Blogger shares photos of her ectopic pregnancy scars to support others

Travel blogger, Olive Cookes opening up about her experience – scars and all – in a bid to support anyone currently going through an ectopic pregnancy.

Tommy's News 12/03/2018   

Olive Cooke Image

Around 1 in 90 pregnancies in the UK are ectopic. Ectopic pregnancy creates a potentially life-threatening situation for a mother, so it is very important that it is treated quickly. 

This was the position travel blogger, Olive Cookes faced when she was rushed into emergency surgery while on holiday in Mexico, where she was diagnosed with ectopic pregnancy. Olive chose International Women's day to open up about her experience on her Instagram channel, in a bid to support other women going through the same experience. 

She started the post:  

A day to celebrate and lift each other up! Last year I had an ectopic pregnancy, given half an hour to live I had emergency surgery in Mexico to remove my ruptured fallopian tube and blood clots. Coming out the other side of surgery I felt so alone, that life wouldn’t be the same and thought no one would understand how fragile I was feeling. But time and time again with help from my beautiful friends and family I picked myself up, when sometimes I thought it would be easier to collapse in a heap of fear and anxiety. 

The blogger goes on to detail how the experience has changed her:

This experience changed my life so much, and for the better, it showed me what I value in life, how much I love myself and those around me. I am still processing what happened and sometimes things are still hard, but now I want to be able to share and help as so many people helped me. To anyone who is going through something similar, know that you have strength, and you are not alone.  Lets love and support each other, ourselves and our body’s, scars and all.  As I get better at talking and sharing I promise I will do what I can to raise awareness and love in women’s health and confidence.  Happy International Woman’s Day! 

 Olive Cooke Image 2

What is an Ectopic Pregnancy? 

An ectopic pregnancy is a condition that occurs when a fertilised egg attaches itself somewhere outside the uterus.The huge majority (over 95%) happen in a fallopian tube, known as a “tubal pregnancy”. They can also occur in an ovary, in the abdominal space or in the cervix, but this is rare.

Symptoms include

If you are pregnant and you experience the following symptoms, you should urgently seek medical attention at your nearest Accident and Emergency department as it could be a sign of ectopic pregnancy.

  • Bleeding from the vagina which is dark and watery
  • Pain on one side of your tummy
  • Sudden severe pain spreading across your tummy
  • Shoulder tip pain
  • Fainting, dizziness, and paleness
  • Diarrhoea and pain when going to the toilet

These symptoms are not always caused by an ectopic pregnancy – they can sometimes be caused by other things, such as a tummy bug, but if you are pregnant and you have any of the signs and symptoms listed above get advice right away as ectopic pregnancy is a medical emergency.

For more ectopic pregnancy information and support see here. 

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