Blighted Ovum - a cause of miscarriage
Have you ever faced a shocking situation when your doctor says there is no Fetus inspite of the fact that you are pregnant? Yes! You are not the single women that this has happened to; there are many women who go through same pain and depression. Blighted Ovum is the most common cause of miscarriage among women. A blighted ovum usually takes place in your first trimester, before you know that you are pregnant.
What is blighted ovum?
Blighted ovum possibly takes place when a full fertilized egg, which has already developed placenta and membrane, sticks to the walls of your uterus and hence there will not be any growth of embryo in your womb. You may not have any signs at all (such as pain or bleeding) that the pregnancy is not progressing normally. The pregnancy hormones in your system make you feel pregnant, though sometimes if the levels are quite low the signs of pregnancy may lessen - for instance your breasts may feel less tender.
When it occurs:
It occurs when a fertilized egg develops a placenta and membrane but no embryo - often due to chromosomal abnormalities in the fertilized egg. A blighted ovum usually occurs in the first few weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman even knows she's pregnant.
How you identify blighted ovum:
- Minor abdominal cramping and light spotting or bleeding are possible.
- On ultrasound examination there is a gestational sac (2.5 cc or more) in which no fetal pole can be identified. Because the egg's supporting tissue may continue to function for some time after the death of the embryo the sac may reach considerable size.
What to do after identifying blighted ovum:
- A blighted ovum eventually results in miscarriage. Some women choose to wait for the miscarriage to happen naturally, while others take medication to trigger the miscarriage.
- In some cases, a procedure called dilation and curettage (D and C) is used to remove the placental tissues.
- Possibilities of conceiving again after blighted ovum:
- Most women who've had a blighted ovum go on to have successful pregnancies.
- If you have experienced the condition of blighted ovum once in your life, never try to be in the misconception that it can happen to you again.
- You are physically ready to conceive again after first menstrual cycle, however mentally you need to be strong enough to prepare yourself for pregnancy.
Blighted Ovum doesn't effects your fertility nor does this mean that you and your partner have some health problem. So in case you face this situation don't lose heart, very soon you will have a successful pregnancy.
(Sources: babycenter.in, womenhealthzone.com)
