Chemical Pregnancy

[Anonymous]

Dumb question but when does it occur? Anytime before six weeks?

[Anonymous]

I would say right around 4 weeks

[Anonymous]

dumber question. . .what IS a chemical pregnancy?

[Anonymous]

A chemical is when the egg is fertilized but doesn't implant, so you get your period on time or a couple days late

[Anonymous]

Yes, the last post was correct (@21:00). Most people never know that they have had a chemical pregnancy. At the beginning of this year I felt I was pregnant, but my home pregnancy tests did show I was pregnant (home pregnancy tests only show positive if hCG level is 20). Coincidentally, I had to see the OB for my pap smear around that time. She gave me a blood test (the one she used reads positive when hCG is 5). My hCG was a level 7 (barely pregnant) and I got a call saying I was pregnant. Then I got my period the next day . Looking back, I wish I never took the blood pregnancy test, but fortunately I am 6 months preggo (thanks to some help with acupuncture). Good luck. Hope that helps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A chemical is when the egg is fertilized but doesn't implant, so you get your period on time or a couple days late

I don't think this is exactly right -- in order to get a pregnancy test show up as positive, the egg HAS to implant. So I think chemical pregnancy is the term used to describe a miscarriage that occurs within a week or so after implantation.

[Anonymous]

This is the 9:54 post here. Here's a link that will help you understand a chemical pregnancy more: http://www.babyhopes.com/articles/chemical-pregnancy.html

Not to add to the confusion, but this statement is also not fully correct: "in order to get a pregnancy test show up as positive, the egg HAS to implant."

The doctor's really don't know if you egg has implanted correctly that early. It's not like they have any test/exam that can prove this. Pregnancy tests will show positive depending on your hCG levels and the blood tests at the doctor's office are more sensitive than the home tests.

What I do know is this: I was told I was pregnant, I got my period the next day, then the doc told me I wasn't really pregnant. A couple months later she called it a miscarriage.

Bottom line: No one can really tell you what exactly happened and that's why there's a lot of confusion around chemical pregnancies. If this does happen to you, your emotions can be very confusing...I was sad, angry, but didn't feel like I had a right to be extremely sad since so many of my friends had miscarriages later in pregnancy...If it does happen, just try to focus on the positive...at least you have the ability to get pregnant (easier said than done).