An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that grows outside the uterus. It’s rare and a medical emergency.
If you have severe stomach or pelvic pain right now, accompanied by bleeding, call 9-1-1 or go to the emergency room.
If you are not in pain and you are still trying to find out whether you are pregnant, our centre offers no-cost, confidential pregnancy testing in Chilliwack.
What Causes It
A fertilized egg is supposed to travel down the fallopian tube and implant in the uterus. In an ectopic pregnancy, it implants somewhere else.
About 90 percent of the time, that spot is the fallopian tube, which is why it’s often called a tubal pregnancy. The egg can also implant in the ovary, the cervix, a C-section scar, or the abdomen.
The pregnancy cannot continue in any of those places, and there is no way to move it to the uterus. If left alone, it can rupture and cause heavy bleeding inside the abdomen.
The Warning Signs
Early on, an ectopic pregnancy can feel like any other pregnancy. You may have a missed period, sore breasts, and nausea, and a pregnancy test will read positive.
The first signs of a problem are usually light vaginal bleeding and pelvic pain. The pain often sits on one side, and it may come on suddenly or build over several days.
Some women also notice bleeding that looks darker than a normal period, pain in the lower back, or pain when they use the bathroom.
When It Becomes an Emergency
Get emergency help right away if you have any of these:
- Severe stomach or pelvic pain with vaginal bleeding
- Pain in the tip of your shoulder
- Feeling very lightheaded, faint, or weak
- Pressure in your rectum or a sudden urge to have a bowel movement
Shoulder pain is the one that most women do not expect. Blood leaking from a fallopian tube irritates a nerve that sends pain up to the shoulder, so pain there can mean bleeding somewhere else entirely.
What Raises Your Risk
Anything that damages or blocks a fallopian tube raises the chances of an ectopic pregnancy. That includes a past ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease, chlamydia, gonorrhea, previous tubal surgery, fertility treatments, and smoking.
Still, plenty of women with an ectopic pregnancy have none of these risk factors, so the list is not a checklist you can rule yourself out with.
How Doctors Find It
Diagnosis takes bloodwork and a diagnostic ultrasound at a medical clinic or hospital. Doctors measure hCG, the pregnancy hormone, and often repeat the test a couple of days later to see how the number moves.
Treatment depends on how early it’s caught. An early ectopic pregnancy can sometimes be treated with a medication called methotrexate, while a later or ruptured one usually needs surgery.
Where to Start
If you are unsure if you’re pregnant or not, our centre offers no-cost pregnancy testing in a confidential setting.
We are not a medical clinic, and we do not diagnose ectopic pregnancies. If anything in this blog sounds like what you are feeling, see a doctor or go to the emergency room soon.
