• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop ModernMom
  • Become An Insider

ModernMom

The premiere destination for moms

  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • ModernMom Monday Videos
  • Cooking
  • Living Healthy
    • Breast Cancer
    • Health & Fitness
    • Body after Baby
    • Beauty
    • Relationships
    • Love
  • Lifestyle
    • Crafts
    • At Home
    • Education
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Decorate
    • Money
    • Brooke Burke
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • New Year’s
      • Christmas
      • Hanukah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
    • Birthdays
    • Parties
  • Must Have
  • Contests
  • Entertainment

What Is A Chemical Pregnancy?

November 1, 2011 by sarah dyer Leave a Comment

With our third child due in six weeks, the topic of chemical pregnancies has come up repeatedly when chatting with other moms. 

The common thread was that if it hadn’t happened to them, they hadn’t heard the term before.  I was pregnant three times in 2010 and none of the pregnancies went beyond nine weeks. While two of the pregnancies ended in miscarriage at seven and nine weeks, my doctor called the third a chemical pregnancy.   I was at my doctor’s office for my annual exam when I told him that I had recently taken a pregnancy test that came back positive (truth be told, I had taken five pregnancy tests).  

My test at the doctor’s office also showed that I might be pregnant. It wasn’t a strong positive so he ordered blood work to be taken to confirm.  He said, “You know our urine tests are highly sensitive so you might not actually be pregnant.”  I was confused. I thought the test was always right. I felt like I was 12 and totally in the dark.  He said that it was likely a chemical pregnancy.  My doctor is awesome, but he’s not big on elaboration. And I’m not the best at asking the right questions, like, ”What is a chemical pregnancy?”

A chemical pregnancy, I have since found out, happens when a fertilized egg does not implant.  Many women have them and don’t even realize it,  and they assume their period is just a little late and a little heavier than normal.  However, since your Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) levels are high, you would test positive on a home pregnancy test if you were to take one.  Because I was trying to get pregnant, I was aware of my cycle. I took the test shortly after a missed period and it came back positive.  My blood work from the doctor, however, came back negative. I got my period the following week at what would have been six weeks, which confirmed it as a chemical pregnancy.

The true cause of chemical pregnancies isn’t known, but they are generally attributed to abnormal chromosomes of the fetus, poor quality of the egg or sperm, or abnormal division of cells in the fetus.

Unfortunately, 50-60% of first trimester miscarriages are chemical pregnancies that often end without the woman even knowing she was pregnant.  For me, it was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster thinking I was pregnant only to find out that it wasn’t viable.  However, after raising concerns to my doctor about my age and that perhaps another pregnancy wasn’t going to work out for me, he reassured me and reminded me that it can sometimes take up to a full year to get pregnant. He said he wouldn’t start considering more invasive testing until that year is up.  In the end it actually did take the full year.  I consider myself fortunate because I know it could have taken much longer.

I am a really big believer in “everything happens for a reason” and “if it is meant to be, it will happen.” Nature is fascinating to me, and I was comforted by the fact that none of my pregnancies had a viable fetus, so the losses didn’t weigh quite so much on me.  I am extremely fortunate to be able to look at my two little kids every morning and each time I feel more than lucky with what I already have.

My feelings should in no way discount the loss many women feel over a miscarriage.  Everyone’s situation is unique and everyone’s perspective on things is different.  Many women/couples need to and should seek counseling over this type of loss and that is completely normal too. 

If you are struggling with getting pregnant, my heart goes out to you; it’s not fun.  I hope you have someone that you can lean on as talking about things is often be the best way of coping.

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Uncategorized

About sarah dyer

Sarah is a mom of three awesome kids who make her laugh, cry and pull out her hair. She observes the world around her; applies her own experiences and then writes about them. She thinks shes pretty funny sometimes, but she could just be delusional and need to tweak her sleep/coffee ratio. Sarah waves the NAFTA flag having lived in small town NJ, San Diego, Seattle, Chicago and Mexico City and is now back in her hometown of Toronto.

Her current rule to live by is: Be Kind to Your Fellow Moms (Parents).

Follow her on Twitter @sarahdyer or for extra kicks start a game with her on Words with Friends (poper12).

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Search

Tell a friend

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
ModernMom Boutique

ModernMom TV

Featured

10 Things Nobody Will Tell You About Having A Baby

After reading "20 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Had Kids," I … [Read More...] about 10 Things Nobody Will Tell You About Having A Baby

Must Have

STEM-related Toys to Include in Your Child’s Easter Basket This Year 

April has arrived which means it’s time to pull out the food … [Read More...] about STEM-related Toys to Include in Your Child’s Easter Basket This Year 

Did you know?

Signs That Your Toddler Has Been Touched Inappropriately

How Many Calories Does 10,000 Steps Burn

How Many Calories Does 10,000 Steps Burn?

What Will Draw Smells Out of a Closet?

What Will Draw Smells Out of a Closet?

What Happens When You Mix Lemon Juice With Baking Soda?

What Happens When You Mix Lemon Juice With Baking Soda?

Decoding a Man’s Hug

Decoding a Man’s Hug

Children Overcome a Fear of Water

How Do Children Overcome a Fear of Water?

Functions of Flour in Baking

What Are the Functions of Flour in Baking?

Footer

  • About Us
  • Contact ModernMom
  • Advertise With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contributors

Copyright © 2022 Modern Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of this website only at the express permission of Mom, Inc.

The information provided on ModernMom is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.