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hello everyone

my name is nina and i found out i was pregnant a few weeks ago and my husband and i were so happy. however last week i discovered it was ectopic and i had to have surgery. my right fallopian tube was removed. i just wanted to know if this affects my fertility and what my chances are of getting pregnant again. the doctor i spoke to in hospital told me that my other tube is fine and that it hasnt reduced my ferility at all, its just i dont see how my ferility isnt affected as i only have one tube now. my husband and i want to try for another baby and we have been advisd to wait till i have one true period before trying. can anyone answer these questions please

Hi Nina,

Sorry for what you have gone through. It is very traumatic to lose a baby and even more so when you think that you might have lost fertility. I have never had an ectopic, but I know a few girls who have and who have gone on to have successful pregnancies afterwards.

As far as I know, an egg is released every month with ovaries switching sides each month. Technically this means that with only one tube theoretically your chances halve. The thing with the human body that is so amazing is that it adapts and more likely than not, you will start releasing eggs from the undamaged side more often than the damaged side.

I would follow your doctor's advice about waiting until you have a normal period as you have just had surgery and your body needs a little time to heal.

Good luck and stick around this site, there are a lot of amazing women on here with great advice. I pray you will get the baby of your dreams soon.

Nina, just saw your post, I am so sorry hon

Cant answer your questions, but can tell you my niece had an ectopic pregnancy and had one tube removed and then went onto have healthy little boy a year later (the birth was a year later not the conception). Wishing you all the best x

I had a suspected ectopic a few weeks ago, and also had surgery (they were going to remove the tube) The Dr told me that it would reduce my chances *slightly*, but it wouldnt halve them. She said it would maybe take 3 months instead of 2, that kind of thing.

All the best xx

Hi Nina,

I am so sorry you are having to go through this, I've lost babies myself (not through ectopic), and know on its own how devastating that is, let alone all of the other concerns you will have now.

I posted the story of my SIL on another ectopic thread a couple of weeks ago, and hope it may offer you a little hope.

She had an ectopic and lost her tube, she already had 2 young children, and went on to have two beautiful, healthy babies in the 18 months after the ectopic, the first being very quickly after. Now several years on she has had 4 more children and thankfully losing one tube didn't slow her down one bit.

I really hope that you heal well, and that you are on another due thread really soon.

Good luck

Cx

Dear Nina,
I'm really sorry to hear your news and really feel for you. I have just had a suspected ectopic, but was treated with drugs rather than surgery. Either way, it is heartbreaking.
If you scan down the thread list, there are a few ectopic threads which may be of some comfort. People told great success stories after ectopic, so try not to panic too much, hard as it is.
Also, so check out the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust website, as they have lots of information on all matters relating to ectopic pregnancies.
I really hope you feel a bit brighter soon and that we "meet again" on a "Due in" thread soon.
Love,Pxx
PS Cludgie - you are very kind, always offering hope to people. I keep thinking of your poppy seed idea - did you ever do it? It was a lovely idea.

Hi Nina

I am so sorry hun ((((hugs)))) Just seen your post, thinking of you and hope your ok

Cherie
xx

Nina - so sorry hun xx

There is still every chance you will go on to have as many healthy babies as you wish so take docs advice and wait for period then I hope to see you get some good news again soon hun xx

Petal,

I have to admit that I haven't quite gotten around to planting my poppy seeds, want to do some kind of big planter with poppies and something else, as I lost my dad at the same time as the baby, and want somewhere to remember them both. I just can't find another plant which my Dad would have liked so my idea has stalled a bit!

I have proimised myself I will do it though, just as soon as I get that last little bit of inspiration.

I really do feel that for me the most important part in the healing process is giving time, and rememberering the person that baby would have become, and that its perfectly reasonable to grieve for all of those dreams which were ended too early.

Anyway hugs to all, and take care.

Cxx

Hi Nina,

sorry for you to have to go through this. I have replied to another lady with similar worries recently and here is partial cut and paste from that post:

"...I was lucky to have a good consultant/surgeon who explained the follwing to me:
- because having an ectopic already I had 10% chance of having another one in the future. It is a small chance, but that's the statistic.
- the fertility (because of one tube removed) does NOT drop to 50%, but is only slighly reduced to about 80%) Our bodies do wonders and tend to over-compensate with what is left and functioning.
- I was reasured that in case the other tube is faulty as well and has to be removed it is not the end of the road for having a baby. The success rate in IVF procedure amongst couples who have suffered ectopic is the highest! As the biggest problem is to put the sperm and the egg together, and clearly for 'ectopic' couples conceiving is not a problem..."

I have suffered ectopic pregancy in 2001, have left plenty of time before trying again, and had a baby boy in 2003 and a baby girl in 2006.

There is no reason not to have a baby after ectopic, I think (personally) that fertlity does drop, but certalinly not to 50%. I asked the consultant simply (as you do ), where does the egg go from the ovary, if there is no tube there anymore to take it. He said that egg gets lost/absorbed in the body. But the ovaries release the eggs randomly (not nececarily from left ovary one month and right one the next). And because the body tends to work best with what it has got, it will over-work the other side. If that makes any sense.
He also said that he had a patient once who had a left ovary removed (for a reason) and than later on had a right tube removed (for a separate reason) and managed to concieve naturally with one tube on one side and one ovary on the other!! So it looks like some eggs manage to find a tube on the other side!

I would say, you should follow the advice from doctors to wait a bit, and start trying again when you feel ready again.

Good luck.
Denise

thanks for all your comments i feel a bit better now knowing that people have gone through the same thing and have successfully concieved. so i am going to focus all my energy into trying again. i just have to wait till my next true period.

can anyone help me i am not quite sure about this. since i have had my right tube removed does that mean that i will ovulate from the left side every month and will still have a chance of concieving each month, or do i ovulate from both sides and the months that i ovulate from the right my egg will just dissolve or something, and that means i will only have a chance of getting pregnant every other month.. soory this isnt explained very well. HELP