Everything About Molar Pregnancy

When you learn that you are about to become the mother of a beautiful child, it becomes the happiest day of your life. The news of becoming pregnant is a happy one. As the doctor confirms your normal pregnancy, you and your partner feel happier.

However, in case the pregnancy is not a normal one, you will feel discouraged. During your pregnancy, many complications might arise. One such complication is molar pregnancy also know hydatidiform mole or H Mole. In this article, let’s discuss everything about molar pregnancy.

In This Article

• What is Molar Pregnancy?
• Is a Molar Pregnancy a Real Baby?
• Is a Molar Pregnancy Dangerous?
• What Causes H Mole Pregnancy?
• How Long Can a Molar Pregnancy Go Undetected?
• Is There a Heartbeat With This Pregnancy Issue?
• Is Triploidy Always a Molar Pregnancy?
• How High Are hCG Levels in This Type of Pregnancy?
• How do You Terminate This Kind of Pregnancy?
• Who is at the Risk of Molar Pregnancy?

What is Molar Pregnancy?

A molar pregnancy is an abnormal type of pregnancy.It happens because of the abnormalities in the growth of trophoblasts. These cells ultimately develop into the placenta. You will find two types of molar pregnancies. In the partial molar pregnancy, the development of a fetus will happen along with the unusual placental tissues. But, the fetus will not survive long in such a case. For the case of complete molar pregnancy, only abnormal placenta tissues form.

Is a Molar Pregnancy a Real Baby?

If someone has a complete molar pregnancy, then she will not have the baby. The sperm will fertilize an empty egg. In such pregnancies, the woman will only have placenta parts that are swollen tissues looking like cysts. The placenta grows with time. So, the body produces pregnancy hormones. However, when you go for an ultrasound test, you will find there is no baby. In a partial molar pregnancy, the fetus will form. But, it will not survive for long.

Is a Molar Pregnancy Dangerous?

Molar pregnancy is a type of disease. If you don’t act quickly and treat this disease, then it can become dangerous. It is a gestational trophoblastic disease. Because of this type of condition, a tumor can grow in the uterus. So, because of this disease, a woman can have cancer too. So, if you find that you have this medical condition, you should act quickly and treat it. Otherwise, this disease can become very harmful to you.

What Causes H Mole Pregnancy?

The main cause of H Mole is the abnormal fertilization of the empty egg. There are 23 pairs of chromosomes in human cells. In a pair of the chromosome, a part is from the mother, and the other is from the father. In the case of this type of pregnancy, after the fertilization of the empty egg, the entire genetic material from the father gets activated. But the mother’s genetic material stays inactive. This leads to the duplication of the father’s genetic material. In this way, this pregnancy issue can happen.

[Read : Ectopic Pregnancy – A Comprehensive View]

How Long Can a Molar Pregnancy Go Undetected?

It is important to detect hydatidiform mole as soon as possible. Otherwise, it becomes difficult to treat. As you already know, molar pregnancy can become very dangerous. So, you have to take evasive actions. Pregnant women will discover molar pregnancy during the ultrasound test during 8 to 10 weeks of their pregnancy. Also, after a miscarriage, while having a test, this medical condition may become evident. Moreover, abnormal vaginal discharge during pregnancy will indicate the possible case of molar pregnancy.

Is There a Heartbeat With This Pregnancy Issue?

Many people wonder whether any heartbeat is there with molar pregnancy. But, the reality is, there will be no heartbeat with this pregnancy issue. The doctor discovers this issue when they don’t find a heartbeat even after the 12 weeks of pregnancy. It can also be a sign of miscarriage. Doctors use ultrasound tests to determine this pregnancy issue. The test will show a strange looking placenta resembling the size of a bunch of grapes. So, if there is no heartbeat found even after the 12th week of your pregnancy, then it can be a case of hydatidiform mole.

[Read : First Ultrasound During Pregnancy]

Is Triploidy Always a Molar Pregnancy?

It is not right to say that the case of triploidy will always lead to molar pregnancy. However, there is some doubt about two sperms fertilizing a single empty egg. In such a scenario, the chances of this pregnancy issue will increase quite a lot when triploidy happens with the involvement of a sperm or an egg having 46 chromosomes, the chances of this pregnancy issue decreases quite a bit. However, the proof is not yet there that triploidy will always cause this type of pregnancy.

How High Are hCG Levels in This Type of Pregnancy?

In this type of pregnancy, there will be no baby because of the empty egg. So, what happens is the placenta continues to grow. Because of that, the HCG level rises quite rapidly. Hence, a woman will fee that she is pregnant. The HCG level can rise close to 100,000 mIU/mL. It will also show the chances of a molar pregnancy. But, even with normal HCG levels, This pregnancy issue can happen.

How do You Terminate This Kind of Pregnancy?

A woman with this pregnancy issue should look for treatment immediately. If one delays the treatment, then many unwanted complications can occur. Here are some treatments for a molar pregnancy:

1. Dilation and Curettage (D&C)

D&C is a small surgical procedure. This procedure is used to remove tissues from the uterus by dilating the cervix. The doctor will eliminate the placental tissues from the uterus by the dilation and curettage process.  After a D and C, women can restart most of their normal activities in 1 or 2 days.

2. Hysterectomy

A hysterectomy is a surgical process to remove a woman’s uterus. If the woman with this issue has no wish to get pregnant in the future, then the doctor will remove the uterus.

3. HCG Monitoring

Once the doctor removes the placental tissues, he or she will monitor the HCG level thoroughly until it becomes normal again.

Who is at the Risk of Molar Pregnancy?

The odds of complete molar pregnancy increases in women over age 35. The risks become even higher in women above 45 years. The chances of contracting this issue is relatively high in women under 20 years. The risk of contracting this type of pregnancy is relatively low in 20 to 25 years olds. The chance further increases with age until menopause. Finally, if a pregnant woman faces this issue, then she should treat it promptly. Otherwise, it can be very dangerous for the health of the woman. So, consult with the doctor before you take any step to cure this pregnancy issue.

Read Also: Is Pregnancy Possible After A Hysterectomy?