🧪What is a chemical pregnancy?🧪 . 🧪A “chemical pregnancy” is not technically a medical term, so it lacks precise definitions, but it is colloquially known term, and something I am asked about frequently. . 🧪In our modern age of data, many women will take home pregnancy tests (which are much more sensitive than in the past) BEFORE their missed period. They may see a positive, or faint positive, but get their period on their normal day, or just a few days afterwards. Before these sensitive tests, a woman may may even know she was pregnant. . 🧪It is called a “chemical” pregnancy, because it was only seen via picking up pregnancy hormone (beta HCG) in the urine, and not clinically via a missed period and/or ultrasound. . 🧪A chemical pregnancy likely represents when egg and sperm meet one another, but fail to implant in the uterus appropriately. Many women will have chemical pregnancies and not even know it because their period may be normal or just slightly late or slightly heavier. . 🧪It’s difficult to know the incidence of chemical pregnancies because they likely were never recognized before our modern era of highly sensitive home urine pregnancy tests. . 🧪Talk with your doctor about a positive pregnancy test followed by heavy bleeding or pelvic pain, especially if your period is late. This post is educational and not medical advice. Do you have questions about chemical pregnancies? Comment below!