Chances are, like me, many of you also may not have heard about ectopic pregnancy till now. But it is a fact, very much real and a very sad one. Ectopic pregnancies are pregnancies occurring outside the uterus. The fertilized egg is placed and is developing somewhere, in one of the fallopian tubes, in the ovaries, or cervix. But it is not in its usual place, the womb. In majority of cases, the development takes place in the fallopian tubes.

This implies that the fetus cannot in any case develop to birth. It cannot sustain for the full term and has to die. There is no chance of survival, whatsoever, in such cases. This fact becomes evident usually around 5–8 weeks of pregnancy. Over time the matter cures by itself, by getting expelled naturally through the vaginal route. That’s the usual procedure that is not that simple as it is accompanied with pain in the stomach and pelvic region as well as bleeding that could at times be heavy and dangerous to the woman’s health. So, as soon as the warning signals, I mean signs not usually associated with pregnancy symptoms are felt, consult your doctor. This also prevents complications from developing and minimize the chances of problems in future pregnancies.

An ectopic pregnancy is a problem that rarely repeats itself, yet it cannot be ruled out completely. The reason of this condition is the slow movement of the embryo. This could be a result of some growth causing blockage or birth defect in the fallopian tubes. Sometimes, diseases like STD or PID lead to this situation. But then most of the causes respond well to treatments. So the best and only advice is to be aware and carefully monitor your pregnancy through its complete term.