An ectopic pregnancy is what happens when a fertilised egg implants itself somewhere Escorts Agency Australia other than the womb – 95% of the time this means a fallopian tube, but it could also include the cervix, a C-section scar or on the ovary. It occurs in around one in 80 pregnancies, and, very sadly, it’s not possible to save the pregnancy.

Why? ‘Say the egg has implanted in the fallopian tube,’ says Munira Oza of the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust. ‘The fallopian tube is not designed to accommodate a growing pregnancy so as the embryo develops, it can cause the tube to burst.’ This can have profound implications, such as internal bleeding, haemorrhage and, at worst, death.

3 symptoms of ectopic pregnancy
According to Oza, there are three key ectopic pregnancy symptoms to watch out for:

1. Unusual vaginal bleeding
‘This could be brown or red in colour; prolonged or on/off spotting; heavy or light bleeding – it’s anything that is unusual for you,’ Oza says.

2. Abdominal pain
‘Think a period-type discomfort in the tummy or lower back, or a one-sided pain,’ Oza says.

3. Shoulder tip pain
‘This is a unique ectopic pregnancy symptom,’ Oza says. ‘It occurs in the later stages as it is caused by internal bleeding. If you experience this symptom, seek medical assistance immediately.’

An ectopic pregnancy is typically diagnosed around the six-week mark – during a trans-vaginal ultrasound scan. ‘This is where a probe is placed inside the vagina to take a closer look at the reproductive organs,’ she says. ‘At this stage of its development, there’s a reasonable chance to see an embryo.

If the scan is inconclusive, doctors would normally check pregnancy hormone levels in the blood and then do a repeat scan at a later stage. If the embryo is still not found, it would be described as a pregnancy of unknown location (PUL).

How is an ectopic pregnancy treated?
As mentioned, very sadly, ectopic pregnancies are impossible to save and the Australia Escort Service treatments available depend on how far along the pregnancy is:

Expectant management
This is the least invasive method,’ Oza says. ‘But it is only an option if the ectopic pregnancy is caught early enough.’ It involves monitoring levels of the beta hCG pregnancy hormone – if it’s dropping, around 50% of these pregnancies will end naturally within four weeks with no need for intervention.

Medical treatment
‘A drug known as methotrexate would be prescribed,’ Oza says. ‘This is a folate inhibitor, which prevents the Escort Agency Melbourne pregnancy from developing further.’

Surgery
‘This can range from just the embryo being removed, to the whole fallopian tube,’ Oza says. ‘It is usually conducted by keyhole surgery.’

What happens next?
‘An ectopic pregnancy is 20% physical and 80% emotional,’ Oza says. Which means? Don’t underestimate its psychological toll. According to BMJ research, 28% of women meet the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder, 32% for anxiety and 16% for depression one month following an ectopic pregnancy.

And, being one of the lesser talked-about conditions, all those feelings of shock, grief, guilt, disbelief and anxiety often get faced alone. Which is where the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust comes in, providing leaflets, online information, forums, a phone and email health line plus a Skype support service.

‘If you’ve had an ectopic pregnancy, you have got a 10% increased risk of having another one,’ Oza says. ‘But we believe hope is important; that statistic also means you have got a 90% chance of the pregnancy occurring in the right place.’

What is a molar pregnancy?
Whereas in most pregnancies the baby and placenta will develop perfectly normally, in a small number of instances, it will not. In a complete molar pregnancy, the egg only contains chromosomes from the father – so there is no baby. The placenta, however, doesn’t realise this and develops rapidly, becoming covered with cysts, referred to as moles.

In a partial molar pregnancy, the egg is fertilised by two sperm so contains 23 more chromosomes than it should. The placenta and baby begin to develop but as the baby is abnormal, it will typically not live beyond three months.

Like your average skin mole, the cysts that develop on the placenta in both instances are harmless. But in some cases, Escort Agency Box Hill they can continue to grow and, if left untreated, they can spread to the surrounding organs. It’s when they reach organs such as the brain that serious problems can occur.

According to Molar Pregnancy, a charity offering information and support about the condition, the risk of molar pregnancy steadily increases after the age of 35 and is higher for all women with a low intake of vitamin A or carotene.

Symptoms of molar pregnancy
This is a tricky one. Warning signs can be as subtle as being sick more than you would during a “regular” pregnancy, or if your womb is larger or smaller than it should be for where you’re at in your pregnancy. The moles also have a characteristic appearance which may be picked up via an ultrasound scan.

It’s important to remove as much of the molar tissue as possible – even a tiny amount left behind can grow and spread via the bloodstream in the body. Treatments include a medical evacuation using oral or vaginal tablets or a minor operation that involves ‘scraping’ out the relevant cells from the womb.

During a molar pregnancy, a particularly large amount of the pregnancy hCG hormone is produced. Post-treatment, levels of this hormone will be monitored – with no pregnancy, they should naturally drop; if there are traces of the molar pregnancy left, they will not.

What happens next?
Experiencing a molar pregnancy once does not mean you will not be able to experience a normal pregnancy another time. According to molar pregnancy, the chance of suffering a second molar pregnancy is about one in 100. But, as with any early pregnancy loss, there are emotional challenges. Molar Pregnancy offers information and support.