Is there a difference between CP and miscarriage?

flwboe · January 2012

First I just wanted to say Hi! I'm a regular over on the getting pregnant bored on the nest, but have been lurking over here tonight. (BTW, I'm currently NNT/TTC, it's a bit of a tough spot, but basically H's health is getting sorted out before we are actively TTC)

I'm trying to understand the TTC lingo and have a question about the difference between a chemical pregnancy and miscarriage. Are they both one in the same or is a chemical pregnancy used to describe a miscarriage in the first trimester and a miscarriage describes it at any point after that?

TIA!

kellyrn9956 · January 2012

Welcome!

So technically a chemical is a pregnancy that is detected very early, and then you get a your period. So you get a + at 8dpo, but then get your period on time or a little late. It is still a miscarriage.

A lot of ladies have probably had chemicals and never knew it. The new HPT's that are a lot more sensitive at that early time have probably increased the # of women who are aware of their chemicals.

flwboe · January 2012

Thank you! I was just confused on the timing/difference. That makes sense, thanks!

HappyAardvark · January 2012

I'm not sure if this is the official criteria, but I've heard it said that a m/c is if you lose the baby after you've seen the heartbeat, which happens around 6w, after most women's period is 2w late, assuming a 14 day lp.

flwboe · January 2012

Thank you!

mrsjenni · January 2012

The term "chemical" means that it is too early to detect the pregnancy via ultrasound. So usually any loss that occurs prior to 6 weeks is deemed a chemical pregnancy (not always, there's ectopic, blighted ovum, etc.) It's still a miscarriage. A pregnancy is detected and then the loss occurs prior to the 6w mark. I had a CP in October, had 3 + HPTs at 12 & 13 dpo and then lost the baby at 5w.

erikaja6 · January 2012

A "chemical pregnancy" is a very early miscarriage that occurs before an ultrasound could have shown a gestational sac. So, the word "chemical" refers to the pregnancy being too early to confirm except through chemical means (ex. a pregnancy test).

Once a pregnancy can be confirmed via ultrasound (usually around the fifth week of gestation or within about a week of your missed period), a loss that occurs after that point is simply referred to as a miscarriage. A loss that occurs after twenty weeks (or maybe it's twenty four) is referred to as a stillbirth.

FYI - Chemical pregnancies don't only happen when someone tests early. I had one last year and didn't test until I was 17dpo. I started bleeding at 22dpo.

Good luck and welcome to the board!

MandP2009 · January 2012

I was wondering this too, so thanks for asking! And thanks for the helpful info from everyone!

angelsnight · January 2012

steph0611:
kellyrn9956:
Welcome!

So technically a chemical is a pregnancy that is detected very early, and then you get a your period. So you get a + at 8dpo, but then get your period on time or a little late. It is still a miscarriage.

A lot of ladies have probably had chemicals and never knew it. The new HPT's that are a lot more sensitive at that early time have probably increased the # of women who are aware of their chemicals.
I had a CP this month-I got my positive at 15 DPO (late for me) and a negative at 19 DPO. Basically, you get a positive on a pregnancy test but for some reason the fertilized egg does not implant or implant correctly, which ends the pregnancy. It's also deemed a CP because there was no ultrasound/heartbeat detected yet. (That's what the nurse told me.)
I had major cramping/bleeding....the result is a later/heavy period. And, as the bolded part states, most women do not know they have had a CP unless they have tested and received a positive. My dr has now recommended that I should not test early so I don't have to deal with the sadness of a loss. We'll see how that goes...I always get anxious! lol
A CP is different than a miscarriage because miscarriages happen throughout pregnancy, after the egg has implanted, heartbeat is found, etc. Someone may have to elaborate on the actual difference though.

ETA: Last sentence and FYI I had BFNs at 11, 12, 13 DPO

A CP is before 6 weeks....after six weeks (I believe around the time when you would be able to see something on an u/s)it would be considered a clinical pregnancy, or so I read.

So the only difference if the terminology. Still a miscarriage....a CP was still an actual pregnancy, it wasn't as if the woman had a false positive or anything. I clarified that part just because I think its a common misconception....when I had mine, I said something to MH about miscarrying and he corrected me, saying I had a CP. He was under the impression I think that maybe I wasn't actually pregnant.

janice9821 · January 2012

MandP2009:
I was wondering this too, so thanks for asking! And thanks for the helpful info from everyone!

Yes, thank you! I was also unsure of the difference.

mrsjenni · January 2012

angelsnight:
So the only difference if the terminology. Still a miscarriage....a CP was still an actual pregnancy, it wasn't as if the woman had a false positive or anything. I clarified that part just because I think its a common misconception...

Perfectly said!

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