(Article retrieved from the Natural Fertility Info website - http://natural-fertility-info.com/ectopic-pregnancy.html) -- See the full article to view videos I couldn't attach here. Videos were about ectopic pregnancy, fertility massage, and how to use a castor oil pack -- I do not necessarily endorse anything included in the complete article, but found what I listed here to be very informative. ~Sharee~
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Healing From Ectopic Pregnancy
by Dalene Barton, CH, Doula
Have you suffered a pregnancy loss due to ectopic pregnancy? If so, you are not alone, 2% of all pregnancies are ectopic. Women who have experienced ectopic pregnancy often suffer from tissue damage; this may lead to infertility, and a 7-15% chance recurrence due to scarring and adhesion in the fallopian tubes. Not only is ectopic pregnancy damaging to the tissues, it can be emotionally scarring as well.
Ectopic pregnancy can be very physically painful, scary, and in some women may lead to hemorrhage that may result in death. All of this may create fear for future pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy is not something to be taken lightly. Often times women are very excited to be pregnant, only to find out that they have an ectopic pregnancy and that this pregnancy is not viable; this can be a devastating loss.
If you are one of those women who have suffered damage, physically or emotionally from ectopic pregnancy, this article is for you! I will share with you ways to heal your body physically and emotionally from ectopic pregnancy. But before we begin all of that I believe it is important to share with you factors that may put you at risk for ectopic pregnancy, so that we can learn ways to prevent ectopic pregnancy.
Causes and Possible Prevention of Ectopic Pregnancy
Sexually Transmitted Disease
Sexually transmitted disease, especially Chlamydia and Gonorrhea can lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). If left untreated this may cause scar tissue, adhesion and chronic inflammation in the fallopian tubes and uterus. Use protection such as condoms during sexual intercourse, especially with new partners to help prevent STD’s.
Tubal Sterilization Reversal
This is a common birth control method for women who thought they were done having children. More and more women are deciding otherwise and having tubal reversal procedures. Because the fallopian tubes were cut and cauterized initially, then snipped again and sewn back together, this may cause scar tissue, which may narrow or block the tubes. Any type of tubal sterilization poses a risk for ectopic pregnancy, even if you do not want children and have not had a tubal reversal. Of all the unsuccessful tubal ligation procedures that resulted in pregnancy, about 50% resulted in ectopic pregnancy.
Cesarean Section
Subsequent pregnancies are at risk for ectopic pregnancy following a C-section. This is due to increased risk of scar tissue formation around the reproductive organs which may damage the fallopian tubes.
Surgery to Open Blocked Fallopian Tubes
Women who have already been diagnosed with blocked fallopian tubes may have surgical procedures to re-open them; but this procedure may cause more damage, which may lead to more scarring and adhesion.
Low Progesterone
A study done by Dr. Buckley shows that the patients that had an ectopic pregnancy had progesterone levels below 22ng/ml. Of all the patients who’s progesterone level was below 22 ng/ml, 10% had an ectopic pregnancy BUT none of the patients with progesterone levels above 22 had an ectopic. Progesterone cream may be something to look into to make sure your progesterone levels are at the right levels.
Smoking
Smoking cigarettes has been linked to 5 times greater risk for ectopic pregnancy. Holy Smokes! Nicotine stimulates the fallopian tubes to contract. In some women it has been shown to cause the fallopian tubes to spasm, the walls of the fallopian to temporarily stick together, preventing the embryo from passing through for implantation in the uterus.
Fertility Medications
Fertility medications including chlomiphene citrate, pergonal and progestin (common in hormonal birth control) put a woman at risk for ectopic pregnancy, by altering the ability of the fallopian tube to contract and move the fertilized egg properly to the uterus. If you become pregnant while on one of these medications, talk to your doctor right away to rule out ectopic pregnancy.
What Happens During an Ectopic Pregnancy?
The most common place for an ectopic pregnancy to occur is inside of the fallopian tubes. Some ectopic pregnancies may occur in the abdominal cavity, cervix or ovary; this is very rare. In all cases the fetus begins to grow where it should not be.
Normally during conception the embryo, in the form of rapidly dividing cells moves from the fallopian tubes down to the uterus for implantation. Because the most common place for this to occur is the fallopian tubes, I will concentrate on that type of ectopic pregnancy. 95% of all ectopic pregnancies happen in the fallopian tubes. 50% of all ectopic pregnancies in the fallopian tube are caused by damage to the fallopian tubes; the other 50% the cause is unknown.
The embryo begins to grow and form in the fallopian tube. This puts extreme pressure on the fallopian tube. This may cause discomfort to extreme pain. Some women may not even know they have this type of pregnancy until they experience pain or it is discovered by ultrasound.
If you are pregnant and feel slight lower abdominal pain on one side or have some blood loss (spotting), and this is not normal for you, seek medical attention to rule out ectopic pregnancy. If this type of pregnancy is left undiagnosed it may lead to the fallopian tube rupturing, this is extremely dangerous as it can cause hemorrhage and death.
Often when this happens the ovary is damaged as well, and both the fallopian tube and ovary are removed surgically. The pain from fallopian tube rupture can be so extreme a woman may vomit or pass out. If you feel you are experiencing ectopic pregnancy, or rupture of the fallopian tube, seek emergency medical care right away.
If the ectopic pregnancy is diagnosed right away, doctors can treat it with the chemotherapy drug called Methotrexate. This medication dissolves the embryo and your body reabsorbs it. If you have used this medication for an ectopic pregnancy, you may seriously want to consider doing a Fertility Cleanse. The Fertility Cleanse may help clear the body of the medication prior to trying to conceive again.
Even if the fallopian tube has not ruptured, the embryo may be further along and will require surgical removal to prevent rupture. The stretching of the fallopian tube alone can create severe damage to the fallopian tube. Your doctor may determine this during surgery.
Healing Scar Tissue and Adhesion While Reducing Inflammation
Whether you are wanting to prevent an ectopic pregnancy, heal blocked fallopian tubes, or heal from a past or recent ectopic pregnancy, you will want to plan ahead to allow for proper healing to take place.
If you recently had an ectopic pregnancy, give your body 2 weeks before beginning any of these therapies or herbs. Listen to your body. If you are still tender physically from surgery or damage, give your body more time to heal on its own. Beginning Self Fertility Massage may take more time before beginning. In the mean time you can begin counseling or energy body work like Reiki or acupuncture to begin healing right away.
Fertility Enzyme Therapy
This is one of the most effective ways to reduce and remove scar tissue and adhesion, while reducing inflammation and increasing healthy circulation. Specific enzymes in this therapy eat way scar tissue (fibrin) over time, aiding the body in preventing excessive scar tissue build-up, while removing old scar tissue and adhesion. When there has been damage to the reproductive organs or surrounding tissues, chronic inflammation may be present as your body works to heal. Fertility Enzyme Therapy may help reduce inflammation, while aiding the body in healthy inflammation response. (See complete article for their recommendations for products -- link is at beginning of article)
Castor Oil Packs
Castor Oil packs promote healing to the reproductive system, by stimulating circulation and triggering the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is responsible for removing metabolic waste, old diseased cells and tissues. This is very important, especially if your ectopic pregnancy may have been caused by Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD), infection from past surgery, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts or PID.
Castor oil is one of the only ways to stimulate the lymphatic system to move. The lymphatic system relies on us to get it to move. The heart runs our circulatory system, but exercise, dry brushing, some herbs and Castor Oil are some of the only ways to get the lymph to move. Castor Oil Packs heal underlying tissues very well, when used consistently over time. We recommend using this type of therapy at least 2-3 times a week. It works great in conjunction with Self Fertility Massage.
Healing Emotionally from Ectopic Pregnancy
Many women find it hard to move forward with trying to conceive after ectopic pregnancy. The statistics for recurrent ectopic pregnancy may compound this. If you have suffered an ectopic pregnancy, I am sure somewhere in the back of your mind you are asking, “Will this happen again?” Fear can create anxiety when trying to conceive and with subsequent pregnancies. How can you face those fears, and move forward? Fear alone can make getting pregnant again difficult. Work toward letting go of resentment, anger or shame surrounding your circumstances, in regard to your ectopic pregnancy. We are more than our physical bodies, treating yourself holistically is going to greatly improve your chances of healing, so you can move toward a successful, healthy pregnancy.
-Seek counseling
-Actively engage your body in healing therapies
-Join an ectopic pregnancy support group or forum
-Journal about your journey
-Acknowledge your loss, take time to mourn, allow yourself space to process the experience
-Pray
-Consciously thank your body for all that is does everyday.
-Believe in your body’s capacity to heal itself.
-Get body work done or do body work on yourself: Reiki, Maya abdominal massage or Self Fertility Massage™ or acupuncture.
-Meditate or visualize a healthy pregnancy happening for you as your body is healing.
-Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) is similar to acupuncture. In this technique, various energy points in the body are unlocked by gentle tapping. The theory behind this technique is that all negative emotions are caused by a disruption in the body’s energy system. Either a practitioner can perform the tapping or the patient can be taught to perform the tapping alone. This technique is wonderful because it addresses both fertility and stress reduction at the same time. EFT has no known negative side effects, the reported success rates for resolving both emotional and physical issues is amazingly high with improvement for up to 95% of people.
I believe in the capacity of my body to heal itself.
I love myself unconditionally!
References
1. http://ehealthmd.com/library/ectopicpreg/EP_causes.html
2. Northrup, Christiane, M.D. Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom; Bantam Books, 2010
3. Serum progesterone testing to predict ectopic pregnancy in symptomatic first-trimester patients. Ann Emerg Med 2000 Aug;36(2):95-100
