While some might find a chemical pregnancy traumatizing, some might not even be aware they had one. Let’s see what causes this pregnancy, to understand its implications better.
A chemical pregnancy is basically the medical term for a very early miscarriage―one that happens before the sixth week. In most cases, a pregnancy test done at home will show there is a pregnancy. The expecting mother may also experience early pregnancy symptoms. However, the pregnancy gradually gets terminated naturally. Sometimes, women don’t even notice they’ve had a chemical pregnancy, unless they’re keeping a check on their ovulation cycle.
What is Chemical Pregnancy Exactly?
Sometimes, women test themselves at home to know if they’re expecting. If they do this around the time when their period is due, the test might show positive. This is because most miscarriages happen in these few days, before a woman gets her period. Most women, who do not check themselves for being pregnant, don’t even understand that they have had a miscarriage.
This is normal in most cases, but if you are experiencing this situation time and again, it is something to worry about. There are no particular symptoms you can look out for; women might only experience early pregnancy symptoms. Only when the pregnancy is confirmed by a sonography, where you can also see the gestational sac, it is termed as a ‘clinical pregnancy‘.
The Causes
When the egg is fertilized but doesn’t implant itself, it leads to a chemical pregnancy. Most chemical pregnancies are a result of abnormal chromosomal problems. These can be due to any hormonal disturbances or simple changes the body experiences while expecting early on. However, these are temporary in most cases, and there should be no problem conceiving again. An infection may also lead to a very early miscarriage. This infection can, however, be treated by antibiotics prescribed by your doctor.
However, consultation is a must. Sometimes, even an ectopic pregnancy might be the cause, wherein the egg fertilizes and also implants itself, but outside the uterine cavity. In this case, it is very necessary to know that a full miscarriage has taken place. Certain genetic defects can also lead to chemical pregnancies. A few genetic defects from the parents or close relatives can also be a cause, though this happens very rarely. Then, uterine abnormalities, such as fibroids being present in the uterus at the time of implantation, can also be a cause.
If you take a pregnancy test at home, and test positive for it, visit a doctor as soon as possible to get a sonography done. Let him/her guide you from there.
