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My Unusual Blighted Ovum Experience Before My First Baby

blighted ovum

Last Updated on October 3, 2023 by Avi Steen

What do you mean I’m not “really pregnant” as I asked my doctor what a blighted ovum was? I had a positive pregnancy test but no baby on the ultrasound. They said I should experience an early miscarriage and start bleeding soon because there was no fetal pole and no fetus on the ultrasound. I was DEVASTATED and felt so alone…

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My Blighted Ovum Miscarriage Story

Almost two years to the date I experienced my second pregnancy and didn’t know I needed bible verses for miscarriage to get me through the next few months. My first pregnancy ended in a chemical loss the month before. 

That was a very traumatic month for me as I learned that I was newly pregnant for the first time.

I also received a call from my mother who told me that my 16-year-old cousin had committed suicide.

So, my grief was twofold. Grieving the loss of a family member and then also grieving the loss of a potential pregnancy (and not wanting to share the news)

Related Posts:
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Bible Verses for Miscarriage

We had been trying for almost a year… No, it was actually a year that we had been trying to conceive.

Finally, we saw the two lines.

The chemical, yes, was devastating, but we decided to try again the next month.

We actually had success, and that takes us to my second pregnancy. A pregnancy that also ended in loss. But this was a different kind of loss.

Positive Pregnancy Test but No Baby on Ultrasound

Our first ultrasound was at 6 weeks pregnant. We were told there was only a yolk sac.

But because I had had a chemical prior to this new pregnancy, the doctor thought my days and dates were probably off (even though I tracked ovulation)

They said that it was too early to tell.

We Weren’t Expecting This

They decided (and I say “they” as in my doctor and OB at the time) that it would be best if we wait for a couple of weeks and have another ultrasound.

My HCG was constantly rising, and so I thought there’s got to be a baby in there.

A couple of weeks later, I was diagnosed with a blighted ovum. A pregnancy with no fetus.  

I was…  hesitant to accept the news and the diagnosis. Some could say I was in denial.

But through it all, my trust was in the Lord. I trusted God to get me through, and I trusted His will for my life. Trusted that because He put in my heart the desire to become a mother, it would come to pass.  

I didn’t know if it was going to be that same year or the next or 10 years from then, but prayed and shared my TTC journey on YouTube.

blighted ovum

It Lasted So Long

Sharing was a coping mechanism for me, especially during this miscarriage, because technically, without a fetus, I’ve been miscarrying since the beginning of the pregnancy.  

We chose not to proceed with a D&C procedure or the pill and let nature and God take its course. Then, I started to miscarry and bleed shortly before what would have been the second trimester. 

I bled for 45 days.

Shortly after, I ended up taking a pill to help the process a couple of weeks prior to the miscarriage ending because it was taking so long.

But I don’t want to alarm you! I know there are plenty of women who experienced WAY shorter miscarriages. But everybody’s experience is definitely different.

Blighted Ovum Explained

A blighted ovum is also known as an anembryonic pregnancy. (an- meaning without and embryonic meaning embryo). So it’s a pregnancy without a fetus. A fertilized egg implants into the uterus, but no fetus develops as a result. 

In my case, and most cases, pregnancy symptoms will occur with a positive pregnancy test, including in the urine as well as the blood.

At one point, my HCG (pregnancy hormone detected on pregnancy tests) reached 40,0000 (the lowest positive pregnancy tests show around 6-25hcg). The fertilized egg implanted but did not grow into a fetus, causing an increase in pregnancy hormones and symptoms.

 I was SURE and had complete FAITH that I was pregnant!

Spiritually in my mind and physically through my body!

As I discussed before, that pregnancy was diagnosed with a blighted ovum and ended in miscarriage.

What Causes a Blighted Ovum?

According to a blighted ovum study conducted in 2019 and linked here, blighted ovums are mainly caused by genetics. Chromosomal abnormalities account for most studied miscarriages.

blighted ovum

Spiritually, my belief is that God allows certain situations to occur to build our faith as well as build His kingdom.

Faith as it pertains to your trying-to-conceive journey is immensely important.

I mean is… The definition of faith is hope for things not seen, right? (Heb 11:1) That is LITERALLY what TTC is about. 

Hoping for a baby that does not yet exist..

What to do AFTER a Blighted Ovum Miscarriage?

So you’re probably wondering, I’ve experienced the blighted ovum. Now what?

What should I do next?

After I experienced my blighted ovum, I had to continue to receive blood tests to check the number of pregnancy hormones in my system. Once we received a blood test of 10 HCG, we stopped testing.

Then more waiting, of course, a pillar of trying to conceive, started.

How Long Should I Wait?

The blighted ovum I experienced was immediately after a chemical pregnancy, so I decided to wait a whole cycle (so 1 complete cycle)  before trying to conceive again.

This means waiting for the next menstrual cycle in order to make sure that all tissue from the previous miscarriage was cleansed and that the uterus is prepared to conceive again.

In my experience, this was important because every time you go through a new cycle, you create a new uterine lining to allow for proper implantation.

 If that new lining does not have time to regenerate or heal, it can make implantation, getting pregnant, and staying pregnant difficult. 

But ultimately, the wait is up to you.

Whether you wait a month or you wait a year,  emotional healing and your mental health will come first.

It’s okay to wait longer if you’re not emotionally ready for a new pregnancy or for the trials of trying to conceive.

For me, waiting a month was enough because, during my very long miscarriage, I was able to heal more emotionally than if my miscarriage were just a week.

And that next month, I did conceive my rainbow baby, and we are so grateful for her.  At the time of this blog post, she is currently 11 months.

Rainbow Baby

Here is a list of things I did in the month that I conceived my rainbow baby.

  • Focused on God and Alone Time
  • I drank LOADS of water! (The goal was a gallon a day.)
  • Changed to a Fertility Based Diet
  • Worked Out Consistently
  • Tracked Ovulation with tests and BBT

If you’re reading this post because you’re currently experiencing a blighted ovum, I want to know that you’re not alone.

I hope that you’ve also learned a lot more about what you’re experiencing in order to cope with your journey. 

Comment below: I would love to hear from you and provide some personal encouragement for you!

blighted ovum miscarriage

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3 Comments

  1. Thank you for this article, it was nice to read about someone else going through what I’m going through. God bless

  2. I didn’t know this was a thing. Currently 8 weeks and was told there’s a sac and no baby. Have to get levels tested in two days. But this was realistic. Thank you.

  3. I love that you shared. I can’t imagine the 45 days. I experienced the same thing a year ago with what they said was likely twins, and also opted to wait & held onto hope my body would miscarry naturally, finally at week 11. It took about a week but several months for my hormones to rebalance I felt – the emotional part of it can be very heavy too. I did feel that the natural process, while difficult, brought closure in a way to see it through.. but of course everyone is different.

    I remember reading through every blog post at that time because it is a very isolating experience. I am still so encouraged when I see people sharing.

    Congrats on your rainbow baby. 🙂

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