| You may have taken a pregnancy test and the | | | | pregnancy. However statistics do exist that |
| result was positive, you are pregnant. Then | | | | inform us that up to half of all pregnancies are |
| before you know it your period has arrived and | | | | lost in the very early stages. These miscarriages |
| you realize that in actual fact you are not | | | | are also commonly known as "chemical |
| pregnant at all. Why did the pregnancy test give a | | | | pregnancies". In a majority of cases of "chemical |
| false positive reading? | | | | pregnancies" the woman does not in actual fact |
| The thing in which all pregnancy tests test for is | | | | conceive, whereby the embryo is planted for a |
| the pregnancy hormone by the name of human | | | | very short time before dying. The woman may |
| chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). It is this hormone | | | | experience bleeding for a few days after her |
| that is released after the egg has fertilized and | | | | expected period, during the time of miscarriage, |
| has implanted itself in the uterus. This can take up | | | | and it may look as if she had in actual fact had |
| to twelve days. | | | | her period, just like any other month. |
| It is when this has happened that the hCG is | | | | There are cases of women still bleeding, which is |
| released by the embryo and then makes its way | | | | normally light spotting, whilst pregnant. This |
| into the urine in a few days. hCG is essential to | | | | bleeding is due to the implantation process and the |
| your pregnancy as it assists other body parts, | | | | embryo attaching itself to the uterus. Again, if |
| especially the corpus luteum, to function correctly, | | | | you do experience bleeding when pregnant, it is |
| which is vital for human pregnancy. | | | | advised to seek advice from a doctor, so that |
| It is the hCG hormone that is searched for in | | | | you can put your mind at rest. At the end of the |
| your urine to establish whether you are pregnant, | | | | day, that is what doctors are there for. |
| as this hormone is specifically made during | | | | |