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Conception

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Original poster

Low HCG levels and ongoing pregnancy

116 replies

GoldJules · 18/10/2022 16:52

Hello! I had my 5th embryo transfer in September, and got a faint positive test - did a few more - still quite faint, and decided to get a blood test to see what was going on. 14 days past a 5 day frozen embryo transfer, my hcg was 124. That was on a Thursday afternoon, and when I did another test on Saturday morning (around 42 hours later) it was 224. I did another urine test where the test line is much darker. My clinic advised me that as my hcg was low initially, the pregnancy is unlikely to continue. I guess I'm trying to prepare myself for a miscarriage - but wondered whether anyone had been in a similar position, and had an ongoing pregnancy? Thanks!

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Original poster
GoldJules · 27/01/2023 11:50

Thanks @Releasethehoundss and @Rach247. Oh yes I am a bit scared. I have had a bit of acid reflux/burping/indigestion but it's all gone now, but perhaps it didn't mean anything anyway! If it's negative - which I feel it probably will be - I just don't know if I can afford to try again, and feel sad that that's what it comes down to :-(. Thanks again for your support - it means a lot

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Rach247 · 27/01/2023 08:34

Yes, all luck and please come and tell us tomorrow. X

Releasethehoundss · 26/01/2023 20:24

Good luck!

Original poster
GoldJules · 26/01/2023 19:33

@Rach247 Ah that's reassuring! Thanks for that. Well, let's see - not long now, I'm testing on Saturday. Keep wanting to cave and do it early, but I've come this far!!

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Rach247 · 26/01/2023 15:23

No symptoms at all, and I was desperately symptom spotting the whole time! Both of my pregnancies I felt entirely ‘normal’ and i know how easy it is to lose hope.

I am keeping everything crossed that you get a lovely surprise.

Original poster
GoldJules · 26/01/2023 13:26

Ah thanks for checking in @Rach247 . I've basically just been feeling normal. I have possibly been burping at bit more - and defo some acid reflux, but it really comes and goes and today I haven't really had it at all. It's funny - I want to make the call in mind either one way or the other like "I definitely am" or "I am definitely not", but in reality it's "I might be, but I might not be." Satistically, it's far more likely for me that it didn't work, but trying to stay hopeful without getting my hopes up too much. I really don't feel any different. Did you have symptoms in the 2 week wait? xx

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Rach247 · 26/01/2023 13:20

How are you feeling, @GoldJules?

Original poster
GoldJules · 20/01/2023 12:37

@Jane1284 Thanks so much for your lovely message. Oh that's interesting that you had them for one pregnancy and not the other. Yes, I also had them in the night last time - and they were pretty strong. I am a light sleeper so I think they would have woken me up, if I had them this time. That's why I feel a bit worried that there's nothing at all. I'd love to attribute the cramping to the progesterone but I am on the same level of progesterone this time round. Thanks for wishing me luck! x

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Original poster
GoldJules · 20/01/2023 12:33

Hi @Releasethehoundss thanks for your lovely message and for thinking of us! That's so sweet of you. Interesting that you only experienced implantation cramping on this pregnancy and it's reassuring to read how much physical activity you were doing!! Thanks for the luck. I felt really positive on transfer day but hard to hold onto it x

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Jane1284 · 20/01/2023 12:05

Hey lovely- sorry for everything you have been through. Just wanted to chime in that my first IVF pregnancy I felt obvious implantation cramps and my second natural pregnancy I didn't. Wondering now if the cramps I felt for my first IVF round were due to the large amount of progesterone I was taking rather than implantation. I think the symptoms can mirror pregnancy?
First pregnancy I felt the strong cramps at night so there's always the chance you had them but were asleep :)
Sending you lots of luck for your OTD. xx

Releasethehoundss · 20/01/2023 11:38

@GoldJules crazily enough, I was recently thinking about you and your Mrs and how you two are getting along. I am glad to read you two haven't given up hope yet.
To answer your question, this pregnancy (25 weeks now) is the first and only time I've ever felt implantation cramping. I had no idea what it was at the time but when I found out I was pregnant, it all made sense. And considering we weren't trying anymore, I was very active. I even framed a wall in my basement and put three new floors in by myself over those two weeks. I would say rest when you can but try not to worry too much about having had a hectic day.
Wishing you luck

Original poster
GoldJules · 20/01/2023 10:36

Hi @Rach247 thanks so much for your reply. That's so reassuring to hear. And I think being hopeful but realistic is the way forward. It just feels like the stakes are so high now. IVF is soooooo expensive and I am 43 now so it all feels quite difficult, but trying to stay as positive as I can! And yes, in regard to stress and physical activity - I know people conceive in war zones, so have to have a strong word with myself. In the daytime, I generally feel fine and I am able to occupy myself - it's more those horrible in-the-middle-of-the-night moments. I am meant to test on Saturday 28th x

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Rach247 · 20/01/2023 09:25

And I didn’t rest up during the TWW at all, really. Carried on as normal and had a friend’s birthday weekend away, which was pretty full on. I took the view that people manage to conceive under much more difficult conditions and I couldn’t let my whole life be taken over.

Rach247 · 20/01/2023 09:21

Hi, and congratulations on the transfer. I wouldn’t worry about rushing about - you could argue that having something else to stress about is helpful, takes your mind off the conception stress for a while!

I’ve never experienced implantation cramps and I’ve heard the full spectrum of people having them with one pregnancy and not another, having them then getting a negative test, not having them and getting a positive… it’s all so random. I really don’t think you can do anything but be hopeful and realistic.

When are you planning to test?

Original poster
GoldJules · 20/01/2023 09:12

Hello again! I hope everyone is well and that its okay to reach out again. I had my 6th transfer on Tuesday with 2 x 5bb "hatching blastocysts", after miscarrying after the last transfer. I had taken the week off work to rest up, but on the day after the transfer- I invited my best friend and her kids round for a birthday lunch. It ended up being extremely rushy and pretty stressful as I set myself an unrealistic amount of things to do in very short window, with lots of rushing around, some lifting of heavy shopping etc (realise this is very first world stress!). I am now stressing out that I have threatened the implantation of the embryos. How active were all of you in the 2 week wait? Also, at this point on my last transfer, I was having implantation cramps - and now I feel nothing and tempted to make a call that it hasn't worked. Has anyone had implantation cramps with one pregnancy but not with another? Any words of wisdom, experience or reassurance on either front would be hugely appreciated! Thanks!

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Original poster
GoldJules · 05/11/2022 09:42

@Rach247 @Releasethehoundss thanks so much and will defo be in touch with future updates. Have a lovely weekend x

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Rach247 · 04/11/2022 17:26

Yes, so sorry to hear this news. Would love to hear future updates. Look after yourselves and wishing you all the best.

Releasethehoundss · 04/11/2022 13:43

*need, not seen.

Releasethehoundss · 04/11/2022 13:42

Please keep us updated. I'm so sorry it isn't turning out the way you (and the rest of us had hoped). I was really hoping for good news for the two of you. Please just take care of yourself and your wife and come back and update us whenever you seen to/are ready.

Original poster
GoldJules · 04/11/2022 09:25

@Rach247 @Releasethehoundss thank you for checking in! So kind of you. So I had my bloods done again yesterday, and they had gone from 2716 to 2382, so had stopped increasing. I was expecting it, to be honest. But then - they said that they are not dropping as quickly as they would like them to - and said they expected an ectopic and asked me to go straight back in for a scan. At first I was like, oh but I i'm in a workshop , and then I am going to the dentist - can I come tomorrow? And they were like - you're at risk of an internal rupture, so then I came to my senses and went back in! They scanned me and said that it wasn't an ectopic (phew!) and they could see a gestational sac, but no baby. They said that the private scan clinic had most likely missed it - and probably because I do have an anteverted - tilted - uterus. I thought that was most likely to be the case. They did ask me to go back again next Thursday just to double check, and it was up to me as to whether I stayed on medication, but it feels weird not to?! Anyway, they stressed it wasn't a viable pregnancy. And I think that if the sac is there, but empty and the hcg levels are going down - they're probably right. Thanks for all your support. I'll probably try again in the New Year, and would love to keep you posted, if that's okay? xx

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Releasethehoundss · 03/11/2022 20:29

Yes, been wondering how you are getting on...

Rach247 · 03/11/2022 20:25

Did you get tested again today OP?

Original poster
GoldJules · 01/11/2022 17:44

@Releasethehoundss thanks for replying so swiftly!! I'd love to hold out hope, but I going to be careful not to hold out too much of it. I definitely don't want to jeopardise anything by not taking my medication, though. Thanks for your support!!!! xx

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Releasethehoundss · 01/11/2022 17:35

@GoldJules it's wonderful you've updated us here. I'm always glad to hear you and your Mrs. have still got some hope. My hCG was only incresing by 36% and 40% at a time, it NEVER doubled. Definitely continue your medication. There is such a HUGE discrepancy in hCG levels that, although I'm not a doctor, I have only experienced my own pregnancy continuing whenever I was told my hCG was too low, I had miscarried, etc.
Thursday is only two days away, so if your levels are increasing still by at least 35%, I'd say you two still have a good chance at a viable pregnancy.
If I hadn't gone through it myself, I'd agree with what the doctors are saying every step of the way but some little ones do just defy all logic and odds. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you both and I really hope you get some good news. ❤

Original poster
GoldJules · 01/11/2022 17:03

@Releasethehoundss I hope its okay to update you on this. I went to the EPU this morning, and they said they wouldn't be scanning me - which I was fine with at the time, as it seemed like it was done deal that it was over, but they did say that they'd take my bloods and then again on Thursday (depending on the results of the bloods as if the hcg was very very low, there would be no point in coming back in). They said to come off my medication, which my private clinic concurred with. They also said that the threshold for picking up anything on a scan was 1,500 hcg, so suggested I must have been under that. They called me this afternoon, and said it was 2,700 - which I know is an increase on last Tuesday (as I did a clear blue digital test, the threshold for 3 weeks + is 2,700, and I was only showing 2-3 weeks then). I know 2,700 is still very very low for 7 weeks, but I feel like I might continue my medication until Thursday when I'm tested again...

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