While it is not common, there are cases where a woman gets pregnant, and instead of the baby embedding in the uterine cavity, it attaches to other areas like the lining to the Fallopian tube, the cervix, ovaries, or abdomen. When this happens a woman has what is called an Ectopic pregnancy. This is very dangerous, and risks the health of both the fetus and the mother.
So how do you know if you have an ectopic pregnancy? There are some signs and symptoms that will help you to discover if this is the case.
First of all, let’s understand that many of these symptoms are common to other ailments, such as appendicitis, genitourinary and gastrointestinal disorders, and urinary tract infections. What gives you an indication that something may be wrong, is if you know you are already pregnant. If this is the case and you have the symptoms, then you need to be checked to make sure the baby is in the right location.
There are two primary symptoms:
Vaginal bleeding: this isn’t the spotting that normally comes through being pregnant. Frequently this is moderate to heavy bleeding with no discernable explanation for why the woman is bleeding.
Abdominal pain: As the fetus grows, it is going to make it incredibly painful for the mother. If pain begins and seems to be getting worse over a period of 5-7 days, then you need to be checked.
Through an ultrasound the doctor is able to tell where the baby is embedded. Unfortunately, if you do have an ectopic pregnancy, the only option is to abort the baby to save the life of the mother.
