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Sadie BrittleBritish hairdresser who suffered a heterotopic pregnancy
Country:
 Great Britain |
Content:
- Sadie's Heartbreaking Loss and Miraculous Discovery
- A Near Death Experience
- An Unexpected Surprise
- A Journey of Relief and Hope
- A Healthy Birth
- A Supportive Partner
- Ectopic Pregnancy: A Silent Threat
Sadie's Heartbreaking Loss and Miraculous Discovery
Sadie, a 32-year-old British hairdresser, endured the devastation of losing a child due to an ectopic pregnancy. However, her grief turned into elation when she discovered a 'secret pregnancy' carrying the twin of her lost baby.
A Near Death Experience
While at work, Sadie experienced severe abdominal pain that resulted in a ruptured Fallopian tube during her third month of pregnancy, putting her life in grave danger.
An Unexpected Surprise
Three months after her surgery, Sadie, still troubled by her enlarged abdomen, took a pregnancy test. To her astonishment, it came back positive. This was a rare case of heterotopic pregnancy, where one viable embryo implants in the uterus while another embeds elsewhere, usually the Fallopian tube.
A Journey of Relief and Hope
"After my ectopic pregnancy in April, I was devastated," Sadie said. "I had lost a lot of blood when my Fallopian tube ruptured. I was then told that I wouldn't be able to return to work for three months." During this challenging period, Sadie and her family went on a holiday to Spain. "I ended up lying on a sun lounger and realised that my stomach was still quite large. That's when I decided to take a pregnancy test."
Upon their return home, Sadie's bewildered doctor confirmed her pregnancy. Her midwife initially believed her symptoms were hormonal effects from the surgery, as she had been told there was 'no chance' she could conceive again.
A Healthy Birth
A scan revealed Sadie was 19 weeks pregnant. A healthy baby boy, named Teddy, was delivered via Caesarean section, weighing 3kg at birth. "It was such a relief to get to the end of it all and for it to be successful," Sadie said. "I was considered a high-risk pregnancy, so I had a lot more scans than you usually would."
A Supportive Partner
Sadie's husband, Gary, shared his concerns and relief. "I was born with a cleft palate, so I was very worried about our baby," he said. "It was a very anxious pregnancy, expecting the worst. We were so relieved when Teddy was okay."
Ectopic Pregnancy: A Silent Threat
Heterotopic pregnancy is a rare occurrence in natural pregnancies like Sadie's. However, it becomes more common with assisted reproductive technologies, with an estimated risk of around 1:100. Symptoms of ectopic pregnancy include abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, and pain radiating to the shoulders or neck. Most cases occur within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, although some may go undetected.
In the UK, around one in every 80-90 pregnancies is ectopic, resulting in approximately 12,000 cases each year. While blocked Fallopian tubes are a common contributing factor, in many cases, there is no obvious cause for concern. In most cases, ectopic pregnancies cannot be saved and the embryo is removed through medication or surgery.
