Do you know what an ectopic pregnancy is? ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ This occurs when the fertilized egg implants OUTSIDE of the uterus. The most common site is in a fallopian tube. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ How would I know if I had an ectopic pregnancy? ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Most women with ectopic pregnancy present with bleeding and lower abdominal pain. Bleeding can range from scant brown discharge to period-like bleeding. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Some women don’t have any pain, which is why if you’re having bleeding early in a pregnancy we want to know about it so we can rule out more serious causes, like this one! ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ What would make it more likely for me to have an ectopic pregnancy? ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ We know women with certain people are at higher risk of having an ectopic pregnancy, this includes women who have: ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ - Had a previous ectopic pregnancy⁣⁣ - Are pregnant with an intrauterine device inside the uterus⁣⁣ - Tubal-ligation (‘tubes tied’)⁣⁣ - Previous history of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)⁣⁣ - History of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ How do we diagnose an ectopic pregnancy? ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ We will do blood tests to check the pregnancy hormone level. If it is low, we will check every 2-3 days to make sure it’s rising appropriately. We will also check your blood type and blood count. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ If your pregnancy hormone is high enough (~ 2000 IU/L for ), we will do an ultrasound to try to see if we can see a pregnancy growing in your uterus. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ If a pregnancy is confirmed to be in your uterus, we are reassured. It is EXTREMELY rare for you to have a pregnancy in your uterus AND a pregnancy going outside of your uterus. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ If a pregnancy is confirmed to be growing OUTSIDE your uterusthen an ectopic pregnancy is diagnosed. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ How do we treat? ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ There are generally to treatment options for an early ectopic pregnancy, either medication (Methotrexate) that stops the pregnancy from growing, or surgery to remove the pregnancy. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Why do we treat? ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Unfortunately, an ectopic pregnancy is not a viable one. As it starts to grow and expand, if it’s growing in the Fallopian tube there is a risk of the tube rupturing, and this can be life threatening. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Did you know what an ectopic pregnancy was before you read this post?