What Is a Chemical Pregnancy?

Natural Womanhood ^ | February 28, 2020 | Grace Stark

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

A few weeks ago, we featured a pair of articles—one on miscarriage, and one on the effects of low progesterone—that both mentioned the term “chemical pregnancy.” But what exactly is a chemical pregnancy, and why is it even called that? How common are chemical pregnancies, and do women even know they’ve had them? Are they even “real” pregnancies?

This week, we hope to answer some of the questions and clear up some of the misconceptions surrounding the common phenomenon known as chemical pregnancy. We’re also sharing the personal experience of Johanna, who has had a chemical pregnancy—a pregnancy she wouldn’t have ever known about if she hadn’t been charting her cycles with a Fertility Awareness-Based Method (FABM).

So, what exactly is a chemical pregnancy? Simply put, a chemical pregnancy is the term used for a very early miscarriage (i.e., a miscarriage that occurs between weeks 4 and 5). It is a miscarriage that begins and ends before the gestational sac, baby, or the baby’s heartbeat can even be detected via ultrasound. In fact, a chemical pregnancy is such an early miscarriage that many women may not even realize that they had been pregnant at all, and typically results in what appears to be a late, possibly heavier period.

Why is it called a “chemical” pregnancy?

Over-the-counter pregnancy tests measure the level of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in a woman’s urine. HCG is immediately produced by the embryo after it implants in the woman’s uterine lining, which is why it is known as the “pregnancy hormone.”

[DannyTN]

Laz, What did you hit now?

[spacejunkie2001]

Ping

[higgmeister]

Wow, A generation or two ago I suspect that could really have been the unknown cause of an rH factor problem.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

LOL!

[Beowulf9]