A chemical pregnancy is an early pregnancy loss before an ultrasound can detect a fetus. It occurs in the first five weeks of pregnancy, shortly after the embryo implants.
A chemical pregnancy is a very early miscarriage that occurs during the first five weeks. Most people don’t realise they are pregnant to begin with, and may not experience any signs of miscarriage.
A doctor can confirm a chemical pregnancy by testing your blood for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
Having a chemical pregnancy doesn’t always mean you’ll be unable to conceive and have a healthy delivery. While there’s no specific treatment for this type of pregnancy loss, there are options to support you with your fertility journey.
Experiencing a pregnancy loss at any stage can be devastating. Learn what it means and how you can find support.
A chemical pregnancy doesn’t typically last long enough to cause pregnancy-related symptoms like nausea and fatigue.
Some people may also not experience any signs of pregnancy loss, while others may have menstrual-like stomach cramping and vaginal bleeding within days of getting a positive pregnancy result.
This type of pregnancy loss differs from others. Miscarriages can occur at any time during a pregnancy. But they are more common before the 20th week. A chemical pregnancy, on the other hand, always occurs shortly after implantation, during the first five weeks.
Most often, the only symptom is menstrual-like cramping and bleeding, which means some people may assume they’re having their menstrual cycle.
It’s important to note that bleeding after a positive pregnancy test doesn’t always mean a chemical pregnancy.
Bleeding is also common during implantation, when the embryo attaches to the uterus. This process can rupture or damage tiny blood vessels along the uterine lining, releasing blood or pinkish or brownish discharge.
Sadia’s story: Navigating early pregnancy loss
“I first experienced a chemical pregnancy around 20 years ago. At that time, pregnancy tests weren’t as good as they are now, and there was hardly any information available about early miscarriage.
What frustrated me the most back then was that doctors just didn’t explore what it was. You could only get further testing if you had three miscarriages in a row. But it just sounded so unfair… one should have been enough.
It was only years later that I realized that what had happened to me all those times back then were chemical pregnancies.
I never really waited to process the loss because I always wanted to move on and try again. There was a lot of hope and almost an obsession over trying to get that one extra week along, maybe meet that next milestone. I became over-in-tune with my body, constantly checking for signs. I’d do the test, and it would be positive… but then I’d start bleeding again, and it would be devastating.”
A chemical pregnancy can also happen in vitro fertilization (IVF). An egg is removed from your ovaries and mixed with sperm. The embryo is transferred to the uterus after fertilization.
A blood test is usually given 16 days after IVF to check for a pregnancy, depending on the clinic you use.
Blood test results will be positive if implantation took place. However, sometimes, abnormalities with the embryo may cause a chemical pregnancy shortly thereafter.
A pregnancy loss after IVF can be heartbreaking, but it’s also a sign that you can get pregnant and other attempts at IVF may be successful.
The exact cause of a chemical pregnancy is unknown. But in most cases, a pregnancy loss can occur due to a problem with the embryo, possibly caused by a low quality of sperm or egg.
Other causes may include:
Being over the age of 40 can increase the risk of a chemical pregnancy, as does health conditions such as blood clotting and thyroid disorders.
There are currently no known ways to prevent a chemical pregnancy, but research in this area is growing.
A chemical pregnancy doesn’t always mean you’re unable to conceive and have a healthy delivery. While there’s no specific treatment for this type of pregnancy loss, there are options to help you conceive.
If you’ve had more than one chemical pregnancy, a doctor can run tests to diagnose and treat any underlying causes, which may reduce the risk of another chemical pregnancy.
For example, if an early pregnancy loss was caused by an undiagnosed infection, taking antibiotics to clear the infection can improve your chances of conceiving and having a healthy delivery in the future.
It’s also important to note that a chemical pregnancy isn’t the only condition that causes the body to produce the pregnancy hormone. Higher levels of hCG can also occur with an ectopic pregnancy. This is when an egg implants outside the uterus. Since an ectopic pregnancy can mimic a chemical pregnancy, a doctor may run tests to rule out this condition.
Experiencing a chemical pregnancy at any stage can be devastating. While you may not require physical treatment after an early pregnancy loss it is still important to address any effects on your emotional and mental health.
It can be common to experience a sense of sadness, hopelessness, or grief, even with very early pregnancy loss.
Remember, a pregnancy loss is never your fault. Allow yourself the space and time needed to process your emotions in whatever way feels best for you.
If the emotions you are feeling after the loss are not going away, are getting worse, or are interfering with your day-to-day life, it’s important to connect with a mental health professional. They can provide support, like directing you toward mental health resources, such as support groups, or suggesting treatment options, like therapy, to help ease symptoms.
Speaking with a loved one, such as a friend or family member, may also help you process your feelings.
Sadia’s story: Finding healing after early pregnancy loss
“It feels like there’s this hierarchy of loss and grief with chemical pregnancies, second-trimester losses, and then stillbirths.
In one of my pregnancies, I was bleeding, and I thought, this is a miscarriage. It really affects you because you associate blood with loss, and so you are kind of always waiting for something to go wrong. But it didn’t, and I now have a healthy 10-year-old.
I came across research about something called microchimerism. Which is when you’ve had a miscarriage, that baby’s cells stay in a mother’s blood and organs, including her heart, and I now find so much comfort in that.
If I could speak to someone going through a chemical pregnancy, I would want them to know that they’re not alone, and they’re not the only person in the world to go through something like this. There is support available, and it’s important to reach out for it.”
A chemical pregnancy is an early pregnancy loss before an ultrasound can detect a fetus. It occurs in the first five weeks of pregnancy, shortly after the embryo is formed. Identifying any underlying causes can help to reduce the risk of another chemical pregnancy.
It’s important to remember that having a chemical pregnancy doesn’t always mean you’ll be unable to conceive and have a healthy delivery. While there’s no specific treatment for this type of pregnancy loss, there are options to support you with your fertility journey.
After a pregnancy loss at any stage, it’s important to address any effects the loss has had on your emotional and mental health.
A mental health professional can help provide information on support groups and therapy options to help ease symptoms and help you find healing.