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Ectopic pregnancy is a common, life threatening condition where the embryo grows outside of the womb. It is the leading cause of death in
early pregnancy. It affects 1 in 80 pregnancies in the UK and women have to face the physical trauma of major invasive treatment, their own mortality, the impact on their future fertility, and the heartbreak of losing their baby all in a short space of time.

I am raising money for the Ectopic pregnancy trust and have signed up for their 80in1 challenge. Over the course of the next month I willbe tackling 80 miles either walking, cycling or running to help raise money and awareness.

I have not done this publicly before but want to share why this cause is so important to me.

After a year of trying for a baby, we found out that we were pregnant in December 2014. To say we were happy is an understatement. This would have been our first child.

Over the coming days and weeks, it’s hard to explain to people how I felt, but from very early on, I had a strong feeling that something wasn’t right. I was extremely protective and didn’t want anyone close to me, my anxiety was high. I went to the doctor who sent me to the Early Pregnancy Unit at Watford General Hospital. They were amazing. They did a scan and couldn’t see anything, they told me not to worry and it could just be because it was very early, they took some bloods and I had to go back 48 hours to have them taken again.
My hormone levels dropped. We were informed that this wouldn’t be a successful pregnancy, it was heart-breaking. They took my bloods again, if my hormones levels continued to drop they said it was likely an early miscarriage. Instead my hormone levels rose again. They were concerned, I had to go in again for an immediate scan. It was then that they found that the egg had implanted in my tube.

The next few hours were a blur. We needed to make a decision, we could either choose an injection which may work or I would need emergency surgery. We asked to see a specialist. He was amazing, very direct, but it was what we needed. He told us that my hormone levels were high, and that in his view, if I didn’t have surgery I would be back in within 48 hours ‘exsanguinating’ in other words, it would rupture and my life would be at risk due to bleeding. There was no longer an option. I was prepped for surgery. The doctor was honest, he said that he wouldn’t be able to save my tube, he knew that already, and there was a chance that the other one could be damaged too.

It was a harsh reality, knowing that when I came around, I would no longer be pregnant, I would have one less tube and the other one might also be damaged. Whichever way, we were losing our baby and some, or potentially all, of my fertility.

The surgery went well, the surgeon was happy that my other tube looked ok but there were no guarantees. My chances of having another ectopic went from 1 in 80 to 1 in 10 in his view.

The days, weeks and months following the loss of our baby and the surgery were hard. I was sad, angry and lonely. Although we have amazing friends and family I felt alone. I didn’t know anyone who had suffered with an ectopic pregnancy and I needed to talk to someone who understood my grief but also my huge anxiety over the future. This is where the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust came in. I had somewhere to go, people to speak to.

3 months later we fell pregnant again. We were straight under the care of the Early Pregnancy team at Watford General Hospital, who again were incredible. With their support and the support of the members at the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust, they helped with the unbelievable anxiety of those first few weeks, not knowing if it would happen again.

I am one of the lucky ones, all was ok. And in November 2015, just 11 months after surgery our little miracle Sophie was born. Fast forward to April 2018 and her little sister Amelie arrived.

I still wear the scars, both inside and out but not a day goes past when I don’t realise how lucky I am. Not everyone’s story ends so well. Some people don’t get to go on to have the family they dreamed of.

I am forever grateful to the team and members of the Ectopic Pregnancy trust as well as the doctors and nurses at Watford General Hospital. This is why I am taking on this challenge.

Thank you for reading my story. If you are able to donate, every little bit helps and it will be so appreciated by this small but vital charity.

Thank you

Suzie x