An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg attaches itself outside the uterus, often within the fallopian tube. The fallopian tube is not designed to support a developing embryo, leading to potential bleeding for a pregnant woman. This type of pregnancy poses a critical risk to the health of the birth parent and requires immediate medical intervention.
Safe Harbor Women’s Medical Clinic offers limited ultrasounds that can rule out an ectopic pregnancy. Protect your health and contact us for a no-cost and confidential appointment.
Normal Pregnancies
After fertilization, the egg normally moves through the fallopian tube to embed itself in the uterine lining, where it remains and develops throughout the pregnancy.
In the case of an ectopic pregnancy, however, the fertilized egg attaches itself outside the uterus, often within the fallopian tube. This situation is critically dangerous because the growth of the pregnancy can lead to the rupture of the fallopian tubes, resulting in internal bleeding and possible infection.
More About Ectopic Pregnancies
Ectopic pregnancies can also, though less commonly, develop in the ovary, abdominal cavity, or cervix. Such pregnancies cannot progress normally, as only the uterus is equipped to support a pregnancy to term.
At first, you might not see any signs. You could feel like you’re having a normal pregnancy with symptoms like missing your period, sore breasts, and feeling sick. The first signs something is wrong could be light bleeding and pain in your lower belly.
As the problem grows, you might feel pain in your shoulder and need to pee more often. There’s a risk of serious bleeding inside your belly. If this happens, you could get very dizzy, faint, or go into shock, which is very dangerous.
Safeguard Your Health
The very best way to safeguard against an ectopic pregnancy is to get an ultrasound. This simple scan not only detects the location of your pregnancy but also the viability and gestational age (how far along you are.) These are all critical details you’ll want to know as you progress.
Safe Harbor Women’s Medical Clinic provides no-cost pregnancy testing, limited ultrasounds, and more resources for women dealing with pregnancy.
Reach out to us to schedule an appointment.