Courageous Mum Shares Her Story of Ectopic Pregnancy Loss to Promote Awareness

Pregnancy and infant loss, once an unspoken topic is rapidly gaining a voice through the courage of families willing to share their stories in the hope of offering support, promoting awareness and stripping away the taboo associated with loss. Miscarriage and stillbirth are conversations we are starting to have more and more of, but it is ectopic pregnancy loss that is still sadly and relatively unheard and unknown.

Ectopic pregnancies incredibly affect up to one in 40 pregnancies and are the cause for nearly 10 percent of pregnancy-related deaths, but alarmingly as women we rarely know much about them.

An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the fertilized egg begins to grow outside the woman’s uterus. Women over the age of 35, or under the age of 20 are most at risk for experiencing an ectopic pregnancy. If not properly treated, the fertilized egg will continue to grow, threatening damage to organs and the potential risk of severe blood loss to the mum.

With its high risk and possibility of life-threatening complications, there is little to no awareness made available for women experiencing an ectopic pregnancy. One brave mother is sharing her personal story, seen on the Daily Mail, overcoming her own pregnancy scare in the hope to promote awareness and understanding of the loss.

“Behind each ectopic pregnancy there is a woman with a story to tell”

“This is my story”

“My name is Kerri, in November 2015 we found out we were pregnant”

“We were ecstatic and started planning and preparing for our expanding family”

“December 9th 2015, I started bleeding, I thought it was a miscarriage”

“December 11th, I had a scan and was told it was a possible ‘ectopic’ pregnancy, I was admitted not knowing exactly what it was”

“I collapsed and was rushed to theatre”

“They saved my life…our baby died, I nearly died”

“This is all we have left” courageously holding the pictures from her ultrasound.

“I felt numb”

“I healed physically from open surgery, and the grief hit”

“Guilt, jealousy, anger, sadness, lonely, helpless, empty”

“There was no where to go for support just like there is no awareness”

“In memory of our baby we want to change that”

“An ectopic pregnancy is a life threatening condition and the leading cause of death in early pregnancy”

“1 in 80 pregnancies are ectopic”

“Symptoms – missed or late period, vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain, should tip pain, bladder or bowel problems, collapse” “visit www.ectopic.org.uk for more details”

“Please share to raise awareness and maybe save a life”

In honouring the memory of her baby and courageously sharing their experience, who knows how many women and families they are helping. Loss at no matter what stage and in no matter what form is loss, it is a grief and it is a lifelong healing. Through openness and honesty, supportive and aware conversations are beginning to happen and hopefully those experiencing the often isolating heartache of this loss may not feel so alone and prompt to people to know and be aware of relatively unknown risks.