Pregnancy Unknown Location- your stories

[London1978]

Hi All

Last Wednesday I found out I was pregnancy via a blood test, by Friday my numbers had doubled and I was told by my old fertility consultant to go to the early pregnancy unit (epu) as soon as possible, as I’ve had brown watery bleeding from when my period was due to arrive.

Today, I am 5 weeks+ 6 (though I think I ovulated a few days later last month) I went to see the epu and I was told I have a pregnancy in an unknown location (PUL).

They could not see anything on the vaginal scan that looked like a sac or anything in the tubes.

I had a blood test done today for Hcg and the nurse called to tell me that they should be higher as my last test was on Friday, so it should be more than double.

Wed- 262

Friday- 582

Monday - 1026

I have to go back and see the consultant this time at the epu, as the nurse thinks it is an ectopic pregnancy.

Has anyone else been in this situation? With a PUL? What happened?

I’m on my own and it is all so lonely and stressful and I thought this was my lucky chance!

Thanks for listening.

[Millbanks]

I don’t have any advice I’m afraid but just wanted to send some love. Hope you get some answers soon xxx

[Beatrix_K]

Me too, no advice but just wanted say we’re here ready to listen and support you, should you need xxx

[Londongirl84]

Hi lovely, I’m sorry to read you was alone, It’s the worst feeling in the world. I was told the same thing in January. Unfortunately it wasn’t the outcome we wanted. I went for my 6 week scan but they couldn’t find the location of the sac and she called it a failing pregnancy in a unknown location. There was a small chance it could of been ectopic but she was confident this wasn’t the case. Had my bloods retaken and my HCG had dropped. I went back in for another scan 2 days later and still there wasn’t anything there. I was told to come off my IVF meds and it took a week for my HCG levels to drop completely and for the miscarriage to happen. I’m sorry to hear you are going through this. Is so hard when you think this is it and then it’s taken away from you. How many scans have you had? x

[London1978 in reply to Londongirl84]

Thank you for sharing. Today was my first scan as I’ve been having brown blood discharge since May 3rd. Tomorrow will be my second scan with a consultant. I’m hoping for a miracle but from the nurse, it sounds like it is ectopic.

I hope you are much better now and sending you baby dust xx

[Londongirl84 in reply to London1978]

There is still hope that they see a sac tomorrow. 🙏🏽 try to stay positive. I know that’s hard but it’s not over yet. Hopefully the consultant will have more answers for you. Do keep us posted. Fingers crossed for you! 🤞🏽

I’m much better thank you. About to start my 3rd transfer.🤞🏽

Baby dust to you too! Xxx

[Candlewax3]

I’m so sorry you are going through this it is awful!! I had it twice last year and unfortunately lost both my tubes. I believe that if your hcg is above 1000 they should be able to see something on a scan. So hopefully when you are scanned by the consultant tomorrow you will know where you stand 🤞🏼 It is in the right place. X

[Sandyels]

This happened to me in April.

I’m so sorry you are in the situation you are in. Unfortunately I don’t have any good outcome/experience to share. I had a PUL. Went in for first scan at week 6 due to dark brown spotting but they couldn’t find anything on the scan. My hcg kept going up by around 45% every two days for a week so they thought it was ectopic. On second scan they found a shade that could have been in the tubes but they were unsure. They were going to give me metotrexane when I was week 7+3, but I had a bright red bleed day before and my hcg hadn’t gone up as much so I asked for another day to check the hcg (and it was similar to my previous miscarriage). This is when HCG started dropping and I ended up miscarrying naturally. So luckily I didnt have to get the medication as that would have prevented us from trying for another 3 months. They still aren’t sure where the pregnancy was (although think it might have been failing PUL given how well miscarriage went) and if I fall pregnant again I have to be monitored. The nurses put the fear in me and my partner and it was a really stressful time as I had one sided pain and I was so worried about a rupture so in the end I was relieved when I miscarried although we have been trying for this baby for 6 years.

I did read a lot of scientific papers and there are some chances that the PUL can just not be visible if it is just too early. However HCG should increase by at least 60% every 48h otherwise most models show poor outcome. Hopefully your HCG will go up after this blip (went up well from wed to fri) and you will have your baby as it’s devastating to lose it when you get so close.

[Hidden]

I've had the same experience unfortunately three times with ectopics. I had to keep going back... Your bloods are rising tho and doubling so I really hope its just not visible yet? Mine were barely rising and eventually found in tube but I was almost seven weeks. Are they going to keep checking bloods? Wishing you all the best for a happy result x

[London1978]

Thanks for all your comments ladies. I’m still in limbo, the consultant could not see anything on the scan. They told me it was definitely not an ectopic (but to still be cautious!). However, the can’t see anything in my uterus on the scans and I have to go back in 5 days for bloods, if the levels are rising then they will scan me.

I am hoping wherever this little one is hiding in my uterus that the numbers rise massively and I get my dream. It such a confusing time! Xx

[JoyfulStar in reply to London1978]

Hey lovely

Thanks for the update. I was thinking about you today and was going to check in later. I will continue to pray that your levels continue to rise.

Sending you lots of love and hugs 🤗

[London1978 in reply to JoyfulStar]

Thank you so much for your kind words of hope xx

[Sunnydance in reply to London1978]

Thinking about you and hope everything is going to be ok x

[London1978 in reply to Sunnydance]

Thank you so much. It’s just scary being in limbo but the people on here are so kind. Xx

[Cmc2020]

Hey the exact same thing happened to me it was ectopic it’s very hard sometimes to detect one on a ultrasound I didn’t listen and kept giving it more time and my tube ended up bursting my bloods where doubling that’s why I kept waiting but I wouldn’t take the chance when they tell you that x

[London1978 in reply to Cmc2020]

Thank you for sharing your story, I am really sorry that you had this happen to you. Were you told you didn’t have an ectopic and then found out you did have one?

Today, the consultant and senior sonographer said it definitely wasn't an ectopic as my tubes were all clear, it was the nurse who told me to be cautious if I was sick and had pain to go to A+E immediately.

The consultant wants me to come back in 5 days for bloods and if they are rising then they will scan me again. If they are not rising then, it will be a miscarriage.

[Cmc2020 in reply to London1978]

Yeah the doctors where even saying it’s ok to wait etc because my bloods where doubling sometimes an ectopic doesn’t show up on ultrasounds in till it’s too late so just be very careful they shouldn’t be ruling it out completely the brown spotting I had too it’s actually happened twice to me and both times my tubes ruptured I really hope it’s not the case but your situation is very similar to mine xx

[Cmc2020 in reply to Cmc2020]

P.s at 5 weeks pregnant a sac should be there at 6 weeks usually a yolk sometimes a heartbeat and with bloods over 1000 there should defo be a sac in uterus that’s a shame I know how worrying it is and getting told all different things you don’t know what to believe x

[London1978 in reply to Cmc2020]

Did your brown spotting stop at all? Mine has pretty much gone in the last three days, since I was told to start as fragmin, aspirin and progesterone. I am really worried now :/

[Cmc2020 in reply to London1978]

Yeah it started and stopped but try not worry sorry for worrying you but I like to warn everyone so they don’t have to go through what I did pm me if you want hun x

[London1978 in reply to Cmc2020]

Thank you I will PM you x

[Steadman80]

I’ve had a couple of PUL.My last one in December they couldn’t see anything on the scan until the third scan. I was positive that I’d miscarried as I passed what I thought was my pregnancy tissue but turned out to be my lining. To cut a long story short, I didn’t even want HCG monitoring as I thought I’d miscarried but they insisted. My HCG which I thought would have gone down had gone up by almost double then kept rising just short of double. It turned out to be in my tube.

My other cases they could never find where it was and my HCG rose slowly then started to dip.

I really hope this isn’t the case for you and it’s just too early xxx

[London1978 in reply to Steadman80]

Thanks so much for sharing your story. Do you mind me asking how they finally found that it was in the tube?

Today they did a full examination and they said, they could not see anything in the tubes and it was definitely not an ectopic but based on some other people’s experiences, it looks like it can be undetected. This worries me now 😢

Thank you for your kind words too

Xx

[Steadman80 in reply to London1978]

Of course not ask me anything. On the first two scans they couldn’t see anything. My HCGs were going up and up think around 5000. On the third scan they could see something on the scan. Sometimes they watch and wait but my hcg levels went too high and said that it wasn’t safe to leave me. They said they would put the camera in and have a look and they found ectopic in tube. Another time with a different pregnancy they thought they seen something on the scan but they monitored my HCG levels and as I had no symptoms I was just monitored and passed naturally.

Thinking of you x

[London1978 in reply to Steadman80]

Thank you, I have to go back in 5 days so I am hoping that whatever happens it resolves. I am just so worried being in limbo and EVERY small twinge is now scaring me. I have started to very lightly spot light brown blood. It doesn't fill a pad, did you get this too?

Appreciate you sharing your story too, was your tube saved? x

[Steadman80 in reply to London1978]

No this time I had my right tube removed. The several other times I’ve had PUL, I passed naturally. They are closely monitoring you. Just go to A&E or call them if you have any symptoms.

I passed my lining and thought I’d miscarried. But the other times I lightly spotted for a week or so then had a big bleed, everytime has been different xx

[fay2399]

Hope you will be ok xxx

[London1978 in reply to fay2399]

Thank you xx

[London1978]

Hello, just to update you all.

My bleeding turned to red blood on Sunday. I was due to go to the EPU on Monday (yesterday) for bloods, my levels were rising but not doubling, they had gone from 1082 to 2065 over the week. As the levels had risen they gave me a scan, this time they showed a sac and yolk but they could not see an embryo (they said it could still be too early). They did find an area of bleeding in the uterus and the nurse said it could be a bleed that gets reabsorbed or the start of a miscarriage. Before I left the emu I asked them for a dry pot in case the worst happened, so I could retain anything.

Trigger alert: I went home and I was still bleeding lots of red blood. I started to have dull stomach aches and then I passed a massive huge piece of tissue, which was definitely the lining with the yolk and sac. I was able to collect it and I will now bring it to the EPU for testing as this is my fourth miscarriage so I am hoping they can tell me what has happened. I am now bleeding a little on and off.

Sadly, it was not good news but I feel faintly optimistic that even at nearly 43 (this going weekend) that I got pregnant.

Thank you for all you kind words and support xx

[BECIO in reply to London1978]

Hi London realllly sorry for what you are going through I hope you have lots of support and looking after yourself but like you said it’s positive you can get pregnant and have answers and not left in limbo. Lots of love xxx

[London1978 in reply to BECIO]

Thank you so much x