Discover what hopeful parents need to know about having a chemical pregnancy
Most patients who visit The Fertility Center of Las Vegas (FCLV) have heard of a miscarriage. However, not as many know what a chemical pregnancy is. Our Las Vegas fertility doctors are here to help patients understand this type of early pregnancy loss. We also want to provide hope for those who have faced this issue.
What is a chemical pregnancy?
Sometimes called a biochemical pregnancy, a chemical pregnancy is a pregnancy loss that occurs before the fifth week of pregnancy. This is before it’s possible to see the pregnancy on an ultrasound. Only a pregnancy test can detect it.
This type of pregnancy loss happens very early, so many people don’t even know that they have experienced it. However, others may realize it because they had a negative pregnancy test after seeing a positive one a few days or weeks before.
Some patients may notice other symptoms, including a period that comes about a week later than usual, heavier menstrual bleeding and more intense cramps.
Why is it called a biochemical pregnancy?
The term “chemical pregnancy” might sound cold, but the name doesn’t reflect a patient’s experience with the pregnancy. Our Las Vegas fertility doctors understand that losing even an early pregnancy can feel devastating.
This condition gets its name from the hormones that produce a positive pregnancy test result. The embryo produces human chorionic gonadotrophic (HCG) within the first five weeks of pregnancy.
In a clinical pregnancy, the embryo continues to develop, and the HCG levels continue to steadily rise. In contrast, the levels fall within a biochemical pregnancy. This indicates that the embryo is no longer developing.
Can you conceive after a biochemical pregnancy?
This type of early pregnancy loss is very common. Many people don’t realize that they’ve experienced a chemical pregnancy, so it’s impossible to know the exact number of cases. However, about 25% of pregnancies end in the first 20 weeks, and around 80% of those losses happen very early.
Even after having a biochemical pregnancy, it’s still very likely that a patient can later have a baby. Some people might need time to process their emotions before they’re ready to try again. Others, though, immediately start trying to conceive after an early pregnancy loss.
Patients generally don’t need fertility treatments to conceive after a chemical pregnancy. However, if you find that you can’t conceive again after 12 months of trying (or six months if you’re age 35 or older), or if you’ve had two or more losses in a row, our Las Vegas fertility doctors can help. We can accurately diagnose and effectively treat both the basic and complex causes of male and female infertility.
The FCLV team is here to help you on your journey to parenthood. If you need help bringing home a bundle of joy, contact us to schedule a consultation and explore your options.
