Symptoms of Chemical Pregnancy - Its Causes and Treatment

What Is a Chemical Pregnancy? Signs, Causes & What to Know

A chemical pregnancy refers to a miscarriage in the early stages of pregnancy. It usually occurs within 5 weeks and often manifests as a heavy period and cramps. While proper research is still inconclusive, experts believe genetic problems in the DNA and problems during implantation cause it.

Introduction

Pregnancy is a blessing for couples, especially mothers, trying for a baby. A positive pregnancy test can bring joy and happiness to your lives. However, a chemical pregnancy, which results in a miscarriage, can be heartbreaking. This often makes couples confused about how a positive pregnancy test turns into a negative one.

In this blog, we will dive deeper into what chemical pregnancy is, its causes, symptoms and prevention.

What is chemical pregnancy?

Chemical pregnancy means that pregnant women have a very early miscarriage. Also known as a biochemical pregnancy, this usually happens before the pregnancy reaches 5 weeks. Most women typically do not notice they have had a miscarriage.

During the first few weeks of pregnancy, your body produces the human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) hormone. These levels steadily rise in the case of a clinical pregnancy. However, if someone has a chemical pregnancy, the HCG levels drop drastically.
 

What Causes Chemical Pregnancy?

Doctors and researchers are still not able to pinpoint what exactly causes an early miscarriage. Some of the reasons include DNA problems of the embryo or implantation issues. Other causes include:

• Low body weight
• Hormonal imbalance
   

What are chemical pregnancy symptoms?

Many women only realise when they experience periods after a positive pregnancy test. Therefore, knowing the symptoms is necessary to get proper care at the right time. They are:
 

• An unusually heavy period
• No signs of early pregnancy, even after a positive pregnancy test
• Stomach and period cramps
• Positive pregnancy test followed by a negative one
• A late period
• Spotting
   

Many women confuse chemical pregnancy spotting with implantation bleeding. However, they are different. In implantation bleeding, you will experience light bleeding for a few days as the fertilised egg implants itself into your uterus. On the other hand, miscarriage spotting generally starts as spots of blood, followed by heavy bleeding.

What are the risk factors of chemical pregnancy?

 Anyone can be affected by chemical pregnancy. Early miscarriage is impossible to predict. However, here are some potential risk factors:

• Women having a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI)
• 35 or older women
• Women with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome)
• Diabetic women
• Women having an atypically shaped uterus
• Women experiencing fluctuating hormone levels
   

Can Women Experiencing Chemical Pregnancies Conceive Again?

Experiencing a miscarriage can be heartbreaking and devastating for women, especially if they have been trying for a long time. This does not indicate a problem with the woman or their partner. Many couples go on to have normal pregnancies after a chemical one. Therefore, you can conceive even after experiencing an early miscarriage.

How Do Doctors Diagnose Chemical Pregnancy?

You should visit your healthcare provider if you notice the symptoms. Your doctor will ask about your menstrual cycle along with your medical history. These are necessary to determine whether you had a chemical pregnancy.

After the preliminary examination, your doctor may give you certain tests to confirm the miscarriage. They are:

• Blood Test: This is necessary to check your HCG levels. After a miscarriage, your HCG levels start to drop drastically. Therefore, a series of blood tests allows your doctor to gauge whether you are pregnant.
• Pregnancy Test: These can be done with your urine or blood.
• Ultrasound: Usually, in a pregnancy, an ultrasound shows the developing foetus. However, if your doctor does not detect anything through an ultrasound, that confirms a chemical pregnancy.
   

How Do Doctors Treat Chemical Pregnancy?

Generally, there is no proper treatment for a miscarriage. This is because a chemical pregnancy occurs before 5 weeks of gestation. Therefore, women only feel a heavier-than-usual period and cramps.

In some cases, women may feel relieved if they are not ready for a pregnancy. In other instances, women may grieve. Everyone processes a miscarriage in their way. It is important to remember that a chemical pregnancy is a real pregnancy which ends too soon. Therefore, every reaction is valid. Always reach out to a specialist if you feel like you need to talk about your loss.

However, if you have repeated miscarriages, immediately consult your pregnancy healthcare provider.

How to Prevent Chemical Pregnancy?

Unfortunately, you cannot do much to prevent a chemical pregnancy. You can take prenatal vitamins to ensure your next pregnancy is healthy. However, one cannot predict whether or not they will have a miscarriage. You can start trying to conceive right after your miscarriage.
 

Getting Pregnant After a Miscarriage

There are several ways you can ensure a healthy pregnancy. Here are some tips for the same:

• Limit Your Caffeine Consumption: Try to have around 1-2 cups of coffee a day and not more than that. Caffeine can affect your baby’s growth.
• Reduce Weight: Maintaining a healthy weight while conceiving is important. If you are overweight, consider losing some weight. Excessive weight impacts your overall health during pregnancy.
• Exercise Daily: Even after you test positive for pregnancy, aim for 30-45 minutes of daily exercise. This will boost your immunity and make your body strong enough to handle the changes.
• Eat a Balanced Diet: Maintaining proper nutrition intake is crucial during pregnancy. Ensure that your diet consists of leafy vegetables, proteins and minerals.
• Avoid Smoking and Alcohol: They can cause harm to your growing foetus. Therefore, do not smoke or consume alcohol while pregnant.
   

Final Words
 

Chemical pregnancy can be tough, but all hope is not lost. You can conceive again and have a healthy pregnancy after experiencing a miscarriage. There are no treatment or prevention techniques for this. However, if you constantly experience a miscarriage, consult a doctor and seek other options.