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1What Is Chemical Pregnancy? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment
2What Is Ectopic Pregnancy? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention
3What Is Abdominal Pregnancy?
4Miscarriage, Pregnancy Loss, and Fertility: What to Know
SEE MOREWhat Is a Chemical Pregnancy?ByStacey ColinoUpdated on January 20, 2025Medically Reviewed byKara Smythe, MDON THIS PAGE
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Duration
Treatment
Complications
Research and Statistics
Related Conditions
FAQ
ON THIS PAGE
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Duration
Treatment
Complications
Research and Statistics
Related Conditions
FAQ
A chemical pregnancy is a very early miscarriage that happens around the time a fertilized egg is implanting itself in the uterus. The pregnancy is lost before the fifth week.
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Chemical pregnancies (also known as biochemical pregnancies) are very common.
[2]
What’s more, research has found that up to one in four pregnancies is lost even before a woman misses her period or has symptoms of pregnancy — these are chemical pregnancies.
[3]
The term “chemical pregnancy” refers to a positive result on a blood or urine test that gauges the presence of a hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), to detect a pregnancy. But many women who have a chemical pregnancy don’t even realize they’re pregnant because the loss is so early; they may not have taken a pregnancy test,
[2]
had any pregnancy symptoms, or even missed a period. They may simply have a late period that’s a bit heavier than usual.
[3]
Signs and Symptoms of Chemical Pregnancy
Because a chemical pregnancy occurs so soon after conception, some women may not be aware they’re pregnant. Those who do know that they’re pregnant or suspect they’ve had a chemical pregnancy may experience the following symptoms:
A late period
Heavy period-like bleeding, perhaps with clots
Menstrual-like cramps
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Your doctor can confirm that you had a chemical pregnancy with a urine test or blood test to check the level of hCG in your body.
[2]
Causes and Risk Factors of Chemical Pregnancy
Most miscarriages, including chemical pregnancies, are caused by chromosomal abnormalities that prevent the fetus from developing normally.
[1]
In an assisted pregnancy that uses frozen embryos, damage that occurs to the embryo during the freezing process may result in a chemical pregnancy; as many as 20 percent of pregnancies involving the transfer of frozen embryos result in a chemical pregnancy.
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Other causes can include:
An insufficient (too thin) uterine lining
A problem with DNA in the sperm
Low hormone levels
Infections
[4]
Pregnancy with an IUD in place
[4]
Meanwhile, certain conditions can put a woman at increased risk for a chemical pregnancy. These include being 35 or older, having an untreated clotting disorder or thyroid condition, or having another poorly controlled chronic medical condition such as diabetes.
[1]
How Is Chemical Pregnancy Diagnosed?
Sometimes a woman will take a home pregnancy test and get a positive result, but then she’ll have a late period or discover through a pregnancy test at the doctor’s office that there’s no pregnancy. Your doctor can confirm that you had a chemical pregnancy with a urine or blood test to check the level of hCG in your body.
[2]
In other instances, women may not even know they’ve been pregnant; they may think their period is simply late.
Prognosis of Chemical Pregnancy
In many cases, once your menstrual cycle normalizes after the early pregnancy loss, you can try to get pregnant again whenever you and your partner feel ready.
[1]
If you have a medical condition (such as diabetes or a thyroid disorder) that may have contributed to a chemical pregnancy, getting it properly treated may help improve your chances of conceiving a viable pregnancy in the future.
[1]
Duration of Chemical Pregnancy
By definition, a chemical pregnancy occurs before the fifth week of pregnancy; it’s a very early miscarriage, in other words. The bleeding and cramping may last for a few days.
[5]
Treatment and Medication Options for Chemical Pregnancy
Very early pregnancy losses generally don’t require treatment, but if you think you have experienced one, be sure to tell your healthcare practitioner.
[1]
If a medical condition may have contributed to a chemical pregnancy, getting it properly treated can help you improve your chances of conceiving a viable pregnancy and having a healthy baby in the future.
[1]
Otherwise, once your menstrual cycle normalizes, you can try to get pregnant again whenever you feel ready.
[1]
Complications of Chemical Pregnancy
There aren’t usually any physical complications of chemical pregnancy, aside from cramping and sometimes heavier-than-usual bleeding. In rare instances, women may experience very heavy bleeding or hemorrhaging after a chemical pregnancy, which can lead to anemia; this requires medical attention.
But keep in mind that any kind of miscarriage can be upsetting, especially if you were trying to conceive or were excited about a positive pregnancy test or went through fertility treatment. As a result, you may experience stress-related symptoms or mood changes. Some women find that early pregnancy loss can trigger post-traumatic stress symptoms, such as intrusive or unwanted thoughts about the pregnancy loss, nightmares or flashbacks, hyperarousal, and avoidance of anything that reminds women of their loss.
[6]
Be sure to give your body and your mind ample time to recover from the loss.
[2]
Whatever your feelings are, accept them and allow yourself time to fully process them, perhaps with support from friends, family members, or support groups.
[5]
Research and Statistics: How Many People Have a Chemical Pregnancy?
Chemical pregnancies are extremely common — as many as one-third of all pregnancies may be chemical pregnancies, and up to 22 percent of IVF pregnancies may be chemical pregnancies.
[7]
But in many cases, women don’t even know they were pregnant because the pregnancy loss occurs so early.
Related Conditions and Causes of Chemical Pregnancy
Certain medical conditions can put a woman at increased risk of a chemical pregnancy. These include an untreated clotting disorder or thyroid condition, or another poorly controlled chronic medical condition such as diabetes.
[1]
In an assisted pregnancy that uses frozen embryos, damage that occurs to the embryo during the freezing process may result in a chemical pregnancy;
[2]
as mentioned above, as many as 22 percent of IFV pregnancies may be chemical pregnancies.
[8]
FAQ
What is a chemical pregnancy? A chemical pregnancy is a very early miscarriage. It’s called a chemical pregnancy because it’s confirmed by a blood or urine test that measures the amount of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in your body.What are the signs of a chemical pregnancy? Many women who have a chemical pregnancy don’t realize they’re pregnant. The loss happens so early on, there might not be any symptoms. But you might experience a late period, cramps, and heavy period-like bleeding that sometimes includes clotting.How do I know if I had a chemical pregnancy? You may have period-like symptoms, but the only way to tell for sure whether you’ve been pregnant is a blood or urine test that detects the presence of the pregnancy hormone hCG.How long does chemical pregnancy last? In a chemical pregnancy, the pregnancy is lost before the fifth week.What is the most common reason for a chemical pregnancy? Most miscarriages, including chemical pregnancies, are caused by chromosomal abnormalities that prevent the fetus from developing normally. In assisted pregnancies, damage that occurs to the embryo during the freezing process may result in a chemical pregnancy.
The Takeaway
A chemical pregnancy is a very early miscarriage, occurring before the fifth week of pregnancy, often before people realize they're pregnant.
It's believed to occur when an egg is fertilized but doesn’t fully implant in the uterus, and can be caused by a variety of factors, such as chromosomal abnormalities in the embryo, thin lining of the uterus, a maternal age of greater than 35, and others.
Although they are common and generally don't require treatment, it's best to consult your healthcare provider if you suspect you've had a chemical pregnancy and give yourself time to heal both mentally and physically.
Resources We Trust
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What to Expect: Understanding Chemical Pregnancy: Causes and Early Symptoms
Baby Center: Signs of a Chemical Pregnancy and What to do if You Experience One
Mayo Clinic: Can Too Much Stress Cause Early Miscarriage?
Cleveland Clinic: Chemical Pregnancy
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Early Pregnancy Loss
Miscarriage Association: Chemical Pregnancy
American Pregnancy Association: Symptoms and Signs of Miscarriage
Meet Our ExpertsSee Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network
Kara Smythe, MD
Medical Reviewer
Kara Smythe, MD, has been working in sexual and reproductive health for over 10 years. Dr. Smythe is a board-certified fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and her interests include improving maternal health, ensuring access to contraception, and promoting sexual health.
She graduated magna cum laude from Florida International University with a bachelor's degree in biology and earned her medical degree from St. George’s University in Grenada. She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. She worked in Maine for six years, where she had the privilege of caring for an underserved population.Smythe is also passionate about the ways that public health policies shape individual health outcomes. She has a master’s degree in population health from University College London and recently completed a social science research methods master's degree at Cardiff University. She is currently working on her PhD in medical sociology. Her research examines people's experiences of accessing, using, and discontinuing long-acting reversible contraception. When she’s not working, Smythe enjoys dancing, photography, and spending time with her family and her cat, Finnegan.
See full bio
Stacey Colino
Author
Stacey Colino is an ACE-certified health coach and award-winning writer specializing in health and science. Her work has appeared in dozens of national magazines, including U.S. News & World Report, Prevention, Health, Newsweek, First for Women, Real Simple, Parade, MORE, Woman’s Day, Redbook, Self, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Mademoiselle, Glamour, Shape, Parenting, Men’s Journal, Sports Illustrated, Good Housekeeping, and Ladies’ Home Journal. She has coauthored or collaborated on numerous health and fitness books published by Hudson Street Press, Harmony, Rodale, Da Capo, Grand Central Life & Style, and Wiley. In addition to Everyday Health, Colino has also written for online publications like Parade, AARP, Vice, Spry Living, and iVillage.See full bioSee Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert NetworkEDITORIAL SOURCESEveryday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.SourcesResources
What to Expect. What Is a Chemical Pregnancy?
MedicineNet. Chemical Pregnancy vs. Miscarriage.
Journal Clinical Medicine Research. Biochemical Pregnancy During Assisted Conception: A Little Bit Pregnant.
UpToDate. Pregnancy Loss (Miscarriage): Risk Factors, Etiology, Clinical Manifestations, and Diagnostic Evaluation.
Miscarriage Association. Chemical Pregnancy.
American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Posttraumatic Stress, Anxiety and Depression Following Miscarriage and Ectopic Pregnancy: A Multicenter, Prospective, Cohort Study.
Natalist. Everything You Need to Know About Chemical Pregnancies.
Natalist. Everything You Need to Know About Chemical Pregnancies.
Additional Sources
What Is a Chemical Pregnancy? What to Expect. August 13, 2021.
Chemical Pregnancy vs. Miscarriage. MedicineNet. December 20, 2019.
Annan JJ, Gudi A, Bhide P, et al. Biochemical Pregnancy During Assisted Conception: A Little Bit Pregnant. Journal of Clinical Medicine Research. August 2013.
Prager S, Micks E, Dalton V. Pregnancy Loss (Miscarriage): Risk Factors, Etiology, Clinical Manifestations, and Diagnostic Evaluation. UpToDate. August 30, 2022.
Chemical Pregnancy. Miscarriage Association.
Farren J, Jalmbrant M, Falconieri N, et al. Posttraumatic Stress, Anxiety and Depression Following Miscarriage and Ectopic Pregnancy: A Multicenter, Prospective, Cohort Study. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. April 2020.
Everything You Need to Know About Chemical Pregnancies. Natalist. September 23, 2020.
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