopic too, but thankfully, I now have a healthy 14mth old boy.
Waiting is not my strongest point either. Good luck.

[TammyB]

I have experienced an Ectopic and the pain felt more like wind pain. I did not know I was pregnant until I collapsed at 6 weeks after my tube ruptured (HCG was only 168). I wrote more about it in this previous thread.
http://www.bubhub.com.au/community/forums/showthread.php?t=27287

Did they do a transvag u/s for you? Because with my current pregnancy they could see a 3mm gestational sac in my uterus at 4w+2d (HCG was 1671). Then at 5w+2d they could see the embroyo inside the sac so they did not do another HCG. (Admittedly these u/s have been in Japan, but I doubt the equipment is Australia would be that different)

If your HCG was over 1000 they should definitely have been able to see something on ultrasound. But you can't see the heartbeat until 6w+.

The following are healthy ranges of HCG in early pregnancy.
3 weeks LMP: 5 - 50 mIU/ml
4 weeks LMP: 5 - 426 mIU/ml
5 weeks LMP: 18 - 7,340 mIU/ml
6 weeks LMP: 1,080 - 56,500 mIU/ml
7 - 8 weeks LMP: 7, 650 - 229,000 mIU/ml

Fingers crossed for your latest HCG levels and good luck with your u/s on Friday.

[Shananaaah]

Hi TammyB,

Thanks for that information. My level on Friday afternoon was 1751 and then yesterday morning (Monday) it had risen to 4635. The u/s lady showed me a small black spot on the screen which she said "is what they look for" but said she couldn't be sure that it was the baby. From what we can tell, I conceived quite late in my cycle, so that may have something to do with it.

In any case, I just have to wait until Friday for the next ultrasound and cross my fingers in the meantime. I am on complete bedrest for the week and have to monitor my "pain" and bleeding. Today there is neither pain or bleeding. Yesterday there was quite a bit of pain when I bent. Keep in mind that when I say "pain" I really mean discomfort as it isn't painful at all. It just feels inflamed.

I am hoping like hell that I am reacting to the corpus luteum cyst - I had an ovarian cyst last year that was very similar to this, and haven't had one since.

In any case, I can only cross my fingers and hope that the baby is attached to the right place and this is actually my appendix or something!

Thanks again for the great info. The net is great but there are SO many sources of info and invariably they all tell you something different. Its great to have a personal experience to understand. Thank you for sharing it.

[Shananaaah]

Hi everyone, A quick update on my situation...

After almost a week's bed rest (BORING!) I went to Emergency on Wednesday due to a wierd popping sensation in my abdomen. They monitored me but couldn't do an u/s till the next day, so I went home and had u/s on Thursday.

Happy news - the pregnancy is definitely NOT ectopic - they clearly saw a sac, foetal pole, yolk etc, BUT they couldn't determine a heartbeat. They think I am earlier than I thought by a few days, so have asked me to come back in a fortnight to check. So on one hand, we are SO relieved...

On the other hand, I have just gone to the loo and found RED bleeding (all my previous bleeding had been brown) and am now slowly entering a mild state of panic.

I know bleeding is quite common in early pregnancy, so I am trying not to worry too much, but of course with everything that has gone on, plus not seeing a heartbeat yesterday.... :confused:

I haven't any pain associated with it so I am just going BACK to bed (and on such a glorious first day of Spring, bummer) and am going to stay lying down until it's gone for good.

Cross you fingers for me girls, I just want my baby to be safe and sound more than anything. After this week's drama, I realised how much one can love something even if they can't see it yet.

[TammyB]

Dear Shananaaah

So sorry the early ultrasound has raised more worry for you. I'd say you just o'd later and its just a tad too early to see the heartbeat. You are probably wishing you hadn't gone in now, but it was definitely wise to rule out ectopic. Ectopics affect your future fertility and are life threatening (4 mum not just baby). So you don't want to mess with them. Much better to be safe than sorry.

Lots of women who have early ultrasounds get put in the same situation, of having to wait a little longer to see the heartbeat. It can be worrying but you saw the yolk sac and feotal pole so tons of reason to keep your spirits up!

A good friend of mine went through a traumatic experience close to 7 weeks pregnant. The doctor does the u/s here in Japan, so this was not just a sonographer! Anyway she told my friend that there was no heartbeat and that it was pretty much over. (perhaps the hope part was lost in translation) So to come back in a week and they'll check before doing the D&C. When I saw her ultrasound picture I noticed the feotus was measuring as a 5w?days (can't remember exactly) and told her that it could still be a viable pregnancy since heartbeats don't show up before 6 weeks and she must have just o'd later. Thankfully when she went back the heart was beating and she is now 20+ weeks pregnant. The doctor just said oh looks like I was wrong! How can they do that? Poor couple went through agony since the dr gave up so early.

They made me wait 2 weeks to see the h/b with this pregnancy. It was hard but I relaxed as soon as I saw that it was not another ectopic. I had 3 early u/s this time.
1. At 4w2d to confirm the gestational sac was in the uterus and not another ectopic. My gestational sac was measuring approx 3mm.
2. At 5w2d to see if there was a yolk sac in the gestational sac. My gestational sac was measuring 15.4mm and yolk sac was measuring 3.3mm so couldn't determine anything within that.
3. At 7w2d to see if there was a heartbeat. The feotus was measuring 10.7mm and you could clearly see the shape of the baby and hear the heartbeat.
(By the way, I have no idea when I o'd this cycle so don't read too much into the measurements)

I know it is easier said than done but please don't stress out. Stress is linked to early miscarriage. So if the bleeding worries you too much I would ring them up and ask if you can come back in. They should be able to check that the baby has grown after a week and by then you should be able to see a heartbeat.

I am keeping my fingers crossed for you. Keep us posted and enjoy the bedrest. I love my bed. DH is away and my DS has had me up since 5am for 3 days in a row. I get to sleep in tomorrow. :yelclap:

:hugs:
Tammy

[Blessed Mum]

:fingerscrossed: for you. I hope your pregnancy continues strongly. Best of luck

[shwingirl]

Thinking of you. I can't imagine how stressful things are for you right now. Please keep us updated as to how you go. :fingerscrossed:
x amber

[Billy]

:hugs: Best of luck, :fingerscrossed: everything works out for you.

[MilkOnTap]

I just want my baby to be safe and sound more than anything. After this week's drama, I realised how much one can love something even if they can't see it yet.

Well said... I'm so glad that they have isolated the embryo for you - best wishes that all goes well from here on in!

I've had 2 ectopic pregnancies. The first time they caught it before my left tube ruptured, but the second time my tube ruptured and I had internal bleeding (lost a litre and a half of blood). Neither time did my hcG levels exceed 2800. My 'story' is in my TTC diary - there is a hyperlink at the bottom of my signature.

Best wishes.

[bronny-jane]

i hope your bleeding ease's up and your bub is ok:fingerscrossed: