An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that’s not developing inside of the uterus. When sperm and egg meet, usually it travels down inside into the uterus, and it attaches into the uterine lining, and it begins to grow. But if the fertilized egg attaches somewhere outside of the uterus, like in the fallopian tubes, or in rare cases, it may attach to the ovaries, or the abdominal structures, or the cervix, then this is called an ectopic pregnancy. And unfortunately, this condition can be life-threatening to mothers and it is not a viable pregnancy. The baby is not able to grow outside of the uterus. There are some things that increase a woman’s chances of having an ectopic pregnancy. A history of it does increase your chances, although, if you have a history of ectopic pregnancy, it doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to have a healthy pregnancy in the future. Be sure to call your doctor right away and let them know that you’ve seen a positive pregnancy test result if you have an IUD in place and found out you were pregnant or if you’ve had a tubal pregnancy in the past. Both of those things increase a woman’s chances of having an ectopic pregnancy and it’s likely something the doctor will want to rule out. Other possible risk factors include any surgeries that involve the fallopian tubes or that may cause scar tissue that affect the fallopian tubes. Pelvic infections and smoking also increase a woman’s chances. Early in pregnancy, it’s always good to pay attention always good to pay attention to your body and how you’re feeling. Sometimes ectopic pregnancies don’t cause any symptoms until it’s progressed to a point where a woman is having severe belly pain, bleeding from the vagina, or a feeling like she’s going to pass out feeling dizzy. And if you experience any of these symptoms, go to the emergency room to be evaluated. But sometimes symptoms can be more mild, like just a little bit of abominable pain or a little bit of bleeding, and if you experience these things, then call your provider, and after asking more specific questions, they’ll decide if further investigation is warranted. If they’re suspecting an ectopic pregnancy, a woman can expect a couple of different things. One is a blood test to confirm the pregnancy and to check HCG levels, and another is to do an ultrasound and see where the pregnancy is actually forming. And based on all of these results, the doctor can determine if a woman actually has an ectopic pregnancy or not. If the doctor does determine that a woman has an ectopic pregnancy, there’s a couple of different ways that it can be treated. One is medication, and this stops the pregnancy from progressing and allows the body to absorb it. And sometimes this is enough, but in other cases, surgery is necessary, and in some of those cases, removal of the fallopian tube is also necessary. But again, this doesn’t decrease a woman’s chances of being able to have a healthy pregnancy in the future. If you have more specific questions about your circumstances, talk with your doctor who can give you tailored information and advice. And if you have more questions in the future for me, feel free to ask them on our Intermountain Moms Facebook and Instagram pages, and recommend us to your friends and family too.