How to Treat a Blighted Ovum

Blighted ovums are common causes of early miscarriage in pregnant women. In cases of blighted ovums, an embryo never develops inside the gestational sac in the uterus. When a doctor looks for an embryo using an ultrasound, he won't see one. If you, or a friend, have recently been diagnosed with a blighted ovum, there are several recommended treatment plans available. Here's how to treat a blighted ovum.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Allow yourself to miscarry naturally. In many cases of blighted ovums, the woman and the doctor decide to let nature take it's course to pass the tissue of the pregnancy (placenta and sac) naturally. This process can take several weeks, however, and can be accompanied by cramping and heavy bleeding.
2. Take medications to speed up the process of miscarriage. Certain medications can force your body to expel the products of pregnancy, such as the sac and placenta, much more quickly than if you were to miscarry without these drugs. Your doctor can help you decide what medications are best for you to take if you decide to go this route.
3. Have a dilation and curettage (D&C) procedure. This procedure is a surgery performed under general anesthesia in a hospital. Recovery from a D&C is usually not very difficult, and it allows the woman to get the physical part of miscarriage over with quickly. The dilation and curettage procedure also allows a doctor to examine and test the products of pregnancy for chromosomal abnormalities if necessitated. D&Cs are most often done in cases of heavy bleeding, severe cramping or infection.
4. Use pain medications to help you cope with cramping. Any type of miscarriage, whether natural, with drugs or through surgery, is often accompanied by cramping. If the cramping is severe in nature, pain medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help.
5. Deal with your feelings. After a diagnosis of a blighted ovum, you may experience many emotions that can include anger, sadness, depression and frustration. You will also have to cope with the loss of the baby and pregnancy. Talking to a spouse, a good friend, a doctor or even a counselor can help you work through this disappointment.

Tips & Warnings

• The information in this article is not meant to serve as a substitute for regular medical advice and care. If you have any questions about your health or your pregnancy, contact your personal physician.