A Chemical Pregnancy

                In my last blog I talked about the decision to move forward and try for baby #2. The good news is, we went for it. I read everything I could to learn how to “get pregnant” and actually try for a baby. Our first was a surprise, we weren’t “trying” to get pregnant, it just happened, as many pregnancies do, and truth be told, this is my preferred “method” as apparently I function better in surprise situations. I took so many pregnancy tests the poor dollar store could barely keep up with me. Sometimes I would even test twice a day. As the pregnancy progressed I can remember noticing that second pink line would appear faster and darker each time I would take one. It was almost like a science experiment minus the petri dishes, Bunsen burner and test tubes.

                This time around, knowing I would want to test a zillion times, I stocked up. I ordered a big ol’ bag of pregnancy test strips from where else, Amazon, thank you prime, and in addition I had my dollar store tests ready to roll too. I have become a wealth of knowledge in regards to getting pregnant. Ladies, let me tell you, in my opinion First Response is over rated and overpriced. Look for the tests that can detect the lowest amount of HCG and don’t cost you $20.00. There are several on the market that will save you dollars and definitely work to detect pregnancy up to 6 days before your missed period. I am proof. I can say that I am now well versed and know all about ovulation, luteinizing hormone, basil body temperature, conception, fertilization, the journey along the fallopian tube, implantation, cell stage, cell division, blastocyst, human chorionic gonadotropin, zygote, embryo, implantation cramps, implantation bleeding, sensitivity of 25 mIU, or 25 ng/L, apparently I just received my degree in human fertilization.

                After all of the research, applying the concepts, taking my temperature, being HYPER AWARE of my body and the changes that happen with each “cycle”, I felt beyond confident we would hit a home run and we would conceive. So I started testing, overzealously early, just in case, and of course I received several negative results, but then, I took a test 8 days before my period was due and the faintest line you could ever imagine appeared. It was barely visible, but it was there. I knew that with each passing day your little stud or muffin doubles the amount of HCG in your body so the next day’s test should appear darker. As planned, I took another test a day later, and there it was, a definitive second line, still fair in color, but unmistakably there. I was THRILLED. A New Year’s Day baby. A new year’s day due date, how cute, instead of popping corks off champagne bottles I’ll be popping out a baby.

                Day three, I took a test, I waited, I waited, I waited, no line. I took another test, still, no line. Admittedly it was the afternoon so I chocked it up to that. I read and read, sometimes this happens, sometimes you drink too much water and it’s too early in a pregnancy and you flush the hcg levels to below detection. No worries, I will try again tomorrow first thing in the morning, just like you’re supposed to. Woke up in the morning, took one Amazon test and one Dollar Store test, both showed no line. What happened? What the hell just happened? I know enough to know that it is next to impossible to obtain a false positive. So here’s what happened, it’s called a chemical pregnancy.

                What the hell is a chemical pregnancy? How did I miss this in my “studies”. Well, here’s what a chemical pregnancy is, it’s a pregnancy that starts and ends before your missed period. Chemical pregnancies make up more than 75% of miscarriages, and account for ONE in FOUR pregnancies. More often than not they go completely unnoticed since a period hasn’t been missed so most women don’t even know they have conceived, and this happens because of random chromosomal abnormalities that cease the continuation of implantation & development. Sigh….ok. They are referred to as chemical pregnancies because they cannot be detected clinically by ultrasound, they can only be detected by a pregnancy test or blood test.

                So, it’s back to the drawing board for baby number two. The good news is, I have pretty much nailed my “fertile days” so hopefully the next time around we will have more luck. Also, when I asked Maverick if he wanted a baby brother, or sister, he shook his head no, several times, but for the record, he shakes his head no for everything, I just found it hysterical at the time. Apparently, what Mav wants, Mav gets, and he wasn’t ready for a sibling this go round, but I’m optimistic that when the time is right, it will happen.

                I debated on whether or not I should blog about this, but I figured, what the hell. There’s probably lots of girls out there who might have experienced this, and I’m hoping to shed some light on the bright side of things. More often than not, subsequent pregnancies post a chemical pregnancy are a success, so cheers to that, and cheers to knowing I can get pregnant again as this in and of itself can be a mystery for hundreds of women! This little bump in the road has also taught me not to procrastinate, and to accept that things won’t always go exactly as planned. You would think I would know this by now, but sometimes we all need a little reminder.