If you’ve ever heard a doctor talk about the viability of a pregnancy, you’ve probably understood that he or she is talking about whether or not there is a live fetus in the uterus, and, if there is, whether or not that live fetus would have a chance to survive after birth.
It’s a tough topic, but the hard truth is, many pregnancies simply are not viable.
In fact, false pregnancies are not uncommon, according to Dr. Lily Hahn, an OB-GYN with St. Elizabeth Physicians. They can include ectopic pregnancies, which are pregnancies that occur outside of the uterus, a blighted ovum, in which the embryo of the fetus never develops even though the sac around it does, and chemical pregnancies, in which you have a positive pregnancy test but then quickly miscarry.
Oftentimes with false pregnancies, women don’t even know that they are ““ or were ““ pregnant. But they generally would receive a positive result on a pregnancy test if they took one. Most commonly, the level of pregnancy hormone, or hCG, doesn’t rise appropriately or an ultrasound doesn’t demonstrate normal pregnancy findings.
Usually, Hahn said, false pregnancies won’t have much effect on subsequent pregnancies, unless you have a history of multiple false pregnancies.
“Someone who’s had two ectopic pregnancies is going to be at a greater risk for developing further ectopic pregnancies,” she said, “but typically a blighted ovum doesn’t repeat itself.”
Separate from the typical category of false pregnancies, molar pregnancies occur when fertilization results in abnormal tissue growth and symptoms of pregnancy even though there is no healthy embryo.
Molar pregnancies must be treated right away to make sure all of the tissue is removed.
