A blighted ovum means that a fertilized egg has attached itself to your uterine wall, but the embryo (baby) did not develop. Cells developed to form the placenta and the amniotic sac, but not the embryo itself.
While a positive pregnancy test detects the placenta hormones (not an actual baby), finding out that you are pregnant can be the beginning of hopes, aspirations and joy.
With a blighted ovum, your body may display signs of pregnancy, and may actually sustain the life of the growing placenta for a short time. You may not know you have a blighted ovum until an ultrasound confirms it, or you may miscarry naturally before an ultrasound is performed.
The fact that a blighted ovum does not result in a baby can be equally–if not more–devestating than any other kind of miscarriage.
Finding out what to expect from your recommended birth method (listed below), and allowing yourself to experience healthy grief with a farewell celebration can be very useful and positive for you.
Please also utilize long term support services and emotional/spiritual health support services listed here in this website.
It is also very important to reach out, and tell others about your story. Please consider sharing your experience with us here and reading the stories shared here by other mothers who’ve experienced loss through blighted ovum.
We’d be so honored to learn from you and to cry with you.
Birth Methods:
Below are photos of what you might expect to see or your blighted ovum to look like:
