Ectopic Pregnancy: Learn About This Condition

infertilityhospital.blogspot.com

What is an Ectopic Pregnancy?
An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg implants itself outside of the uterus. The most common place for implantation to occur in an ectopic pregnancy is in the fallopian tubes, hence the moniker “tubal pregnancy”. However, the fertilized egg may also implant in the ovary, cervix or abdomen. It is extremely rare for an ectopic pregnancy to result in a live birth.

Because the egg implants itself somewhere other than the uterus, it is not able to develop properly. As the egg grows, it stretches the organ in which it has implanted itself. Eventually, this organ, most likely the fallopian tube, will burst, increasing a woman’s risk of hemorrhaging, which requires immediate medical attention.

Signs of Ectopic Pregnancy
On the surface, symptoms of ectopic pregnancy mimic those of pregnancy, making it difficult to notice the warning signs. In general, though, typical ectopic pregnancy symptoms include:

late period
irregular vaginal bleeding
lightheadedness, dizziness or fainting
pain in the abdomen, shoulder, bladder and/or bowel

The most notable signs of ectopic pregnancy are sharp, stabbing pains, particularly in the abdomen. If you have had a positive pregnancy test and notice any of these tubal pregnancy symptoms, make an appointment with your health care provider right away.

Diagnosing a Tubal Pregnancy
Due to increased awareness about ectopic pregnancies, more prenatal health care practitioners are screening their female patients for this pregnancy complication. This increased vigilance is part of the reason why maternal death rates are declining despite the fact that ectopic pregnancy numbers are going up.

In order to diagnose an ectopic pregnancy, your health care provider will first administer a pregnancy test (if you do not already have a positive pregnancy test). Once a pregnancy is confirmed, a blood test will be performed to evaluate your levels of hCG. In a healthy pregnancy, this hormone doubles roughly every two days until the 11th week pf pregnancy. However, in tubal pregnancies, hCG levels increase at a much slower rate.

In order to determine how your hCG levels are rising, your health care provider may monitor your levels over a period of days or she may calculate what they should be based on your last menstrual period and the approximate length of your pregnancy. Blood tests done to measure the level of progesterone in your system may also be helpful as an ectopic pregnancy often produces lower than normal progesterone levels.

An ultrasound is commonly done in the early stages of pregnancy to see how the fetus is developing. During this routine procedure, your health care provider will be able to see not only your uterus, but also your fallopian tubes and ovaries. During this exam, it is possible for your health care provider to see whether the embryo has implanted in the correct location or not.

Treating an Ectopic Pregnancy
Because it is unlikely that the embryo will survive when it is implanted somewhere other than the uterus, and due to the risk of organ rupture and possibly maternal death, ectopic pregnancies are normally terminated. So long as your fallopian tube has not ruptured, this can be accomplished through the use of methotrexate, an injection drug that dissolves the embryo, allowing the body to reabsorb it. This is often preferred as it is a noninvasive procedure and helps to reduce the amount of scarring to your reproductive organs.

If it is not possible to use methotrexate, the embryo may be flushed out through a salpinostomy or removed through laparoscopy. However, if the organ in which the embryo has implanted itself ruptures, an emergency laparoscopy must be performed to remove both the embryo and the organ, most likely the fallopian tube.

Once the embryo has been removed, you will receive follow-up care and monitoring. This is done to ensure that your hCG levels return to zero. If they do not go down, you may receive further treatment with methotrexate to dissolve any lingering embryonic tissue remaining in the tube.

Affects on Fertility
Experiencing a tubal pregnancy can affect your future ability to get pregnant. If scarring, trauma or damage has occurred to your reproductive organs, either because of the pregnancy or methods used to treat the ectopic pregnancy, it can make it more difficult to conceive in the future. Additionally, experiencing an ectopic pregnancy puts you at risk of suffering another one in the future.

However, just because you have had one ectopic pregnancy does not automatically mean you will be infertile. While losing a fallopian tube does reduce your chances of pregnancy to about 40%, pregnancy is still possible. Many women who have had a tubal pregnancy are able to successfully conceive again within a year of their ectopic pregnancy.

If you are concerned about your fertility, speak with your health care provider about what you can do to preserve your fertility as well as increase your chances of pregnancy after a tubal pregnancy.

Are You at Risk?
Certain factors can put a woman at increased risk of an ectopic pregnancy. In numerous incidents, a tubal pregnancy results due to a blockage or narrowing in the fallopian tube, preventing the fertilized egg from traveling to the uterus. Factors that can increase your risk of having an ectopic pregnancy include:

Pelvic inflammatory disease
STDs
Pregnancy over age 35
Previous surgery on the fallopian tubes
Previous ectopic pregnancy
Endometriosis
Use of certain ovulation medications

Moreover, if become pregnant while using an IUD, you have a significantly increased risk of developing an ectopic pregnancy.

Click Here To Discover How To Treat Infertility Naturally; Without Drugs or Surgery

from week 10 to the birth of my beautiful daughter
Video Rating: 5 / 5

More Stages Of Pregnancy Articles

Complications of Pregnancy

What are some of the more common complications of pregnancy?

Although the majority of pregnancies are uneventful, sometimes complications do occur. The following are some of the more common pregnancy complications:

amniotic fluid complications
Too much or too little amniotic fluid in the membranes surrounding the fetus may indicate a problem with the pregnancy. Too much fluid can put excessive pressure on the mother’s uterus, leading to preterm labor, or can cause pressure on the mother’s diaphragm leading to breathing difficulties. Fluids tend to build up in cases of uncontrolled diabetes, multiple pregnancy, incompatible blood types, or birth defects. Too little fluid may indicate birth defects, growth retardation, or stillbirth.

bleeding
Bleeding in late pregnancy may be a sign of placental complications or a vaginal or cervical infection. Women who bleed in late pregnancy may be at greater risk of losing the fetus and hemorrhaging (bleeding excessively). Bleeding at any time during the pregnancy should be reported to your physician immediately.
ectopic pregnancy
An ectopic pregnancy is the development of the fetus outside of the uterus. An ectopic pregnancy can occur in the fallopian tubes, cervical canal, or the pelvic or abdominal cavity. The cause of an ectopic pregnancy is usually a blocked fallopian tube. The risk of ectopic pregnancy is increased in women who have had tubal sterilization procedures, especially for women younger than age 30 at the time of sterilization.

Ectopic pregnancies occur in about one out of 50 pregnancies and can be very dangerous to the mother. Symptoms may include spotting and cramping. The longer an ectopic pregnancy continues, the greater the likelihood that a fallopian tube will rupture. An ultrasound may confirm the diagnosis. Treatment of an ectopic pregnancy may include medication or surgical removal of the fetus, resulting in an early termination of the pregnancy.
miscarriage/fetal loss
A miscarriage is the loss of the fetus up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. Most miscarriages occur in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and are usually due to fetal abnormalities.

Miscarriages are usually preceded by spotting and intense cramping. To confirm that a miscarriage has occurred, an ultrasound may be performed. The fetus and contents of the uterus are often naturally expelled. If this process does not occur, a procedure called a dilation and curettage (D & C) may be necessary. This procedure uses special instruments to remove the abnormal pregnancy.

Fetal loss in the second trimester may occur when the cervix is weak and opens too early, called incompetent cervix. In some cases of incompetent cervix, a physician can help prevent pregnancy loss by suturing the cervix closed until delivery.
placental complications
Under normal circumstances, the placenta attaches itself firmly to the top of the inner uterine wall. However, two placental complications may occur, including: placental abruption
Sometimes the placenta becomes detached from the uterine wall prematurely (placental abruption) leading to bleeding and a reduction of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus. The detachment may be complete or partial, and the cause of placental abruption is often unknown. Placental abruption occurs in about one in every 120 live births.

Placental abruption is more common in women who smoke, have high blood pressure, have a multiple pregnancy, and/or in women who have had previous children or a history of placental abruption.

Symptoms and treatment of placental abruption depend upon the degree of detachment. Symptoms may include bleeding, cramping, and abdominal tenderness. Diagnosis is usually confirmed by performing a complete physical examination and an ultrasound. Women are usually hospitalized for this condition and may have to deliver the baby prematurely.

placenta previa
Normally, the placenta is located in the upper part of the uterus. However, placenta previa is a condition in which the placenta is attached close to or covering the cervix (opening into the uterus).

This type of placental complication occurs in one in every 200 deliveries and occurs more often in women who have scarring of the uterine wall from previous pregnancies, in women who have fibroids or other abnormalities in the uterus, or in women who have had previous uterine surgeries.

Symptoms may include vaginal bleeding that is bright red and not associated with abdominal tenderness or pain. Diagnosis is confirmed by performing a physical examination and an ultrasound. Depending upon the severity of the condition and the stage of pregnancy, modification of activities or bedrest may be ordered. The baby usually has to be delivered by cesarean section, to prevent the placenta from detaching early and depriving the baby of oxygen during delivery.
preeclampsia/eclampsia
Preeclampsia, also called toxemia, is a condition characterized by pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, protein in the urine, and swelling due to fluid retention. Eclampsia is the more severe form of this condition, which can lead to seizures, coma, or death.

The cause of preeclampsia is unknown, but it is more common in first pregnancies. It affects about seven to ten percent of all pregnant women. Other risk factors for preeclampsia include the following: a woman carrying multiple fetuses
a teenage mother
a woman older than 40
a woman with pre-existing high blood pressure, diabetes, and/or kidney disease

Symptoms may include severe swelling of the hands and face, high blood pressure, headache, dizziness, irritability, decreased urine output, abdominal pain, and blurred vision. Treatment will vary according to the severity of the condition and the stage of the pregnancy. Treatment may include hospitalization, bedrest, medication to lower the blood pressure, and close monitoring of both the fetus and the mother.

Discover How You Can Treat Infertility Naturally, Without Drugs or Surgery

Find More Stages Of Pregnancy Articles

The important tasks of this website, should be to finde top notch written content regarding get pregnant. Something that you simply will enjoy reading, watching or listening to and will refer to your friends, co-workers, family members and others. Yesterday, I\\\’ve found a very good article which discusses pregnancy from another light. You should definitely look at this short article and also let me know what you think. Today’s article is about how to get pregnant plus you can find the full article published below for convenience:

Are you trying to get pregnant quickly? Do you Want to increase your chances? Click here for more information.

For so many years now we have know that smoking while pregnant is not healthy, but smoking has been a part of our lives, regardless of whether we smoke or not. And for that it has been a detrimental factor in everybody’s lives; sad to say, that includes the unborn babies.

Surveys show that many mothers are still smoking while pregnant. They contend that it does not affect their baby at all. In most instances, these are the mothers that do not care for their unborn child, because if they did they would know that smoking poses great danger during pregnancy. They would know that it is currently one of the major causes of infant deaths in our society today. If your smoking while pregnant, you are more likely to birth a child who is underweight. Low birth weight babies are at greater risk for childhood and adult illnesses and even death. Babies of smokers have less muscle mass and more fat than babies of non smokers, the child is also more likely to develop respiratory problems later in life.

Basically, cigarette smoke alone is full of chemicals, some studies even state it has more than 2,500 chemicals. Some chemicals like tar, carbon monoxide, and nicotine were considered as the most dangerous substance for the fetus. It has long been proven how these chemicals can greatly affect the development of the fetus inside the mother’s womb.

Mothers who smoke while pregnant run a risk of ectopic pregnancy. This is especially viable when the mother is a heavy smoker during the first trimester of her pregnancy.

Ectopic pregnancy refers to the state wherein the embryo is embedded outside the uterus, which is contrary to what normal pregnancy should be. Usually, it is embedded in the fallopian tube. In this manner, the fetus has to be removed because this kind of pregnancy will never survive. This fetus will never survive outside of the uterus where a fetus gets all the nourishment and protection that it needs. Prolonging this condition will only risk the mother’s life.

Smoking while pregnant will increase the probability that the mother will develop complications in the placenta. Reports show that placental problems are actually happening in about 1% of pregnancies. The most common problem is placenta previa where the placenta is connected very low in the uterus and is almost in the cervix.

Another problem is the deterioration of fetal growth. Smoking during pregnancy results in low infant birth weight. For so many years now, reports show that there had been significant difference between babies with smoking mothers than those who have non-smoking mothers.

Greater risks are imposed on babies who relatively weigh less than the normal babies. They may acquire certain diseases like cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and the worst is death.

There are also reports on how smoking increases the probabilities of birth defects such as cleft lip and cleft palate.

Moreover, babies born with mothers who were smoking while pregnant have higher incidences of sudden infant death syndrome. If ever these infants survive, they may still incur diseases like asthma, behavioral problems, or learning disabilities.

After the child is born, it doesn’t get any better for babies with mothers who were smoking while pregnant, they still face problems after birth within their environment. Infants eighteen months and younger who have second hand smoke surrounding them in their houses are responsible for up to three hundred thousand cases of pneumonia and bronchitis.

Studies have revealed that nicotine can be passed on to the baby through breastfeeding. There had been experiments that proved the presence of nicotine in the babies system through urine testing. It later showed that higher percentage of nicotine was found in babies who were breastfeeding by smoking mothers.

Most experts contend that the problem lies within the mother’s urge to get back to smoking right after they gave birth. They contend that it is safe now because the baby was born already. They still insist that they, in fact, stopped smoking during their pregnancy.

The concluding scenario here is that when the mother continues to smoke during the formative years of her child, chances are she is already shaping a child that will most likely be a smoker themselves. That is, if the child can endure the dangers smoking can do with his or her health.

So, what’s the point here? The fact that the mother does not care for her own health is one thing. But the fact that she puts greater risk on her baby because of her vice is another thing, and that it is the most saddening part.

Babies should be given the right to live a decent, normal, and healthy life. So, for mother’s out there, please bear in mind that aside from the long range dangers associated with smoking your babies should not suffer. Let’s take care of them simply by not smoking.