Blighted Ovum is the implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterine wall but the embryo does not develop instead the cell develops a pregnancy sac. It is the earliest form of miscarriage. A blighted ovum is a chromosomal defect. It means that a body recognizes an abnormal chromosome and eventually terminate it.
Blighted ovum is not a pregnancy sign, but because of the pregnancy sac that develops, you may also experience signs of pregnancy like, missed period, positive pregnancy test, minor abdominal cramps and vaginal bleeding.
Because of the positive signs in pregnancy test and high level of Human Chorionic Gonadothropin, you may think that you are really pregnant. Plus the fact that your belly is also growing because the placenta is growing. Yes, in blighted ovum there is no baby in your uterus but there is placenta growing because the sac was developed.
Blighted ovum happens during the first trimester. There should be an embryo because in the first place, the egg was fertilized and it implants in the uterus but because of the abnormal chromosomes and abnormal cell division or poor sperm and egg quality, our body eventually omit it.
The mother is most likely to miscarry to expel the gestational sac by the time it reaches to two and a half months. Miscarriage process may happen from the first two weeks of the second month, but ultra sound will show that there is no fetal development at all.
When bleeding begins, the mother would think that she has a miscarriage. Partly yes and partly no. Yes because there is a placenta. No because there is no embryo. The normal thinking of a mother is to go to the hospital and have a D&C. Remember that our body is capable of expelling blighted ovum naturally. But if you want to undergo D&C talk to your Doctor if this is necessary.