Blighted Ovum
What is it? "Blighted" means "ruined, impaired, destroyed". "Ovum" means "egg". A "blighted ovum" is a pregnancy that stops developing very early in the pregnancy: the fertilized egg ceased to develop. The egg is fertilized and attaches itself to the uterine wall, but the embryo doesn't continue to develop. Cells develop to form the pregnancy sac, but not the embryo itself, so the amniotic sac may only contain fluid (no fetal tissue) at the time of miscarriage.
Blighted ova are the cause of around 50 percent of first-trimester miscarriages. There may be no bleeding; however, later on, one might notice some brown discharge. There may be no indications of a problem until one's healthcare provider fails to detect a heartbeat, an ultrasound reveals an empty gestational sac, or a blood test shows up low or falling levels of hCG (pregnancy hormone). In rare cases, the body continues to believe it is pregnant for a few more weeks, then miscarries an empty sac and placenta.
A blighted ovum can be the result of chromosomal problems, or the egg or the sperm may be of poor quality. Most women never even know that they were pregnant. Since most women who are actively trying to conceive are constantly taking pregnancy tests, they are more likely to be aware of this situation having even occurred.
What can you do about it? There is no way to prevent a blighted ovum from occurring. In fact, it is really nature's way of handling severe genetic defects. What to do? Continue TTC'ing! Having had a blighted ovum does not mean you cannot get pregnant again. Keep your chin up, and keep at it!