Progressive Pregnancy - What Does It Mean? This is a situation where the fetus develops outside the uterus. Can be attached to fallopian tubes. Such a pathology is very dangerous for a woman's life. At a short time, it can not be distinguished from uterine pregnancy. All the same symptoms: the uterus is softened, menstruation delay, drowsiness, mood swings, colostrum may appear. But before 7 weeks on ultrasound it is clear that the uterus is lagging behind in development. And this is not typical for ordinary pregnancy.
Features of pathology: what does it mean?
A progressive pregnancy can very often develop after mini-abortion. As statistics show, not all cases end well. With a short gestation period, the child remains more likely to remain attached. In particular, with medical abortion in 5% of women, pregnancy can continue. The reasons for this may be:
- The use of medicines in the wrong order.
- The woman has good immunity and health, the protective function has worked, and the fetus has survived.
- The kid really wanted to live and fought.
Even if the child remains, then the abortion is worth ending. Medicines have already greatly affected the development of the fetus. And if you leave it, then it can be born with great pathologies and organ defects. Taking this step, it is worth taking the process very seriously and following the instructions of specialists.
The need for an ultrasound with suspected similar pathology
There are cases when a progressive pregnancy is detected in the later stages. Then, when abortion is no longer possible. There are people who were born under this condition, but they remained disabled for life. Although very grateful for being alive. Therefore, with a short gestational age, you always need to be examined by a doctor, do an ultrasound scan and take tests. You can’t go all pregnancy without a hospital, and then just go to give birth. This is fraught with consequences.
What is the danger?
A progressive ectopic pregnancy is a great sorrow for a woman who really wanted a baby. But when the fetus begins to develop in the tube, the question arises between the life of the baby and mother. Doctors have an unequivocal opinion that with a progressive tube pregnancy, an interruption should be done. This will save the woman’s life, and it is also not known how the fetus would develop under such conditions.
Still, there are similar cases of bearing a child, but there are very few of them. And in all situations, such courage ended poorly for women. Damage to the intestines and other organs, with cesarean section always done up to 26 weeks. And this is a very short time for the birth of a child. In the future, this can also tell on development.
In almost 100% of cases, tubal pregnancy ended in up to 10 weeks, with tube rupture and internal bleeding. After this, a tube is removed, and it is not yet possible to think about a subsequent pregnancy. It is worth listening to doctors, they have more experience and practice, it is better to make an interruption on time than to lose the opportunity to have a child at all.
Signs
What does it mean - pregnancy is progressing? How can this be identified independently? Let's look at the signs of a progressing pregnancy:
- After an unsuccessful interruption, you can independently notice that the pregnancy has remained. There will be the same nausea, swelling of the chest and so on. Also, bleeding will end quickly, and then again there may be a delay. In this case, only an ultrasound can confirm the presence of a developing fetus.
- In the early stages, it is very difficult to notice deviations. Contraction and pain in the lower abdomen may occur. On palpation, the doctor may feel a tumor on the side of the uterus. When you click on it will be painful and throbbing. But such a change in the tube may be old, an example is the inflammatory process of the ovaries.
- If pregnancy hormone levels are low. For an accurate diagnosis, the doctor collects information about menstruation, various diseases, childbirth. Be sure to do an ultrasound. At 11 weeks, the fetus will be the size of a large egg.
- Bleeding or not heavy, but bloody discharge. In this case, the test will show a positive result. This suggests that the fetus could not attach to the uterus.
- Severe, cramping, cutting pains may occur. This is due to squeezing and stretching of the internal organs. Each week, the discomfort will be stronger.
- Tangible abdominal pains. Fainting, which will be a clear sign that you need to go to the hospital. The pipe is severely deformed and may eventually burst. Abdominal bleeding occurs, due to which blood pressure drops and fainting occurs. The pregnant woman turns very pale, and cyanosis in the form of a hematoma appears in the navel. It also indicates internal bleeding. After identifying a progressive pregnancy, the woman is immediately placed in a hospital and an operation is performed. After an abortion, there is a chance of becoming pregnant again. They are not so big, but they are. Gynecologists also recommend that oral contraceptives be protected.
Causes
Let's look at some more causes of a uterine progressive pregnancy:
- With frequent pelvic surgery, junctions and scars begin to form inside, which form a film. It is she who can not let a fertilized egg into the uterus.
- Tumors in the uterus, ovaries and pelvis, with a benign or malignant base.
- When using hormonal drugs, an imbalance of hormones in the body can occur.
- The consequences of using an intrauterine device.
- Inflammatory processes of the urinary system.
- A large number of sexual partners.
- Long sterility.
- Pregnancy after 40 years.
- Anomalous structure of the pelvis.
Diagnostics
Girls who have a predisposition to such a pregnancy should receive the correct diagnosis of their condition. In this case, carry out such procedures:
- In a small pregnancy, even an ultrasound scan is not always able to correctly diagnose, so doctors use blood tests for hCG. With a uterine pregnancy, the amount of substance will be sufficient, and will increase every few days. And with an ectopic pregnancy it will be much lower.
- In the later stages, with ultrasound, you can see the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, which indicates internal hemorrhage. An urgent operation is needed here.
- Sometimes pregnant women may be prescribed laparoscopy, which can confirm the diagnosis and immediately fix the problem, remove the embryo, without heavy surgical intervention.
Treatment
How to treat a progressive pregnancy? There are two ways:
- The first method is surgery, abortion. But in a gentle way - laparoscopy. With this procedure, part of the organ is removed along with the embryo. After that, a woman may well become pregnant again.
- The second method is done in late pregnancy. In this case, as a rule, the tube may already burst and there may be bleeding. In this case, a completely damaged organ with an embryo is succeeded. After such an operation, it is difficult for a woman to get pregnant again.
Complications
If a progressive pregnancy is not treated on time, then it becomes life-threatening for a woman. The simplest thing that can be with a neglected form is infertility. But if the operation is not done on time, the woman will burn to die from abdominal bleeding.