Is it ectopic? - help needed

[Loops12]

Hi all
Need help from anyone out there that knows about ectopic pregnancies or has experienced one.

Had 1 blasty transferred on 14th Feb, I started to bleed when normal AF would be likely to occur, this started off a lot but only for a day and night then it went quite light. It got quite watery after that with just some red streaks, sometime brown. Nothing overly ugly or abnormal. I had faint HPT positives before the bleeding then started to bleed and stopped doing them. I suspected ectopic before BT was due because I decided to do a HPT just before BT and it was darker than any of the others. Had BT day earlier (day15) because I suspected an ectopic and had a HCG of 38 (not sure about P4).

Then still suspecting ectopic asked to have the next BT early (Monday 1st) so this was 5days after the first, HCG was up to 190 but P4 only 2.6 (probably because of the bleeding).
Now I have to have another BT on Friday. My biggest concern now is that at night, the last couple of nights and even now I have a bit of shoulder pain (one of the signs), ive also had flu like symptoms and lower back ache (also a sign). Could this occur in normal pregnancy?? Ive also been a little light headed at times (could be normal pg or ectopic sign)
Its too early to have a scan and Im slowly going out of my mind. Any help, diagnosis or encouragemnt would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

[Mildez]

Loops12 I have everything crossed for you that your pregnancy is not ectopic.
From a midwives point of view I would have liked to see a higher rise. Mine were doubling every 2.5days.

I'll tell you my story with my ectopic just so you have something to compair your experience to. At 15DPO my HCG was 71. I had another two days later and I should have been 17DPO and it was 68. I knew at this moment my pregnancy wasn't viable. 5days later I had a scan which showed nothing. I had been in ED with left sided abdo pain.

A week after my HCG was 68 I started bleeding. It was nothing like my sponataneous m/c 3months earlier. There was no pain and even my period is painful. It was also stringy, basically no tissue to it like my m/c and sometimes my normal AF and it was also very mucousy. Like clear mucous mixed with strings. This went on for 8days.

A few days after I stopped bleeding I did a HPT to see if all the HCG was gone and to my surprise got a very strong quick BFP. I tested again the next day only to get the same thing. I went to my GP who ordered another HCG test but I couldn't have it done until the following day.

That night I couldn't sleep. I had terrible shoulder pain as well as a general uncomfortable feeling all over as well as the left sided pain (although I ovulated the right side according to the scan I had earlier)

I went to work in the morning (as a midwife) and ducked to pathology to have the BT. I checked it online 50mins later and was surprised my HCG was now 5100. This was almost 3weeks after my first BHCG. I knew at that moment it was ectopic because my HCG did go down before rising again. I couldn't leave work so as soon as I finished my shift (found out at 10am and left work at 330pm) I went home got changed and went back to ED and told them staright out I had an ectopic pregnancy. vThey thught I was crazy and tested me again and it was now over 6000 so had risen over 1000 in 6hrs. A scan later revealed my pregnancy was in my right tube. I should have been close to 8weeks then.

When waiting for surgery the consultant asked me about my bleeding and he told me ectopic pregnancy almost always have bleeding and the bleeding is usually mucousy and pink not like a period. So I had the signs right from the start. I was not followed up at the start as it appeared the pregnancy had failed when my HCG was going down.

I also got a BFP at 10DPO and my HPTs took a while to start getting darker. I was very watchful of this as it was the HPT that indicated I m/c the time before.

From my experience as a midwife ectopic pregnancy is more common in IVF especially when there is already tubal damage there. Also ectopic pregnancy is more common when Daddy has sperm problems however I would imagine that isn't a problem when you do IVF as they do wash the spermies so to speak or do ICSI.

I am really concerned about ectopic pregnancy when we do IVF as I feel we already have such a high risk and unfortunately IVf only increases our risk.

I'd say its too early to be sure exactly what is going on at the moment and unfortunately only time will tell. A scan should show where bub is once the HCG is over 2000. Do you have another BT soon to see what the HCG is doing?

I often get shoulder tip pain when I am not pregnant so I think it could be possible to get when you are pregnant. I have everything crossed for you for a healthy bub in 8months.

[Loops12]

Mildez ~ thanks so much hun. Good to hear from a midwifes perspective too.
Some of my symptoms etc sound similar to what you had and then other aspects not so similar. Still very much appearing to be ectopic however.
I havent had a fall in HCG but that doesnt mean that didint occur without me knowing.
I didnt have stringy bleeding but I did have pinkish for a bit and mucousey. Now im not bleeding at all.
I think the shoulder pain and the back pain is the biggest giveaway.
And its interesting you say it can be because of sperm issues, will certainly ask my FS about that and it will be interesting to know how it has occurred if it is in fact ectopic. Could tell us why we've struggled to fall pg naturally, aside male factor.

I have another BT this Friday - so still another couple of days to stress.

I guess I just have to let nature take its course now and at least I have some idea thanks to a few kind people on here such as yourself and so hopefully have caught it early.
TIME WILL TELL. At least I guess we got that 1 step closer.
Thanks for your wishes and support xo

[NaeNae]

Loops,

I have been thinking so much about you hun. I don't have any advice on ect pregs but I had some implantation bleeding similar to what you described with DD, and flu like symptoms and back and abdo ache are normal signs as well.

You know I will be keeping everything crossed for you hun so hard for you.

all my love to you Lou

Nae x x x

[Mildez]

Loops12 your HCG rise is certainly alot higher then mine was (mine been ectopic)
I have everything crossed for you that bub is safe and healthy.
The info I got from IVF Australia said ectopic pregnancy occurs in approx 4% of IVF pregnancies and nearly always only occurs in women with tubal damage. I guess it stuck out to me as thats my problem so I always read up on that aspect of it.

[Loops12]

Thanks Nae Nae hun. Yeh I think its really hard to tell one way or the other until I have my next BT tomorrow. Although I have been getting strong shoulder ache and have read that is a sign of ectopic and all the other symptoms as well. Although I do realise they are all pg signs as well. So it is really hard to know. Guess just have to let the universe decide.
Hope you guys are all well, must catch up soon.
Thanks for your wishes! xoxo

Mildez ~ thank you so much for sharing your experiences etc. Will just have to wait and see I suppose and will be very interesting to see how it has occurred if ectopic.
Take care xo