11 weeks & negative urine test from docs, but home tests still showing positive

[zippy30]

Hello, I just wanted to find out if anyone has been in the same situation as me and could help to reassure me in some way. I am around 11 weeks pregnant and until now everything seemed fine. This is my third pregnancy and it has felt very similar to the first 2 times. I have had a little bit of nausea and tiredness, no sickness (thankfully) and the usual tiredness, sore boobs etc.
Following my GP appointment last week, they asked me to hand in a urine sample, just to confirm things on their system. They told me yesterday that this sample came back negative. They asked me to do a home pregnancy test again and warned that it was very likely to be negative. So, feeling completely gutted that I was most likely miscarrying, I did 2 tests yesterday and another this morning and they've all come up as positive for pregnancy. I don't know what's going on??? My GP has booked me in for a scan on Thursday, so I'm just playing the waiting game until then.
Just wondered if anyone else has experienced similar? How accurate are the GP tests? Can't stop worrying and turning over all the negative possibilities in my head...

[ChickyDuck]

False negatives do happen. It could just be a faulty test that the GP gave you, especially as you have had so many other positives. Hopefully your scan will reassure you. Good luck

[nervoussam]

Is it possible they have got some samples muddled up? Sounds strange. I've not heard of this happening before so sounds like a mistake on their part more than anything.

Scan will help put it all straight but appreciate that doesn't help your state of mind now.

[DartmoorDoughnut]

They probably just got the samples mixed up at their end/in the lab

Hand holding though, you do not need this sort of worry!!

[zippy30]

Thanks so much for your quick replies ChickyDuck and Nervoussam. It does seem very strange... I'm really hoping the GP test is a mistake. I'm just feeling very apprehensive in the meantime and hoping the scan is OK... Wishing I could fast-forward time.

[zippy30]

Thanks DartmoorDoughnut. I could definitely do without the worry at the moment. Got enough on my plate looking after a 5 and 2 year old as well! I was convinced I was having a miscarriage yesterday before I did the home tests, but now I don't know what to think. Hoping it's a mistake in the lab.

[nervoussam]

Do the doctors know you've continued to have positive tests?

[RaeSkywalker]

Flipping heck, how awful for you. I also wonder if it's a mistake/ false negative. My GP didn't even bother to test me, they said that home kits are often better! I've got everything crossed for you for the scan

[FellOutOfBedTwice]

This is very weird. Have you true a digital and does it say 3+ weeks (when I assume you'd have had 1-2 weeks etc when first finding out you were pregnant). Sounds like a balls up their end.

[Bambooshoots14]

When I went to Epu at 8 weeks ish they did a negative test. I was gutted. They agreed to scan me anyway and there was a heartbeat and all fine. Ds is now 2

[Ivoteout]

Maybe if your wee at the gps was very dilute there wasn't enough hormone to show up a positive? Poas first thing in the morning when your wee is concentrated.

[AlexandraEiffel]

Sounds bizarre and like a mix up their end. After a miscarriage you still have the hormone for a while, you're asked to test something like 6 weeks after to give enough time for the hormone to go. So even if there was any miscarriage going on I would have expected you to still have a positive test.

[FlyingCat]

Sorry to hear you're going through this - how very stressful.

GPs (NHS anyway) typically use very poor quality, insensitive cheap tests, so there is a perfectly reasonable chance that the test didn't work. Also completely possible that lab results got mixed up if they sent it off for analysis. A second test should clear up any doubt however as failing a second test would be a huge and unlikely coincidence.

However, I'm sorry to say its also quite possible that your hormone levels are declining and are detectable on a home test (which typically are much more sensitive) but no longer at the levels detectable by cheap ones.

If I were you if the second test comes back negative again I would explain the discrepancy you are seeing and ask them to do a blood test - you will usually need to do tests on two successive days to be completely sure whether levels are declining or rising.

I wish you luck.

[DartmoorDoughnut]

Oh yes diluted wee can affect the hcg levels obvs so might be that too.

I'm about 10weeks too at the mo and if I were going through this Thursday would seem like forever away!

[zippy30]

Thanks everyone. It's good to hear some positive stories. I told the GPs that my tests showed positive results & the doctor thought this was a good sign, but they still want to do a scan. My GP said home tests are generally more accurate. I used clearblue digital tests & they showed a positive result of 3+ weeks, which hopefully shows that hormone levels aren't declining too much... Who knows?? Just feeling anxious about it

[outputgap]

As someone who has had several miscarriages I can tell you that the gp test is wrong. Even if you were about to miscarry, you'd still have positive hcg. So, for sure the GP test is wrong.

[zippy30]

Sorry to hear you've had to go through several miscarrages outputgap. Thank you for taking the time to help put my mind at rest. I wasn't sure if a miscarriage showed up as a negative result straightaway. Just need the scan for reassurance now. Am keeping fingers & toes crossed!

[AButterflyLightsBesideUs]

Just chiming in to agree with others - after my latest pregnancy loss at 13 ish weeks, I got +ve tests for 6 weeks after I delivered the baby. It takes ages for the hcg to go away, and very upsetting to keep getting +ves for ages, but you;ve got to check because if it doesn't go negative then you probably have retained products that need dealing with.

So, god knows what happened with the GP test, but I would bet on it being their mistake/faulty. Good luck tomorrow!

[Babymouse]

Sounds like the GP made a mistake - maybe they left the test too long? I'm surprised they didn't do the urine again to make sure just in case. I used to work in a sexual health clinic and that was standard operating procedure if the result of the test was different than it should have been (when you do so many tests the false neg/ pos does happen occasionally)

[Babymouse]

Dip, not do

[zippy30]

Thanks so much for the well wishes everyone. I had the scan this morning & everything was fine - thank god! Baby measuring 12-13 weeks. It was a mistake with the GP urine test. Just goes to show these things do happen...

Thank you to those who've had miscarriages & took time to let me know that pregnancy tests remain positive for a while afterwards. This must be heartbreaking - I'm so sorry for what you've been through.

Thanks again & I hope the coming weeks are less eventful!

[DartmoorDoughnut]

Whoop!! Fanastic news

[RaeSkywalker]

So pleased for you

[zippy30]

Thank you x

[DartmoorDoughnut]

Think you're due early Dec? We're a friendly chatty bunch over here if you fancy it www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/2635777-More-scan-waiting-and-symptom-analysis-from-the-December-2016-babies

[AlexandraEiffel]

Great news! May it all be plain sailing after that unnecessarily stressful start.