AIBU to feel like I'm going mad?

[TeddyBoy14]

Hello,

I posted a week or so ago asking whether I should take a pregnancy test, and this a continuation of that thread really.

Posting here for traffic as I could really do with handholding/reassurance.

Hello,

I'm looking for some advice really, or to hear from anyone who's been in a similar situation/heard of anything like this before.

I'll try and keep it as brief as possible.

• 23rd February, I gave birth to our little girl, three months prematurely.
• 25th May I start my first Postpartum period. It last roughly 5-6 days and is daily heavy as you'd expect.
• 1st June I got the Copper (non hormonal) IUD fitted.
• 22nd June Period lasting 5-6 days. First day is very very heavy; second day heavy; days 3 & 4 medium flow; days 5 & 6 spotting.
• 20th July Period lasting 5-6 days. First day is very very heavy; second day heavy; days 3 & 4 medium flow; days 5 & 6 spotting.
• 10th August IUD check. All looks as should be.
• 16th September Period starts.
• First day is light-medium.
• Second day is heavy, but nowhere as heavy as previous months.
• Rest of the days are medium tailing off to spotting.
• 23rd September I realise that my moods are terrible, I'm snappy, irritable and crying at the drop of a hat. Feels like the worst PMT, despite finishing my period days before.
• 25th September Take two HPTs- both negative.
• My mood doesn't improve over the week and on the 28th of September at 13:30 I take a Lloyd's Pharmacy 10 miu/ml test. The faintest of faint lines appears within the time frame. I take a second test at 22:30 and again, a very faint second line appears, but it's definitely more visible than the afternoon's test.
• 29th September Test taken at the Dr's comes up negative. Bloods drawn.

• Today, 2/10 Take three more Lloyd's tests. One with FMU comes up negative. Second test done at 13:00 shows a faint but visible second line. Third test done at 13:45 with the tiniest bit of urine and diluted with water comes up with a very clear but not massively dark second line.

I've also notice the following symptoms:

• Veins on boobs are more pronounced.

• Areolas darker.

• Increased libido.

• "Heavy" feeling in uterus that I've only experienced when pregnant.

• Ligament pains in groin.

• Increase in gas and bloating.

• Boobs are also prickly/tingly. Again, only every experienced this when pregnant/lactating. They're also fuller and sore when touched. This is a typical PMT symptom for me but I usually only get it a lot later in my cycle.

• Fluttering sensation very low down, reminds me of the very first movements I felt with both babies. Totally different to gassy sensations I get.

And now here's what I really can't understand: the blood test result came back this afternoon as "not pregnant". Didn't give me any numbers or levels, but I was told the next step is to get a face to face appointment with my GP to discuss.

Can anyone shed some light on this?

I wasn't looking for symptoms as I was totally not expecting to conceive given I've got the coil and our baby girl is only 7 months old (4 months corrected age). Still, I could understand some of the symptoms being in my head, but that doesn't explain the BFPs?

I'm now wondering if perhaps the period I had in September wasn't a "real" one and maybe I'm potentially further along in a pregnancy and that might explain the very light BFPs- i.e. the hCG has become too high to be readable by a home pregnancy test so it's showing false negatives.

I also thought maybe the first two tests were Evaps, but to get five of them?! That'd be seriously unlucky wouldn't it?

I've attached pictures of my tests for reference. So difficult to capture them on camera, but the lines are definitely there and more obvious in person. If anyone has any suggestions or has experienced this, I'd love to hear from you all as I honestly don't understand what's happening to me and feel like I'm losing my mind 😢.

Thank you in advance, and apologies it was such a lengthy one.

You've got the coli in the right place, you've had a period, and the dr's test is negative. If you have to put filters on your photos to see the lines on tests then they aren't really there.
You're not pregnant.

Did you ask for an ultrasound referral?

Sorry if this wasn’t the result you wanted but I think it’s not a positive this time.

BeingA No, don't worry, it's not a bad thing at all really. I just wanted to make sure it was followed up due to the various circumstances and the confusing nature of the tests and symptoms. Thanks for your support 😘.

Existential I only had it confirmed at this appointment that the coil is in the right place. Since the last check it might haven moved and I wouldn't have known.

The filters were simply to make it show up clearer on the screen. They are much more obvious in real life .

Thanks for your reply.

Lelapaletute She wants to see what the next blood test shows before going down the ultrasound route.

I think people are being a bit unecessarily harsh on this thread. I would want to be certain if I was in your situation.

It depends on how long it has been sitting there. I look for result within the time period (not too early and not too late) if it has been sitting there, it is probably a evaporate line (so?)

I mean (spelling?) NOT (so?)

OP - why don't you just buy one of the digital tests that just say "pregnant" or "not pregnant?" They can detect HCG from about 2 days, I think?

Blueberrypie0112 All came up within 10 minutes, which is the acceptable time frame I think.

The last one yesterday came up within a minute and is definite pink tinged.

I'm well aware I sound like I'm obsessing/seeing lines that aren't there/going crazy but, as BeingA pointed out, it's important for me to have dotted all my is and crossed my ts.

As it is, if I WAS pregnant, I'd probably not be able to have it (doctors have strongly advised me it would be too high risk- especially having only given born in February), which is something I'd rather have to "deal with" (as heartbreaking as that prospect would be) sooner rather than later.

Crescend0 Really, wow, I was always under the impression the Digital tests were less sensitive? I'm under Doctor's orders not to test again but if these symptoms continue I'll be getting hold of one.

Even more reason for you to need to know. for you OP! This must be really stressful.

Those Lloyds tests are awful for false lines, I had them when I most definately was not pregnant! Another lady on a forum was the same and got her husband to do one.... positive!!!! 😡😡

Thank you for the flowers 😊.

It IS stressful. As much as I would LOVE to be pregnant (couldn't be around pregnant women after the premature birth, which was.... difficult. Having to be at the Maternity Hospital everyday for three months to visit the NICU unit didn't help with that 😔. I felt robbed of my pregnancy as I knew it was the last time I'd ever be pregnant) and have a third baby, the stakes are just too high really.

Hence again, and I'm trying to be awfully British about this and not refer directly to "it", as I don't want to upset or trigger anyone, why I needed to be sure, double sure, triple sure of what's going on.

HotPink Oh. My. Goodness, that's truly awful. I can't believe they haven't been taken off the market in that case 😱.

hotpink if a man's urine tests positive for Hcg then he needs to go to the doctor. I think that can be an indicator of medical issues- maybe testicular cancer?

Hello, InSpace is correct, Hcg in the urine can indicate other conditions. If the Hcg is still showing at your next doctor visit, but you doubt that you are pregnant, please ask them to do a scan and test for molar pregnancy/gestational trophoblastic disease. It's fairly rare, and not all doctors (even hospital clinics) will check as a matter of course. In my case it took months of to-ing and fro-ing before it was picked up, and only then after cells from my womb were sent to the specialist clinic in London for biopsy. It's probably not this at all, but it would be good to check and I couldn't scroll on without commenting, given my own experience of the same symptoms.

Ditch llyods test and get clear blue or similar brand

Thisismytemporaryusername

I'm so sorry to hear what you've been through and how long it took to be discovered.

I really appreciate you taking the time to comment and to share your experience. I do hope you're doing well otherwise?

x

Thank you TeddyBoy. Yes I'd like to add that, following chemotherapy, I am cured and in fact 98-100% of these tumours are said to be curable if they are contained within the womb. Once in the system at Charing Cross (there are just 2 specialist centres in the UK) the care I received was superb, and the follow up extremely thorough. This was 13 years ago, and I still provide a sample twice a year for checking. I had a 3 year old at the time, and went on to have another baby who is now 10! I do hope everything works out well for you xx

Thisismytemporaryusername I am so happy to hear that it was caught in time and received the best case possible (eventually!). Must have been a horribly worrying time for you, and having a Toddler to contend with. Wonderful that you went on to have another baby and it all turned out for the best for you.

Thank you 😊, I appreciate that xx