Caring For Your Body After an Ectopic Pregnancy
If you have gone through an ectopic pregnancy, our sincerest sympathies. It is important to give yourself time to heal physically and emotionally from this invasive event. In this article we’ll share some ideas about how to care for you body after an ectopic pregnancy, but as always, listen to your own body and follow your doctor’s advice first and foremost.
Physical Recovery
To help with your physical recovery, you may need to be on bed rest for a few weeks. Depending on what how the ectopic pregnancy was treated, pain or discomfort may continue in varying intensity for several weeks afterwards as the healing process continues and scarring continues to heal. You may be advised to not do any physical activity like exercising, for about 6 weeks. Try not to put a timeline on your recovery – physically or emotionally. take it easy on yourself for as long as you need.
It is normal to still feel pregnant, have sore breasts, feel bloated and feel very tired after an ectopic pregnancy. Your levels of discomfort will depend on the treatment you received and your individual circumstances. You may way to delay returning to work, depending on the type of work you do, until about 6 weeks after surgery or treatment. Coming back part-time or working from home, can be helpful in the following weeks after treatment.
You may want to keep a record of your pain, rating it on a scale of 1 to 10, and what helps relieve it. Pain is usually a signal that your body needs more rest. You can share this record with your care provider at your checkup. Some other ideas for pain relief include:
Heat (hot water bottle)
Baths
Pain relievers (note what kind)
Gentle exercise (walking, stretching)
Emotional Recovery
When you experience an ectopic pregnancy you lose a baby, part of your fertility, and are left with huge unanswered questions about the future. You may be feeling a range of emotions from shock and disbelief, emptiness, relief, anger, sadness, guilt, jealousy anxiety or worry. It is important to remember there is no right or wrong way of feeling and everyone deals with situations differently.
Being monitored or treated for an ectopic pregnancy is a worrisome experience for any woman. Until your hCG levels drop, which can take several weeks, you may still ‘feel’ pregnant. Once the hormones do decrease, it is not unusual to feel low in mood, maybe even a little depressed. Allowing yourself the time to process and feel the normal reactions to what has happened, will help you recover quicker.
At BenefitBump, we are here to advocate for your well-being and support you through this process. If you haven’t already, please reach out to your Care Navigator for further support and guidance.