When a woman visits an ultrasound room, she is afraid to discover that the embryo has died in the womb. Every beautiful lady expecting a baby should know the signs of a frozen pregnancy. In the early stages, it is necessary to pay attention to any fluctuations in health status.

Frozen pregnancy in the early stages - signs

The death of the fertilized egg (frozen pregnancy) can be detected by certain signs in the early stages. If you carefully study the symptoms below, you will prevent complications. But it is important to understand that they are all indirect. For a detailed analysis, undergo a gynecological examination.

No. 1. Nausea, vomiting

1. Otherwise, this condition is called toxicosis. If it appeared in the first weeks of conception, it will soon subside completely.

2. After the death of the embryo on the first day, toxicosis manifests itself in a similar way to ordinary nausea and vomiting, as throughout the development of pregnancy.

3. Starting from the second day, hCG levels drop sharply, and accordingly, severe vomiting is replaced by a slight malaise in the form of nausea.

4. After another 4 days, the state of health returns to normal and the toxicosis goes away. Sometimes it disappears within 1 day (on the second day).

Important!

Signs of a frozen pregnancy in the form of vomiting and nausea are often similar to the usual cessation of toxicosis due to the adaptation of the expectant mother’s body to the new condition. However, in the early stages the girl should be vigilant.

No. 2. Brown discharge

1. When the fetus stops developing, it remains in the uterus for some time. The female body is designed in such a way that getting rid of a dead fetus will proceed slowly.

2. For the first two days, vaginal discharge does not change in color or consistency. They are whitish, translucent or transparent.

3. On the third and subsequent days, decomposition of the embryo begins, which leads to detachment of the fertilized egg from the uterine wall. The discharge takes on a brownish tone.

4. After another 10-14 days, heavy bleeding develops. Discharges of a brownish tone acquire red streaks.

Important!

A frozen pregnancy is accompanied by heavy bleeding, go to the doctor immediately. But this factor does not always signal early fetal death. The symptoms are similar to detachment for other reasons.

No. 3. Deterioration of health

1. The decomposition of the fetus will have a negative impact on overall well-being. But this sign may not exist. It manifests itself only when the dead embryo remains in the uterus for a long time.

2. Among the signs of a frozen pregnancy are fatigue, apathy, and general weakness. In the early stages, the girl feels pain in the abdomen 20 days after the death of the fetus.

3. Temperature may rise above 37.5 degrees. Tingling sensations are felt in the area of ​​the uterus. You will find this symptomatology if the dead fetus has been in the body for a month.

4. If about 35 days have passed since the death of the embryo, the temperature rises to critical levels. Cramping pains also appear in the uterus. Sometimes there is loss of consciousness.

Important!

A dead fetus should not be allowed to remain in the body for a long time. Otherwise, a severe inflammatory process will develop, which can develop into blood poisoning.

No. 4. Changes in basal temperature indicators

1. Signs of a frozen pregnancy are detected in different ways. In the early stages, monitor BT indicators. This allows you to quickly determine fetal death.

2. Girls continue to regularly monitor their BT levels, even when they definitely know about pregnancy. This is a good habit because temperature changes indicate the condition of the fetus.

3. If he died, after 2 days the temperature will gradually drop. Under normal conditions, it should not be below 37 degrees. If the embryo dies, you will see a value at 36.8-36.9 degrees.

4. After 4 days, the temperature drops to 36.7 degrees and continues to hold for another 3-5 days. After this, the embryo will begin to actively decompose and provoke inflammation. Against this background, the temperature may rise sharply.

Important!

BT may not show the death of the embryo due to the characteristics of the organism. Therefore, be guided by other symptoms to react in a timely manner.

How to detect a frozen pregnancy in the early stages

A doctor can accurately determine the signs of a frozen pregnancy. In the early stages, undergo an examination, which will show everything. Often, during a routine ultrasound, pathologies of a certain nature are detected.

No. 1. Ultrasound

A frozen pregnancy is detected using ultrasound. Even if you have not noticed any signs, a gynecological examination in the first trimester is mandatory.

1. Upon examination, the absence of a heartbeat will indicate fetal death. It can only be determined from the 5th week after conception.

2. With correct development, the size of the fertilized egg should correspond to the duration of pregnancy. If it is less, it is bad.

3. If everything is normal, the embryo has the optimal size in the fertilized egg, corresponding to the term.

4. During pregnancy up to 4 weeks, the fertilized egg becomes deformed, this indicates a stop in the development of the embryo.

5. On ultrasound, a healthy and living embryo is visualized without problems at a period of 6 to 7 weeks.

No. 2. hCG

The test results indicate normal development or, conversely, fetal death.

1. If the hCG level does not coincide with the period that was established during an early examination by a gynecologist, you should worry.

2. If the development of the embryo stops within several days, the level of the hCG hormone will steadily decrease.

3. When hCG levels increase, but rather weakly and do not correspond to the norm, this may be a consequence of fetal death.

Important!

To accurately determine the signs of a frozen pregnancy, the combined results of hCG and ultrasound in the early stages are taken into account.

Causes of frozen pregnancy

A frozen pregnancy cannot be groundless. Therefore, it is necessary to identify symptoms and establish causes at an early stage. Only a doctor can do this.

1. Most often, the embryo stops fully developing due to genetics or mutation.

2. The fetus dies due to the presence of infectious diseases.

3. This can also happen due to autoimmune pathologies and disrupted hormonal levels.

If you suspect that you have symptoms of a frozen pregnancy, be sure to get tested. Such procedures are necessary in the early stages of pregnancy. A timely visit to the doctor will help avoid the development of most pathologies.

Recognizing a frozen pregnancy in the early stages is not easy. For this purpose, a number of studies are used, both in the doctor’s office and at. There are a number of subjective signs by which such a diagnosis is suspected, and objective criteria for making it. For the late term, the situation is different; the woman herself can often understand that a tragedy has happened to the fetus. What manifestations may become a cause for concern with an immediate visit to an obstetrician-gynecologist and an ultrasound scan?

Signs of frozen pregnancy in early gestation

The growth and development of the fetus from the first days until the moment of birth is subject to certain laws and has its own external signs, as well as ultrasound characteristics. The development of a frozen pregnancy has fairly clear symptoms, which specialists can determine quickly and accurately. But the external manifestations, noticeable to the woman herself, are not always clear and distinct.

One of the obvious and specific manifestations will be the disappearance of all manifestations of pregnancy - breast swelling, swelling, and basal temperature levels decrease. But not all women have such manifestations that are strongly expressed, so the mother may not pay attention to small changes in well-being. Alarming signals will be such as a change in character, the appearance of “daub” in the pubic and rectal area. When visiting a doctor with such complaints, an unscheduled ultrasound is often prescribed, based on the results of which the diagnosis will be accurate. Signs of a frozen pregnancy in the early stages will be:

• discrepancy between the size of the fetus and the gestational age,
• absence of fetal movements,
• heartbeat is not registered,
• anembryony was detected (there is no fetus in the membranes, they are empty).

In addition, signs of a frozen pregnancy will be a decrease in the level of hCG in the blood test. And thus, a pregnancy detection test from a pharmacy in some cases may show a negative result (but not always).

Symptoms of frozen pregnancy in the second half of gestation

During the period when a woman already clearly senses her future life within herself, signs of fetal death and fading pregnancy are more subjectively obvious. First of all, various problems arise in the pubis, perineum, discomfort and a decrease in the size of the abdomen. Symptoms of pregnancy, malaise and drowsiness, breast growth and the feeling of engorgement, and increased sensitivity disappear.

The most obvious signs by which one can suspect a problem will be the absence of fetal movements for 12-24 hours or more, especially if before this period the baby was actively making itself known. The abdomen may remain the same size as before, but the height of the fundus of the uterus does not increase, because the fetus does not grow and does not gain weight. In some cases, it occurs, due to which the growth of the abdomen becomes rapid, as well as weight gain.

Any sudden changes in condition and internal sensations are a reason to visit a doctor. If at the appointment the doctor does not detect fetal movements or does not detect the baby’s heartbeat with a stethoscope, an emergency ultrasound is prescribed, which determines the diagnosis based on the absence of a heartbeat, signs of death and decomposition of the baby’s body.

Fading pregnancy: what happens?

This condition differs quite strongly from a similar condition, although the reasons underlying both conditions may be the same. The fetus, frozen in its development, does not leave the mother’s body, remaining in the uterine cavity from several days to several weeks and even months. Sometimes, without the intervention of doctors, the rejection of a dead embryo or fetus does not occur, which is dangerous for the health and life of the mother. A fetus that dies inside the uterine cavity may be subject to three pathological processes in its further development:

• Maceration of tissues,
• Petrification of the body,
• Mummification of the embryo.

Each of these processes has its own manifestations and affects the woman’s body. Up to 90% of frozen pregnancies after fetal death lead to its maceration. This is necrosis (death) of fetal tissues and membranes, the placenta area due to swelling, without the addition of rotting. Conditions inside the uterine cavity are sterile, and during the first days maceration occurs aseptically, without infection.

Fruit, at maceration its tissues are soft and flabby, look “steamed”, the skin is wrinkled and peeling, and if there is an infection, there may be a greenish tint to the tissues. This is important for determining the causes of freezing, as well as further treatment of the woman.

Mummification- this is a kind of drying of a dead fruit, sometimes this happens when the development of one of the fruits freezes, when the second continues to grow and form. Often this can be due to asphyxia due to the tight neck of the baby with the umbilical cord. In this condition, the fetus is wrinkled and reduced in size, the skin looks like crumpled sheets of paper, and the amniotic fluid is reabsorbed.

Rarely happens petrification of the fetus, this is the deposition of calcium salts in its tissues. In obstetrics, such a baby is called “litopedion”, a petrified embryo, and such a fetus can remain in the mother’s body for a long time, sometimes for years, without any symptoms.

Diagnostic methods: doctor’s actions, ultrasound

First of all, it is important to examine the woman, determine the size of the uterus in a gynecological chair, as well as a thorough questioning about all complaints. The doctor will be concerned about changes in the size of the uterus if it does not correspond to the term, is reduced in size, or is greatly enlarged. Most often, a delay of 2-3 weeks is recorded, as well as a lack of dynamics of its growth in comparison with previous examinations.

The second alarming factor will be a decrease in the level of hCG in the blood test, its absence or reduced values ​​compared to the previous study. In combination with a woman’s complaints about the disappearance of subjective sensations of pregnancy, an abrupt cessation of toxicosis and the absence of changes in the breasts, suspicions become very strong. But Only an ultrasound doctor can make an accurate diagnosis.. The criteria for a frozen pregnancy will be anembryonia (no fetus inside the ovum) and absence of heartbeats.

note

Diagnosis of such a condition in very early stages is especially difficult; often, due to the limited capabilities of the device, the picture will be questionable. In this case, it is recommended to repeat the ultrasound using a more powerful device or after 10-14 days. Against this background, the doctor may prescribe tracking the dynamics of hCG based on a blood test. This is necessary because there are cases where, according to ultrasound data, a frozen pregnancy was diagnosed in the early stages, but tests and a repeat ultrasound in another clinic revealed a developing fetus. But it’s worth paying attention that this is only relevant for early periods – 3-5 weeks.

Emergency measures, first aid for fading pregnancy

It is important to immediately begin treatment measures after establishing the fact of a frozen pregnancy, when fetal death in utero is confirmed by all possible methods. Pregnancy is terminated with curettage of the uterine cavity due to medical indications. If such an intervention is not carried out in time and all remnants of the fetus and its membranes are not removed from the uterus, tissue decomposition will begin with inflammation spreading to the uterus and appendages, poisoning the woman’s body with decomposition products and toxins. In some cases, an interrupted pregnancy results in a spontaneous miscarriage after a few days.

Doctors act in the presence of such a diagnosis in the early stages as follows:

The material obtained during curettage of the uterus is sent for histological and cytological studies in order to determine the reasons for the fading of pregnancy, both spouses are examined, and the necessary therapy is carried out.

For some time, the woman is prescribed for complete recovery, and in the future the pregnancy is carefully carried out with all the necessary preventive measures. It is important to realize that a frozen pregnancy is not infertility, not a death sentence, and it is quite possible to have healthy children in the future.

Consequences of a frozen pregnancy

Those young women who have experienced a similar diagnosis consider this time of life to be one of the most difficult trials, both physically and emotionally. Later, regarding pregnancy, they have a lot of worries, fears and phobias, which complicates the work of doctors with them. Women often worry about whether they will be able to have children in the future, whether pregnancy will occur, and whether a similar situation will happen again. Doctors and psychologists say that often the consequences of a frozen pregnancy are gradually eliminated, and such a pathology, if detected and treated in a timely manner, has no consequences or complications. It is important to follow all doctor’s recommendations, undergo a full examination and treatment in order to eliminate as much as possible all risk factors for recurrence of the situation in the future. Most women with a history of frozen pregnancy subsequently give birth to healthy children.

The most difficult thing is to identify the reasons that influenced it and eliminate them. If these are external factors, it will be simple, but if there are genetic pathologies, antiphospholipid syndrome or severe somatic pathologies, in some cases doctors offer women with recurrent miscarriages the procedure and the use of assisted reproductive technologies as an alternative.

Planning a pregnancy after a missed pregnancy

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Purely physically, a woman is able to become pregnant again immediately after terminating a frozen pregnancy, in the next cycle, at ovulation. But the risk of a repetition of the tragedy or miscarriage, pregnancy failure, or defects in the development of the baby is very high. In addition, both the psycho-emotional background and the hormonal, general state of the body are too unstable. Therefore, after pregnancy fading, systematic and careful efforts are needed to ensure that the next baby is carried to term and born without any problems or pathologies. It is important to check the results of a histological examination of material from the uterine cavity in order to eliminate all negative factors at the planning stage.

The minimum period allowed for restoring reproductive health after a frozen pregnancy is three months, but according to WHO recommendations, you should wait at least 6-12 months from the moment of curettage to become pregnant again. This time is needed for hormone levels to return to normal and the effects of physical and psychological stress to be eliminated. This is necessary to ensure that the pregnancy does not fail again. Two or three or more missed or missed pregnancies in a row are threatened; in this case, pregnancy can be planned using IVF or using assisted reproductive medicine.

There is nothing more terrible for an expectant mother than finding out that the outcome of the pregnancy is unfavorable. Who is to blame for stopping the development of the embryo? Was it possible to protect ourselves? And most importantly - how to live further? These questions perplex and cause panic even among those who are just planning to conceive.

Rambler/Family tried to answer the most important and alarming of them and figure out what to do in case of a frozen pregnancy.

1. How to determine that the fetus is frozen and you need to urgently consult a doctor?

You can accurately determine whether fetal development has stopped using a blood test for hCG - human chorionic gonadotropin. It is its presence in the urine that is determined by pregnancy tests. If the hormone level decreases or at least remains at the same level day by day, this is a clear sign of stunted fetal growth. An ultrasound will also show whether there is an embryo in the fertilized egg and whether it is the right size for its term. It happens that at 5-6 weeks the fertilized egg is much smaller than expected, then the test is carried out after another 1-2 weeks. If it remains the same size, then the specialist will diagnose a frozen pregnancy, and if it has grown, then, most likely, the due date was set incorrectly, and then it is corrected.

In the later stages, reasons to urgently consult a doctor are bloody discharge on the pad, nagging pain in the lower abdomen and even increased appetite, disappearance of toxicosis and a decrease in the size and firmness of the breast.

But sometimes a woman does not even know that she was carrying a baby. “If pregnancy stops in the early stages, then most likely the woman will experience a delay of menstruation by several weeks. And then the pregnancy is terminated, and the embryo is released along with the menstrual flow. It looks like a normal cycle failure,” explains Olga Terekhina, an obstetrician-gynecologist at the Atlas Medical Clinic, Candidate of Medical Sciences.

2. When might problems arise?

Doctors conventionally divide a non-developing pregnancy into early and late. The first usually happens before 12 weeks, the second - in the last trimester. “Most often, termination of pregnancy by fading occurs at 5-6 weeks and is associated with a genetic abnormality of the fetus, but a woman may not be aware of this and find out only at 7-8 weeks of pregnancy,” says Elena Konstantinova, a gynecologist at Sestroretsk City Hospital No. 40. . - Also, stopping the development of the embryo can occur at 7-8 weeks of pregnancy, which in most cases is associated with infection. After 10 weeks, as a rule, the causes are problems in the blood coagulation system.”

3. What is the reason for termination of pregnancy?

The exact reasons for the arrest of fetal development are extremely difficult to determine, but they also directly depend on the period at which it occurred. There are three main reasons for early fading: genetic disorders, hidden infections in the mother and hormonal imbalances - the production of insufficient amounts of female hormones or an excess of male ones.

“The same reasons can cause fading at a later date,” says Olga Terekhina, an obstetrician-gynecologist at the Atlas Medical Clinic, “but besides them, there are many others:

• antiphospholipid syndrome (APS)
• activation of dormant viral infections such as cytomegalovirus
• complications after flu or rubella
• anatomical features of the uterus (bicornuate or saddle-shaped uterus)
• isthmic-cervical insufficiency is a pathological condition that is often found in women who have had many abortions, have a history of miscarriages, cervical ruptures in previous births
• low weight, deficiency of microelements and vitamins. It happens that women with a body weight of about 40 kg experience miscarriage. Nature protects a painfully thin person from bearing a child, because this can cause irreparable harm to her health. For the same reason, pregnancy fading occurs due to a lack of vitamins and microelements in the body of the expectant mother.
• in vitro fertilization (IVF). A woman becomes pregnant contrary to natural laws, so natural selection turns on later in pregnancy, although this usually happens in the first 12 weeks.

4. Is it all genetics?

The notorious natural selection prevents the birth of non-viable individuals. This phrase from a genetics textbook sounds cynical, but in fact this is what happens. In the first trimester, a fetus with genetic disorders incompatible with life dies. Usually a miscarriage occurs during this period, but sometimes it seems to be interrupted halfway, and the fetus simply stops growing, although the woman is still carrying it.

“This is the so-called “failed embryo,” explains obstetrician-gynecologist of the Women’s Center of the Lapino Clinical Hospital, candidate of medical sciences Anna Agranovskaya. “He has the wrong set of chromosomes - not 46, like all healthy people, but 45, 47 or even 92.”

5. Are there psychological reasons for a missed pregnancy?

Sometimes there are strange cases of fetal death, when all tests indicate the absolute health of the parents and the embryo itself, but it is not able to survive. And this happens from time to time. Systemic family psychotherapist Tatyana Belyaeva believes that the reason for this may be psychosomatic disorders, when the psychological state of the expectant mother affects her physical health.

“Very often my clients with frozen pregnancies do not want children, although they extremely rarely admit this even to themselves,” says Tatyana Belyaeva. - Case one: the husband and relatives insist, the woman gives in, but the level of anxiety is so high that the child dies before it is born. There is a history of four missed pregnancies. The second mother - with many children - does not have enough strength for the next baby; she is physically and spiritually exhausted by constant childbirth. She has seven children and two frozen embryos in a row. Another patient of mine is childish - she agreed to have a child on the condition that her mother would raise him, while she herself would maintain her career. When my mother refused the offer, my patient did not have enough internal readiness to change her lifestyle, and the fetus died at 38 weeks of pregnancy. Subconscious fear drives parents of disabled people and children with pathologies. They are afraid to repeat the traumatic experience; this leads to the death of the fetus. And sometimes the value of the pregnancy itself is much higher than the child, due to the increased attention of the husband and relatives, all kinds of help around the house, which stops with the birth of the baby. Therefore, in the family of one of my clients, who already has three children, there were four missed pregnancies in a row.”

Ultrasound of a pregnant woman

You can often hear complaints from women that gynecologists “didn’t keep track”, “didn’t look after” and “didn’t save”. If the growth of the embryo stops at a later date, this is indeed possible if the mother immediately goes to the hospital at the first suspicious symptoms - lack of movement of the baby, bloody or brown discharge, aching and nagging pain in the lower abdomen or lower back. But it is almost impossible to determine, and even more so to prevent, the fading of pregnancy in the early stages; not a single doctor can cope with this, even if the woman visits him daily. Even if we assume that it is possible to constantly do an hCG analysis to determine whether the fetus is growing, it is not possible to save it, because the exact reasons for the fading will not be known.

In this case, the gynecologist may indeed be to blame for failing to recognize a frozen pregnancy over a long period of time. An infection will develop in the body of a woman carrying a dead embryo, which will cause a lot of problems, including sepsis and death. Therefore, as soon as tests and ultrasound accurately confirm the death of the embryo, it is urgently removed from the uterine cavity - a procedure similar to a regular abortion is performed.

7. What happens after fetal death?

Almost always, due to the freezing of the fetus, inflammation occurs in the woman’s body, so in addition to the cleaning procedure, she will have to undergo drug treatment with antibiotics. Doctors will try to determine the cause of the failed pregnancy to prevent the situation from happening again in the future.

The genetic material of the fetus is examined to understand how common “chromosomal breakage” is. If it is rare, then it is a terrible accident, a mistake of nature, a failure, the repetition of which is unlikely. Otherwise, parents will be offered to undergo in vitro fertilization in order to determine in advance the most viable embryos and implant them into the woman.

“The same diagnosis is recommended in the case of any IVF,” comments Olga Terekhina, an obstetrician-gynecologist at the Atlas Medical Clinic, “after all, this procedure itself increases the risk of miscarriage. And by transferring the most viable embryos, you can increase the chances of a successful outcome.”

8. How to cope with the loss of a baby?

As soon as a woman answers the doctor’s question in the affirmative: “Are you leaving it?”, she becomes a mother and perceives the embryo as a living being, her own child. And his loss is the loss of the dearest person in the world.

“A woman, as a rule, experiences it very hard,” notes sexologist, family, child, and perinatal psychologist Elena Shamova. – In order to survive this loss morally and psychologically, to let go of the situation, the psyche must go through all the stages of experiencing trauma or grief, and this takes about a year, and for some even longer, since each case is individual. We have to grieve, let go of this frozen pregnancy. Otherwise, on an emotional level, one child will be replaced by another. In the future, such “substitute children” live as if for two; it is difficult for them to make decisions, to make up their minds, they are often withdrawn and closed in on themselves. In adulthood, they voice this: “I live as if I were living for someone else,” “as if two people live in me.”

But blaming yourself is not constructive. Accept the idea that there was nothing you could do, nothing you could do, it was beyond your power. “The role of the doctor is very important here, who must competently and clearly explain to the patient what happened and how it can be avoided in the future,” says Elena Tanchuk, chief physician of the Medica Center for Reproduction and Family Planning, obstetrician-gynecologist, reproductive specialist, gynecologist-endocrinologist. By understanding the reason for what happened, a couple who has lost a child, especially a woman, will be able to get rid of an unreasonable feeling of guilt and fear of another pregnancy.”

9. Will there be more children?

“There cannot be an unambiguous answer,” notes obstetrician-gynecologist of the Women’s Center of the Lapino Clinical Hospital, Candidate of Medical Sciences Anna Agranovskaya. – Each case is individual and depends on the period at which the previous pregnancy froze and the reasons that caused it. As a rule, it takes from 3-4 months to a year to restore the body.”

After this time, you can try to get pregnant again, but be more careful and listen to yourself.

“Sleep, nutrition, daily routine, walks, psychological background, relationships in a couple - all this is extremely important for the health of the unborn baby,” notes systemic family psychotherapist Tatyana Belyaeva. “At the slightest sign of mental discomfort, feelings of anxiety (especially irrational or causeless), sleep disturbances, fears of childbirth, or fears associated with the child, you should immediately seek help from specialists!”

10. How can I reduce the likelihood of fetal death to a minimum in advance?

If a frozen pregnancy has already happened, then at a minimum you will have to eliminate the reasons that caused it. This is the only way to hope that the sad incident will not happen again.

Gynecologist at Sestroretsk City Hospital No. 40, Elena Konstantinova, advises to undergo a thorough examination to rule out the presence of any infections, not only for the woman, but also for her sexual partner.

“Then it’s worth checking the function of the thyroid gland, hormonal levels, if there are or have ever been irregularities in the menstrual cycle,” the specialist comments, “Check the blood coagulation system. If close relatives have a history of heart attacks or strokes before the age of 45, thrombosis or thrombophlebitis, then a visit to a hematologist and additional examination is mandatory.”

In the event of pregnancy fading and fetal development stopping, the main thing to remember is that this does not end the life of you and your family, you can still have healthy children. And even more so, you shouldn’t blame yourself, doctors or anyone else for what happened. It is better to spend all your strength and energy on finding out the reasons and a full examination, so that with new strength and crystal health you can begin new attempts to conceive a baby.

The fetus froze - these are perhaps one of the most terrible words from a doctor for a couple dreaming of children. You can hear them for various reasons at the very beginning of the development of a new life (the most dangerous are considered to be from 3 to 4, from 8 to 11 and from 16 to 18 weeks from conception). Sometimes the diagnosis is made at a later date, but the likelihood of hearing it is significantly lower. An analogue is the development of an empty fertilized egg: in this case, fertilization has occurred, but the embryo does not develop. The pathology occurs spontaneously, maybe several times in a row throughout a woman’s life. Unfortunately, no one is safe from it. However, it is better to know the causes and signs of frozen pregnancy in the early stages in order to take timely measures and consult a doctor, as well as prevent the development of pathology before conception. Anything can influence the development of a little life. And the worst thing about this is that it is not so easy to notice changes.

Why does frozen pregnancy occur in the early stages? This question worries and frightens young mothers. There are actually quite a lot of reasons:

• Genetic deviations occupy a leading place. They are detected in 70% of cases for up to 8 weeks. They are associated with many factors, including hereditary diseases, as well as the result of drug use by one of the partners. That is why it is important not to refuse screenings and other examinations suggested by a geneticist and gynecologist.

• Excessive consumption can also cause developmental arrest. It is especially dangerous if the mother cannot give up bad habits after conception.
• Medicines can also provoke the development of abnormalities. That is why doctors themselves strongly recommend that you stop taking any medications. The only exceptions can be severe diseases, the treatment of which with folk remedies is simply impossible. It is worth noting that for up to 10 days and after 8-10 weeks, when the fetus becomes partially protected by the placenta, the effect of the drugs is not so significant. As for herbs, they also need to be taken only under the supervision of a doctor, because some of them can provoke a breakdown or arrest in the development of the embryo.
• The reasons for frozen pregnancy in the early stages may lie in both the mother and the child. If a woman has had abortions before, then the chances of a happy development are not so great. Antibodies produced by the mother's body towards the baby accumulate over time. And after several abortions, it is very difficult for a conceived baby to resist such an attack.
• Infections, both genital organs and viral (flu), are a serious threat at the very beginning of life. The mother's body is already weakened by the new position, so it is not at all difficult to get sick. But the consequences of a high temperature or a viral attack can be very serious. Rubella is a formidable enemy, in the event of which the pregnancy not only stops, but the fetus may develop severe anomalies. And in this case, the mother will have to decide whether she can raise a special child or whether it is better to terminate the pregnancy.

Consequences of congenital rubella for a child

• Hormonal disorders. Moreover, a non-developing pregnancy in the early stages, the reasons for which lie precisely in this factor, can freeze due to both a lack of prolactin and an excess of testosterone. If a woman has regular irregularities in her menstrual cycle, then it is imperative to undergo examinations during planning, as well as regularly check the status of the hormones after conception.
• Harmful factors at work, diabetes, heavy lifting, stress - all these factors can also cause the development of pathology.

Women who are at higher risk of developing pathology

But this is not the only answer to the question of why pregnancy fails in the early stages. Doctors identify a certain risk group, which includes:

• old-time mothers or expectant mothers over 35 years of age;
• if you have had multiple abortions in the past;
• if your previous pregnancy was ectopic;
• in the presence of a congenital anomaly of the uterus.

If one or all factors are present, the woman will be under constant medical supervision.

Expectant mothers who do not want to visit a gynecologist in the early stages are also at risk. There may be many reasons for such a decision, but the result will be a serious threat to the health of not only the woman, but also the child.

What signs indicate a frozen pregnancy?

The saddest thing is that the symptoms of a frozen pregnancy in the early stages are not clearly expressed. Therefore, the expectant mother may not even be aware of the change in the condition of the fetus. Only a qualified doctor, after examining and ordering additional examinations, can determine the absence of embryo development.

You shouldn’t look for symptoms of an undeveloped pregnancy in the early stages, and even less so, ask for advice from friends or on forums. In each case, everything is purely individual and depends on many factors.

Symptoms of an approaching disaster

At later stages, it is easier for a woman to navigate, because she can already feel the baby moving. This is very difficult to do in the early stages. A frozen pregnancy, the symptoms of which in the first trimester may be similar to less serious abnormalities, manifests itself as follows:

• passes ;
• no more ;
• reduced;
• cramping pain began to appear;
• spotting appeared (discharge during a frozen pregnancy in the early stages has exactly the same consistency and red-brown color);
• general body temperature increased.

If any of the listed symptoms are detected, a woman should urgently consult a doctor! If the signs of pregnancy disappear, this should also alert the mother and become a reason to visit a specialist!

How does a pregnant woman feel when pathology develops?

Women experience very different sensations during a frozen pregnancy. They are even influenced by the fact whether this is the first time this has happened or whether a similar situation has happened before. Fatigue, apathy, fever - all this in any case should alert the expectant mother.

It is worth noting that all symptoms that indicate the development of pathology may turn out to be false! There is no need to immediately prepare yourself for the approaching disaster. Quite often they turn out to be similar to less serious ones, or the body is simply undergoing a reconfiguration.

Diagnosis of the fact of fetal freezing

Only a doctor knows exactly how to recognize a frozen pregnancy in the early stages. To do this he will do the following:

1. , will assess the condition of the mucus secreted, and will ask you to measure your basal temperature.
2. If there is any suspicion of a deviation from the norm, the doctor will send the pregnant woman for a test. However, it is worth noting that hCG during a frozen pregnancy in the early stages can be completely within normal limits for several weeks after the death of the fetus. And yet, more often than not, a urine test will show a low level of the hormone, which is not typical for the first trimester.
3. The last stage of examination will be an ultrasound. With the help of an ultrasound examination, it will become clear whether the embryo’s heart is beating or not.

Typically, a test for a frozen pregnancy in the early stages may show the same two lines. This is again related to the level of hCG in the urine.

After the specialist confirms the diagnosis, he will select the necessary set of procedures for the mother, and will also further help her prepare for a new pregnancy.

What do doctors do if the fetus is frozen?

Depending on how a frozen pregnancy manifests itself in the early stages, as well as directly on the number of days from the moment of conception, the doctor will choose the most alternative method of treatment. After all, when establishing such a diagnosis, we are talking about preserving the life and health of the mother. There are two main treatment methods:

• With the help of medications that provoke. Can be used for up to 8 weeks.
• (vacuum aspiration). Under anesthesia, the woman's uterine cavity is cleaned using vacuum suction.

In any case, professional help will definitely be required, since in order to avoid adverse consequences, it is necessary to clean the uterine cavity (remnants of the amniotic sac, which will be indicated by ultrasound).

There is a third option, in which even the woman herself does not have time to realize that she was pregnant. This is a spontaneous abortion. If the fetus froze almost from the first days of life, then the body can reject it as a foreign body. In this case, the woman will simply notice a delay in her periods. Sometimes doctors prefer to observe the patient’s condition, waiting for a spontaneous abortion, so as not to interfere with the body again.

Why is it so scary not to see a doctor on time?

Sometimes a woman does not fully realize how severe the consequences of a missed early pregnancy can be for her. But the body does not always reject the fetus itself. If an embryo that has stopped developing remains in the womb for a long time, then intoxication is likely to develop. In this case, not only does the temperature rise, the woman begins to suffer from acute pain and weakness, and it is quite possible to delay the time until the blood becomes infected with elements of fetal decay.

If the pregnancy is more than 6 weeks, then in this case the woman has every chance of developing disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC syndrome). The danger is that the blood loses its ability to clot. As a result, the woman may die from bleeding.

How to prevent fetal death during pregnancy

The couple, regardless of whether they are preparing to become parents for the first time or have children, must undergo an examination. It is he who will be able to reduce the risks and give an answer on how to avoid a frozen pregnancy in the early stages in their case. The doctor will suggest taking several tests: hormones, genetic examinations, ultrasound of the pelvic organs, blood for infections and other additional ones, which will be prescribed taking into account the parents’ medical history. It is also recommended to refrain from conceiving for up to six months after diseases such as acute respiratory viral infections, influenza, and chicken pox.

If a woman works in a children's team, she will be offered preventive vaccinations. Additional hormonal levels will need to be adjusted. Don't ignore visiting a geneticist. A healthy lifestyle will only increase your chances of becoming parents. In the first months, it is recommended to refrain from flying, sudden climate changes and prolonged exposure to the sun.

If your previous pregnancy ended in stopping the development of the embryo, don’t give up! With proper planning, the chance of a normal pregnancy and birth is 80%-90%. A gynecologist who cares for a couple will tell you how to prevent a frozen pregnancy in the early stages.

Pregnancy after fetal growth arrest

Doctors predict good chances of conceiving only if the couple does not ignore visiting specialized specialists, undergoes a course of treatment, and also gives up the thought of having a child for the next six months after an unsuccessful experience. On average, this period is necessary not only for a detailed examination and finding out the reason for the fading of pregnancy, but also for the physical restoration of the mother’s body.

As sad as it may be, it is quite rare to say with 100% certainty about the reasons for pregnancy termination. However, parents do not need to despair! Try to avoid stress, harmful factors, and don’t forget to get examined - and may everything work out for you and the baby will be born healthy and happy!