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Ectopic pregnancy

Revisado: 4 de octubre de 2026

Solo en inglés por ahora

An ectopic pregnancy grows outside the womb and cannot continue. It can become a medical emergency, so it helps to know the warning signs and get help fast.

What an ectopic pregnancy is

An ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilised egg implants and starts to grow outside the womb. This most often happens in one of the fallopian tubes, which carry eggs from the ovaries to the womb. In the UK, about 1 in 90 pregnancies is ectopic. Sadly, the pregnancy cannot develop into a baby and cannot be saved. If it keeps growing, the tube can burst and cause serious bleeding inside the body.

Symptoms to know

Some people have no symptoms at first, or only the usual signs of pregnancy, such as a missed period, sore breasts or feeling sick. When symptoms do appear, it is usually between the 4th and 12th week of pregnancy. They can include pain low down on one side of your tummy, vaginal bleeding or a brown watery discharge, and discomfort when you pee or poo. If you have any of these and could be pregnant, contact a doctor or nurse the same day.

Get emergency help

Call your local emergency number or go to an emergency department if you have sudden, sharp and very bad tummy pain, pain in the tip of your shoulder, or heavy bleeding that soaks a pad soon after you put it on. Do the same if you have pain or bleeding and also feel very dizzy, faint or sick, or look very pale. These can be signs that the tube has burst, which is life-threatening.

Who is more at risk

An ectopic pregnancy is more likely if you have had one before, have had pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), or have had surgery on your fallopian tubes. It is also more likely if you got pregnant through fertility treatment such as IVF (where an egg is fertilised in a lab), or while using a copper or hormonal coil (IUD). Smoking and being older, especially over 35, raise the risk too.

Treatment

Because the pregnancy cannot continue, it needs to be removed or to end on its own. Sometimes doctors watch closely to see if it ends without treatment. Otherwise, treatment is an injection of a medicine called methotrexate to end the pregnancy, or keyhole surgery (laparoscopy) to remove it. Your care team will explain which option is safest for you.

After an ectopic pregnancy

Losing a pregnancy this way can be very hard. Many people feel deep grief, and it is fine to ask for support. Many people who have had an ectopic pregnancy go on to have a healthy pregnancy later. If you get pregnant again, contact a doctor or nurse early and tell them about your past ectopic pregnancy, because it can happen again.

This is general information. If you could be pregnant and have sudden severe tummy pain, shoulder-tip pain or feel very faint, get emergency help now.