A woman whose life was at risk during an ectopic pregnancy has created a podcast to raise awareness of the topic.
Natalie Stapley Cutting, 25, of Newark, suffered an ectopic pregnancy last December and had to undergo a life-threatening round of surgery to remove her fallopian tube and part of her uterus.
As a result of the traumatic experience - for both Natalie’s body and mental health - she started a podcast called Ectopic Pregnancy and Me to talk about her experience.
Natalie and her husband Tom Cutting were trying to get pregnant for about a year by the time they found out they were going to be parents on December 6, 2023.
Being seven weeks pregnant, Natalie started feeling like some of her symptoms weren’t normal so, instead of waiting for the 12-week scan, she went to the GP to get it checked.
She had a tingling in her right thigh, which went numb, aching in the back of her legs and a stabbing pain on her right side.
At the appointment, the doctor told Natalie that everything was absolutely fine, despite some of the reactions and assessments revealing the opposite.
“I just knew, I had a gut feeling that something wasn’t right so we booked a private scan that we paid £75 for.”
On December 16, Natalie went for a private appointment where she did an external scan that revealed everything to be in order - but an internal scan showed her uterus to be empty.
The couple were then directed to Kings Mill Hospital and taken to the ectopic pregnancy unit.
An ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilised egg implants itself outside the uterus and usually in one of the fallopian tubes, which are the ones connecting the ovaries to the uterus.
On December 18, Natalie went through her first surgery, where doctors found the baby in her right fallopian tube growing into her uterus muscle lining.
“This is why we didn’t see it on scans and all my symptoms were very different to an ectopic pregnancy, which is in the fallopian tube.
“The next day they said I had to go into surgery for the removal of the baby and that was the hardest part because they found a heartbeat and everything. He was ok but in the wrong place.
“I was warned because the surgery wasn't just taking my fallopian tube out, it was also taking part of my uterus away, that it was life-threatening surgery.
She went through blood transfusions and had to sign a waiver about the risks of death.
“The GP told me that everything was okay to wait for my 12-week scan but if I had waited for my 12-week scan, I would have ruptured and would have internally bled and lost my life.”
After the traumatic experience of being pregnant for the first time, losing a baby and the risk of losing her own life, Natalie has shared her podcast on both Instagram and TikTok.
She can be found on both social media under the username — Ectopicpregnancyandme.
“I want to raise awareness about this, there’s not enough information and awareness out there and I need to share it because it could save lives.
“It is a life threatening thing that happens and I want to share my story and hopefully it saves more lives.”
After her ectopic pregnancy, Natalie also received support from the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust, a charity dedicated to supporting those who underwent an ectopic pregnancy, educating people and research.
She added: “They have really helped me and that is what I want to do with my podcast, to start a community of supporting each other.
“If anyone is feeling unsure or scared if they have got an ectopic pregnancy, the NHS website also has great links to signs and symptoms.
“If you have a gut feeling, even if it is your first pregnancy or your third pregnancy and something doesn’t feel right to you, always get it checked.
“My GP said everything was fine and he was wrong, as much as they are the professionals, you know your body more than them.”
