What is a chemical pregnancy?

Have you ever heard about it? Do you wonder if you have ever had one? Well, let’s find out.

Chemical pregnancy stands for a very early miscarriage that occurs within the first five weeks of pregnancy. Usually the embryo develops and sometimes possibly even is implanted in the uterus, but then stops growing. Because chemical pregnancies start so early, many women who miscarry are unaware of it.

But why do they call it chemical pregnancy and not just miscarriage?

Pregnancy being referred to as a “chemical” can sound distant and frigid. However, the name has nothing to do with the pregnancy itself. Instead, the hormones or chemicals in your body that cause a positive pregnancy test result are what give chemical pregnancies their name. The embryo will start producing the hormone human chorionic gonadotrophic (hCG) within the first five weeks. The only reliable indicator that you are pregnant at this time is your hCG hormone levels because it is still too early for an ultrasound to detect any evidence of your developing fetus. So basically what happens is that the term miscarriage is reserved for when it happens after the pregnancy has been confirmed by ultrasound.

So, are you telling me that a chemical pregnancy is not a real

pregnancy? No, of course not. At the end pregnancy it’s just a term so there is no such thing as real or not real pregnancy. A chemical pregnancy differs from a clinical pregnancy, in which a fetus is clearly seen because in the chemical pregnancy an embryo stops growing and it terminates early. However, that does not imply that a chemical pregnancy is not genuine. The discovery of your pregnancy might occasionally help the event feel more real. But occasionally, it’s the sound of a heartbeat. Each person’s perception of the experience is different. Every experience is legitimate.

Are chemical pregnancies bad? Are chemical pregnancies indicators of infertility?

There is no correct response but if you mean if it’s physically harmful no, the answer is no. If you hadn’t intended to get pregnant, learning that you aren’t pregnant could be a relief. A chemical pregnancy might be devastating and psychologically harmful if you’ve been trying to conceive but haven’t been successful. However, just because your pregnancy was terminated early does not preclude you from getting pregnant again. It also doesn’t imply that your subsequent pregnancy won’t result in a live birth.

Which are the causes of chemical pregnancy?

It is not clearly stated what causes chemical pregnancies, mainly because most of them happen without the women even noticing. Likely, as most of the miscarriages, is because of some chromosomal abnormalities that prevent the fetus from developing normally. Besides that it can happen that the embryo fails to implant.
In assisted pregnancies, damage that occurs to the embryo during the freezing process may result in a chemical pregnancy.

Can anyone have a chemical pregnancy?

Anyone who can become pregnant can experience a chemical pregnancy. Nonetheless, it is true that not everyone has the same chances. The odds of experiencing an early miscarriage increase if:

• • You’re older than 35
  • You have higher or lower hormones than established
  • Your uterus is atypically shaped
  • You have an STI (sexually transmitted infection)
  • You have either diabetes, thyroid disorders or (PCOS) polycystic ovarian syndrome

Besides this, people who are more likely to notice a chemical pregnancy are those who are trying to conceive through in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF alone isn’t a risk factor for chemical pregnancy, but since these women are usually very controlled by doctors, they are going to discover it.

• • Chemical pregnancies are completely normal and a big amount of womens will go through one in their lifetime. However, if you have recurrent chemical pregnancies, you should talk to a doctor.

Okay so are you saying that people that are not going through IVF are less prone to discover that they have been through a chemical pregnancy? Yes exactly. Actually, chemical pregnancy is very common but people are not usually aware. About a quarter of all pregnancies end before the first 20 weeks and the 80% of those are chemical pregnancies, they happen early.

It can be hard to know just how common chemical pregnancies are, though. Most of the time people miscarry early without ever receiving a diagnosis.

Even though most women do not notice that they are going through a chemical pregnancy, are there some indicators that can help you identify them?

Yes of course,there are some points that can make you wonder if you are having a chemical pregnancy. However, having them does not mean 100% sure that you have just had one. Some of them are:

• • When your period comes about a week later than usual.
  • You have a positive pregnancy test, but then get your period
  • You have a positive pregnancy test, but a negative in a few weeks
  • You have a positive pregnancy test, but you do not have any pregnancy symptom or sign
  • Your period is heavier than usual and with more cramps