# What is a chemical pregnancy??



## its_our_family (Sep 8, 2002)

I've seen it used a lot on another board...only a couple times here...

What does it mean??


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## nomadic (Jan 7, 2003)

It's a very early miscarriage where the fact that there was a pregnancy can be confirmed through tests (eg blood test for the pregnancy hormone beta HCG) but there's nothing visible on ultrasound.


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## its_our_family (Sep 8, 2002)

thats what I thought but for some reason thought for sure I was wrong....Thanks!!


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## Arduinna (May 30, 2002)

my understanding is that it is when there is actually no baby forming. For whatever reason just the sac forms but it is empty.


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## nomadic (Jan 7, 2003)

Arduinna - I think that's called a blighted ovum.


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## karenpl (Dec 18, 2001)

A chemical pregnancy means that the egg did get fertilized, and did implant, but something went wrong soon after that. The clinical result is that you might have a positive pregnancy test (urine, serum, or both), but there won't be anything visible on ultrasound and usually you will start miscarrying around the time that your period was due, or within a week or so.

I have read a theory that a blighted ovum basically is the same thing happening, but going farther, developing a gestational sac, etc, but not a fetus. This usually is detected much later, maybe around 8 or 9 weeks lmp if you have an early u/s, or sometimes because you start bleeding and they do an u/s to check the viability of the pregnancy.

Karen


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## its_our_family (Sep 8, 2002)

You ladies are a wealth of info!!!


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