Chemical pregnancy

As it happens at such an early stage, you may not have any pregnancy symptoms apart from your positive test and it would be too early to be able to see anything on a scan. Some women may not even realise that they have experienced a chemical pregnancy as they might not have taken a test or have missed their period.

In recent years, pregnancy tests have become much more sensitive, and it is possible to detect pregnancy hormones up to 5 days before a period is due. It’s thought that as a result, more women are detecting these very early losses, which can be no less distressing because they happened early.

What are the symptoms of a chemical pregnancy?

Symptoms of chemical pregnancy can vary between women. Some will not experience any symptoms at all. However, you may notice the following:

• A positive pregnancy test (possibly with a faint line) that can quickly turn negative
• Mild spotting a week before your period is due
• Very mild abdominal cramping
• Vaginal bleeding, like a period, even after testing positive
• Low HcG levels if your doctor takes a blood test

Will I need any treatment?

A chemical pregnancy does not usually require medical intervention or treatment. Even if you’ve had a positive pregnancy test, the bleeding you have will probably be similar to a normal period, though it may feel heavier or more painful than normal and you may pass some small blood clots.

Why did it happen?

It is thought that chemical pregnancies occur for similar reasons to many other miscarriages. The most common cause is likely to be chromosomal problems with the developing baby and these are usually random, ‘one-off’ problems. It may also be that the lining of the womb didn’t develop as it needed to at the right time.

Is it normal to feel upset?

Even the earliest of pregnancy losses can be very distressing.

Whether your pregnancy was planned or unplanned, the positive pregnancy test might well have sparked thoughts and plans about the future. Even if you only knew you were pregnant for a few days, you may still have feelings of loss and grief, perhaps especially if it took a long time, and possibly fertility treatment, to conceive.

You might be upset by the term ‘chemical pregnancy’ itself and feel that it doesn’t at all match your feelings about the baby you began thinking of as soon as you knew you were pregnant.

Not everyone is upset, though. You might feel a little sad but just accept the loss as ‘one of those things’. You may feel relieved that if things had to go wrong, this happened earlier rather than later in the pregnancy. There are no right or wrong feelings.

When can I try agan?

You can try again straight away if you want to, but it is usually recommended to wait until after your next period. This is mainly to help to avoid uncertainty about dates and the size of any future pregnancies. Not being sure of your dates can cause anxiety, especially around scans if the pregnancy isn’t measuring as you expected.

If you’re thinking about another pregnancy, you may find our information about preparing and deciding when feels right helpful.

Do chemical pregnancies count as recurrent loss?

Yes, if you had a positive test, then a chemical pregnancy should count as a miscarriage if you are being assessed for recurrent loss. Local policies can vary, however, and it may be helpful to ask your GP to note it on your patient record if you were not seen by an Early Pregnancy Unit.