It is very common to experience sadness, depression, and a sense of loss as a couple's feelings of joy and hope about the pregnancy turn to loss, grief, and often feelings of blame and guilt. Providing each other with support or seeking support from other couples who have experienced a miscarriage, or from a professional, are healthy ways to help work through the feelings resulting from experiencing a miscarriage. Another pregnancy complication is an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy is the growth of the fertilized egg outside the uterus. On rare occasion a fertilized egg can implant in a woman's abdomen, in an ovary, or in the cervix.
Ectopic pregnancies result in the death of the fetus and can be fatal to the mother as well.
They may cause sudden bursting of the Fallopian tube, massive internal bleeding, sharp pain and weakness resulting from the loss of blood. These problems typically occur late in the first trimester, usually between the eighth and twelfth weeks. If any of these signs appear, a non-intrusive ultrasound examination can show whether the fetus is growing in the uterus or elsewhere. Surgery is usually performed as soon as the condition is diagnosed to avoid the possible bursting of a Fallopian tube and heavy bleeding that can seriously harm the mother. Intervention generally involves the removal of the burst Fallopian tube, though sometimes the tube can be repaired.