A chemical pregnancy is a very early miscarriage that happens around the time a fertilized egg is implanting itself in the uterus. The pregnancy is lost before the fifth week. Chemical pregnancies (also known as biochemical pregnancies) are very common.
What’s more, research has found that up to one in four pregnancies is lost even before a woman misses her period or has symptoms of pregnancy — these are chemical pregnancies.
The term “chemical pregnancy” refers to a positive result on a blood or urine test that gauges the presence of a hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), to detect a pregnancy. But many women who have a chemical pregnancy don’t even realize they’re pregnant because the loss is so early; they may not have taken a pregnancy test, had any pregnancy symptoms, or even missed a period. They may simply have a late period that’s a bit heavier than usual.
Because a chemical pregnancy occurs so soon after conception, some women may not be aware they’re pregnant. Those who do know that they’re pregnant or suspect they’ve had a chemical pregnancy may experience the following symptoms:
Most miscarriages, including chemical pregnancies, are caused by chromosomal abnormalities that prevent the fetus from developing normally. In an assisted pregnancy that uses frozen embryos, damage that occurs to the embryo during the freezing process may result in a chemical pregnancy; as many as 20 percent of pregnancies involving the transfer of frozen embryos result in a chemical pregnancy.
Meanwhile, certain conditions can put a woman at increased risk for a chemical pregnancy. These include being 35 or older, having an untreated clotting disorder or thyroid condition, or having another poorly controlled chronic medical condition such as diabetes.
Sometimes a woman will take a home pregnancy test and get a positive result, but then she’ll have a late period or discover through a pregnancy test at the doctor’s office that there’s no pregnancy. Your doctor can confirm that you had a chemical pregnancy with a urine or blood test to check the level of hCG in your body.In other instances, women may not even know they’ve been pregnant; they may think their period is simply late.
Prognosis of Chemical Pregnancy
In many cases, once your menstrual cycle normalizes after the early pregnancy loss, you can try to get pregnant again whenever you and your partner feel ready. If you have a medical condition (such as diabetes or a thyroid disorder) that may have contributed to a chemical pregnancy, getting it properly treated may help improve your chances of conceiving a viable pregnancy in the future.
By definition, a chemical pregnancy occurs before the fifth week of pregnancy; it’s a very early miscarriage, in other words. The bleeding and cramping may last for a few days.
Very early pregnancy losses generally don’t require treatment, but if you think you have experienced one, be sure to tell your healthcare practitioner. If a medical condition may have contributed to a chemical pregnancy, getting it properly treated can help you improve your chances of conceiving a viable pregnancy and having a healthy baby in the future. Otherwise, once your menstrual cycle normalizes, you can try to get pregnant again whenever you feel ready.
There aren’t usually any physical complications of chemical pregnancy, aside from cramping and sometimes heavier-than-usual bleeding. In rare instances, women may experience very heavy bleeding or hemorrhaging after a chemical pregnancy, which can lead to anemia; this requires medical attention.
But keep in mind that any kind of miscarriage can be upsetting, especially if you were trying to conceive or were excited about a positive pregnancy test or went through fertility treatment. As a result, you may experience stress-related symptoms or mood changes. Some women find that early pregnancy loss can trigger post-traumatic stress symptoms, such as intrusive or unwanted thoughts about the pregnancy loss, nightmares or flashbacks, hyperarousal, and avoidance of anything that reminds women of their loss.
Be sure to give your body and your mind ample time to recover from the loss.Whatever your feelings are, accept them and allow yourself time to fully process them, perhaps with support from friends, family members, or support groups.
Chemical pregnancies are extremely common — as many as one-third of all pregnancies may be chemical pregnancies, and up to 22 percent of IVF pregnancies may be chemical pregnancies.
But in many cases, women don’t even know they were pregnant because the pregnancy loss occurs so early.
Certain medical conditions can put a woman at increased risk of a chemical pregnancy. These include an untreated clotting disorder or thyroid condition, or another poorly controlled chronic medical condition such as diabetes. In an assisted pregnancy that uses frozen embryos, damage that occurs to the embryo during the freezing process may result in a chemical pregnancy; as mentioned above, as many as 22 percent of IFV pregnancies may be chemical pregnancies.
A chemical pregnancy is a very early miscarriage, occurring before the fifth week of pregnancy, often before people realize they're pregnant.
It's believed to occur when an egg is fertilized but doesn’t fully implant in the uterus, and can be caused by a variety of factors, such as chromosomal abnormalities in the embryo, thin lining of the uterus, a maternal age of greater than 35, and others.
Although they are common and generally don't require treatment, it's best to consult your healthcare provider if you suspect you've had a chemical pregnancy and give yourself time to heal both mentally and physically.
