Ectopic Pregnancy Symptom: What Every Expectant Mother Should Know

When a woman is trying for a baby, she anticipates that everything will go right, from the moment of conception to the point of delivering the baby. Most of the time, pregnancy goes smoothly, but other times it can be complicated from the start, sometimes in the form of an ectopic pregnancy.

An ectopic pregnancy can be serious, and needs to be addressed as soon as severe symptoms are present. Here is some background on ectopic pregnancy, and what ectopic pregnancy symptom you should keep your eyes open for:

Background on Ectopic Pregnancy

The process of conception is fairly simple. The sperm travel to the fallopian tubes, where it meets with an egg and fertilizes it. Normally, when an egg is fertilized, it will travel down the fallopian tube and implant itself into the uterus of the woman for growth. Sometimes, the egg will either plant itself in the ovary, uterus or the fallopian tube, thus causing an ectopic pregnancy to occur. This occurs within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy and is most likely to happen in women who have had pelvic infections, surgeries with in the pelvic area, or have been using fertility treatments.

Signs and Symptoms

One ectopic pregnancy symptom that is the most serious is severe vaginal bleeding and abdominal pain. Often times, this ectopic pregnancy symptom is mistaken for a miscarriage, or a symptom of pelvic inflammatory disease and can include dizziness, pale and/or clammy skin, rapid heartbeat. If you are experiencing the most severe ectopic pregnancy symptom of vaginal bleeding, seek medical attention immediately. An ectopic pregnancy can cause the fallopian tube to rupture, and cause life threatening bleeding.

Usually when an ectopic pregnancy occurs, it means that the fetus is not developing right or normally, thus there is no treatment or surgery that can correct ectopic pregnancy; the body rids itself of the embryo on its own.

Whatever ectopic pregnancy symptom you experience, whether alone or together, it should not be ignored. You will need to get to your doctor as soon as possible to find out if you are indeed experiencing an ectopic pregnancy symptom. After the ectopic pregnancy has come and gone, you will also need to consult with your physician to see if it is possible that you will be able to conceive normally or whether you require a consultation with an infertility specilaist.