Healthcare professionals believe early embryo loss happens because of an issue with the early development of the baby – for example, a chance chromosome error.

Early embryo loss is diagnosed by ultrasound scan, most often between the 8th and 13th week of pregnancy, sometimes at a routine early scan.  The scan shows a pregnancy sac, which doesn’t have a developing baby inside as it should. This is sometimes described as showing ‘no fetal pole’.

What can make this kind of loss particularly difficult is that pregnancy hormone levels can stay high for some time after the baby has died, so you may still experience pregnancy symptoms.  Because of this, you may have no idea that anything is wrong and being diagnosed can come as a real shock.

It can take time for the pregnancy hormones to drop and for the physical process of miscarriage to begin naturally.  The process can be aided or ‘managed’ by medical treatment (medication) or surgery.

Unless you need emergency treatment, you should usually be able to choose what treatment to have and be given information to help you decide. However, your medical history may make some options unsuitable, or your hospital may not offer all options.

It is possible, but unlikely. Early embryo loss is a chance event and most women go on to have a healthy pregnancy.

I feel as if I shouldn’t be so upset, if there was no baby
There are no rules about how you should or shouldn’t feel.  But you were pregnant and may well have started thinking ‘baby’ and planning for the future.  Even if you find out that the pregnancy stopped developing very early on, you may still have a real sense of loss.