This occurs when a fertilized egg attaches to the wall of the uterus, but the embryo doesn't develop. An ultrasound will show a pregnancy sac, but no embryo. This usually happens so early in a pregnancy that a woman probably didn't even realize she was pregnant.

Why Does This Happen?

Usually a high level of abnormal chromosomes will cause a woman’s body to miscarry naturally.

If you knew you were pregnant, but found out you suffered from this pregnancy loss, this can be shattering. You will probably be very upset, and confused as to why or how this could happen. You are not alone. Miscarriage is very common and can happen to as many as 15%-20% of all pregnancies.

What Are The Signs?

You may experience signs of pregnancy, such as a missed or late period. A home test may be positive. Some abdominal cramping and vaginal bleeding/spotting may occur. You may find that your period is a little heavier than usual as your uterine lining is being flushed out.

The placenta can actually continue to grow without an embryo for a little while, which would cause a pregnancy test to still show positive due to the hcg levels still up. An ultrasound would usually need to be done to verify the loss.

Can This Be Prevented?

Unfortunately, this is something that generally can't be prevented. you can seek genetic testing if you experience early pregnancy loss multiple times. It is rare that a woman will experience a blighted ovum more than once.