ttc with one tube - is it even possible?

Hey ladies

I probably post too many little threads asking silly questions. But I have just been sitting here dwelling on the whole ttc journey of mine that hasn't gone too well this year. And I just thought to myself - is it even possible with just one tube?

I don't know for sure how my body works, but I had one doctor at hospital tell me that chances of conceiving with 1 tube is very slim as you predominantly ovulate on the one 'favoured' side. So If i've lost the favoured tube, where does that leave me?

Then again, I've heard someone talking about O happening on alternate sides each cycle which means that if i last O'd on my left side, this cycle would be my right side and I won't have any possibility of conceiving this cycle as i only have my left tube.

Sorry for the ranting, just venting my frustrations for the day I guess.

Any other ladies ttc with one tube who have some insight into this stuff??? I mean, can you even tell which side you are Oing on? Am i meant to cramp on that side during O or will my CP be different accoring to which side i O on??

I just feel this is never going to happen for me :(

My neighbour tried to fall pregnant for two years, then lost a tube due to an etopic pregnancy. After she lost the tube she was pregnant 2 months on and has recently given birth to a healthy baby boy. Hopefully it all works out for you too. Try and stay positive TTC can do weird things to a womans brain. Good luck

i have a friend who recently gave birth to a healthy baby girl after concieving with one tube...so i guess it is possible :)

GL hun and try and stay positive. :hug:

I don't know the specifics of your situation, but I do know from personal experience that it is possible to conceive with one tube. I have conceived three times after ovulating from the left ovary, with my left tube being the one removed.

So not only is it possible to conceive, but it is also possible to conceive when ovulating from the ovary without a tube. According to two different specialists I have seen, even though the chances are much slimmer, it is apparently even possible to conceive with both tubes removed.

I don't think you can physically feel which side you are ovulating from, but an ultrasound can pick it up as the ovary enlarges and remains so for some time.

Hope this helps to renew hope for you :hug:

Thanks so much ladies for your posts. it does make me feel a little better hearing some success stories. I think i'm just at that point where you go... is it even worth it??? Been feeling a little disheartened.

Whoops - you are right, ttc CAN do weird things to our brains! I'm doing my head in here thinking about it all the time! Thanks for your well wishes. And thanks for sharing your friend's story - a short ttc journey after ectopic! That's just what I hoped for.

Sunshine - thank you also for your well wishes. I'm glad to hear your friend's success.

Suse - what great information. Thank you so much. I can not begin to tell you how much i appreciate hearing this news. I wonder how that works, must be a hormonal thing?? However it works, I'm glad it does... so i don't feel all this extra love making wasn't for no good reason!! (yes, it was fun.. but I wasn't sure the extra stress of it was worth it).

Thanks again ladies

Ciara, from what I was told, the ovum can either travel 'round the long way' (so to speak) to the remaining tube, or just bypass the tube altogether. I don't think it's known exactly why or how this happens, just that it sometimes does. I believe it's also the reason that tubal ligation doesn't always have a 100% success rate. It's pretty freaky though.

When I had my ectopic I was told that even when it is detected very early and it would be possible to repair the tube it is generally recommended to remove rather than repair because it is more likely having another ectopic on a tube that has already experienced one than it is to not conceive with only one tube. I don't think that they really know exactly why an ectopic occurs so maybe there's a bit of bet-hedging with this theory.

Maybe if you are not seeing someone already, you might get some better answers and some fresh hope from a different doctor or FS? If it was a hospital doctor who you spoke to last time, there may be a FS who has more experience in TTC after ectopic. IME, hospitals are more used to treating people from a surgical perspective when they've had a miscarriage or ectopic and not so experienced in helping them conceive afterwards.

It is most definately possible!

I lost a tube due to a ruptured ectopic which nearly killed me...but that's another story...your tubes don't sit in one spot as such they move around...so it is possible for the one tube to catch the egg from either side...so my fertility specialist told me...and hey...I fell pregnant for bub 2 while still breast feeding and that was after 10 years of waiting for bub 1...hang in there hun...after my journey I really believe in miracles and I hope you have yours in your arms soon xxx

Oh...forgot to add..that both bub's were conceived naturally after years of IVF!

Suse you're right, hospital doctors don't care so much about the 'after effects', they're just interested in the here and now. I get a little embarrassed asking people these types of questions in person, which is why this forum has been great for me. But you're right, I probably do need to bite the bullet and go to see a FS.

Thanks again for all your help, much appreciated!

Ellie- i just saw your post. Oh i'm sorry about your experience. I know what you mean, I got to the hospital with just minutes to spare apparently. Not a great thing to go through is it?

Congrats on your two miracles! And thanks for the info! It just gives me a little more hope that I will also get a BFP in the new year. Good luck with the pregnancy, and thanks again.

My friend lost one of her tubes from an ectopic and is now pregnant.
Apparantly the alternating sides is a myth as you could have the same side ovulate consecutive months. She had also had 3 other m/c so was seeing a specialist who used to get her in for a scan each month to check what side she was going to ovulate from.
Just keep trying and see how you go. Its is possible!

Thanks ShellBell, I appreciate your input. i might need to start doing what your friend did - getting ultrasound each month. perhaps it would ease my mind a little more and prevent these 'down' days i get when i feel like i'm going nowhere with it.

I feel the same way ciara.e. I know how possible it is to get pregnant with one tube but so far it hasn't happened for me. I think its just the difficulties in ttc when things aren't going right. I mean when ttc we all expect initially to go off the pill/condoms etc have sex for a few cycles and bang be pregnant if not sooner. I am still waiting for the end of my ttc journey to know what happens from here and that can be really hard. Just know your not alone.

Thanks so much Emmy. You have no idea how nice it was to read your words of support. I'm so sorry for you that you haven't managed to get your BFP yet. I only hope it will happen for you very soon. Let's hope both of our ttc journeys reach their end very early in the new year!

xxx

My mum had an ectopic and lost one of her tubes as a result. The doctors said that she shouldn't have any more children, she had 4 + 1 m/c + the ectopic as it would could seriously compromise her health and she probably wouldn't survive (i think it had something to do with the ectopic wasn't picked up early and it ruptured). I think a year later she fell pregnant with my sister and carried her to term with no serious complications, and delivered a 10lb baby
So YES you can fall pregnant with only one tube... relax and enjoy all the practice you are getting, it will happen when the right little angel is ready for you

Hey hun, i also have a friend who suffered an eptopic pregnancy early this year and i am delighted to tell you she is now approx 27 weeks pregnant so there is hope - dont give up darl, hope your BFP isnt too far away :hug:

Anything is possible sweety!! Take me for example, lost my right tube due to ecoptic pg, then I fell pg with DD and ovulated from the right side (this was confirmed by two ultrasounds) so the little egg went the long way round.. DD is 28 months old and im almost 29wks pg with bub#2 who was a complete suprise as we werent even ttc. So after the drs telling me my chances were slim blah blah blah Ive gone on to have two healthy pregnancies both concieved naturally.

Best of luck, and believe in yourself and your body, you can do this xx

Belle, Westy and Lisa - thanks so much for sharing your success stories. I guess the whole ttc journey isn't as easy as we all hope it would be.

Congrats Lisa, on your little miracle #2!!! Healthy pregnancy vibes your way!

Westy, great to hear about your friend... and Belle the same about your mum. All these pregnancies after ectopic just make me feel a little more confident that it will happen for me soon.

fingers crossed.

and happy new year to all

No worries at all darl, i really hope the New Year is the Year for you ...fingers crossed :hug: