Faint positives for last three cycles

[tuckingfits]

Hi, this is my first post in here. I am very lucky & already have a 3 year old & an 8 month old. This is our third cycle of ttc number 3.

For the three cycles I have tested on, I have had faint positive lines on branded tests however haven't been convinced & have had my usual heavy periods (except this cycle but I'll get to that in a minute!). My cycle length is still not settled from my second baby, periods started again at 6 weeks despite EBF (still bfing), but anywhere between 29-32 days. This month I used ovulation predicting sticks alongside my usual signs of ovulation, just to try to make sure I was reading them right, I was.

This month, my period is due anytime from yesterday until Thursday (day 32). I had a faint positive on first response last night, faint +ve on a Sainsbury own brand & faint +ve on a clear blue non digital today. I now have some very light pinky discharge & don't know if it's the start of my period which I wouldn't have expected until tomorrow really even though if could have been due yesterday, ir possibly implantation bleeding.

I know nobody can answer whether or nt I'm pregnant, will have to do another test in the morning, buuut, am wondering if anyone could shed some light on why I've been having positive tests. Could I still have hcg in my system from my pregnancy to term 8 months ago or wtf is going on with my body?! DP has been able to see lines last month but I haven't shown him this month as don't want to excite him for nothing again.

Sorry for the length & I hope it makes sense, does anyone have any ideas? TIA.

Hi there. Have you tried testing at other times during your cycle or just around time of AF? You should not still have HCG in your body from your last pregnancy so I am wondering if you have either been very unlucky and had a couple of chemical pregnancies or if you could have something else causing low levels of HCG such as ovarian cysts. Or are you on any medications that could be causing false positives? I would definitely go and discuss with your doctor.Good luck and hope baby number 3 comes along soon!

Thank you so much ladyflower. I was wondering about chemical pregnancies. That would be three in a row... Full blown period now. I'll have to read up about chem pregnancy. I haven't tested at other times of the cycle but will do this month & see what comes of it. I'm taking a prenatal multivitamin & ferrous sulphate but that's all.

Hope it's nothing to worry about. Thanks for taking the time to reply. :)

In case anyone reads this... I have been utterly knackered, feeling like tripe today, forgetful & bloated. Put it all down to the very heavy, clotty period I was/am having, but tonight I thought I'd do the last Clearblue test to see if the line was still there. It is & it's much stronger. If I were miscarrying, it would be fainter surely? I know you can bleed to the point of it being like a period as I did with my first baby but this is crazy - super plus Tampax soaking into & soaking a towel within two hours, heavy.

I'm going to go to the gp drop-in surgery tomorrow & see what they can suggest/do. Wow!

I'd go to the EPU but it does sound like a miscarriage fingers crossed for you though tucking!

Thank you. I did another clear blue on Thursday night to test the theory of bizarre hcg, it was a proper strong line which has thrown me. Went to go Friday for a blood test, might get result tomorrow & will need to have more blood taken to check rising or falling level.

Had extremely heavy bleeding yesterday afternoon & midwife friend said to phone out of hours maternity care as EPAS closed at the weekend. They said it seems positive that I'm not having cramps & to phone back tomorrow morning when the Early Pregnancy Assessment Suite is open. I don't know if it's worth a scan because it seems so unlikely to me that anything could still be in there after the blood & clots that I have had. I'll obviously phone & follow their advice though. (still having positive tests, first response yesterday gave me the strongest line I've ever had from one of those even with my two children. I'm trying to stay realistic but it's hard to keep my hopes in check).

What worries me the most is the previous faint positives. Three miscarriages/chemical pregnancies in a row? That can't be good.

If you've had three then if you go to the GP they'll start to investigate as it I've heard it could be something as simple as low progesterone and they give you something to make the levels up.

I hope you get good news!

I don't wish to give you any false hope, but when this happened to my friend she was miscarrying one of her twins. She has a gorgeous 10 month old DD from that pregnancy.

Good luck tomorrow. Xx

Tucking, how many days are you having between ovulation and AF?

14-15 days between OV & AF ladyf.

Thanks Horace. That has occurred to me, guess we'll just see what happens. No bleeding at all so far today. It's all very odd after the horror show of yesterday.

Ok so plenty of time to implant. Well I wish you luck at the epu tomorrow and hope it's good news or you at least find out what's going on. Keep us posted x

How did it go? Are you ok?

Hi. So I phoned the Epu just after 9, they then phoned me back to take details after 1. Basically they want me to get the blood results from gp & have more blood taken to compare hcg levels. If the levels are going up they would scan me in a couple of weeks. She said to keep doing pregnancy tests (mmm-hmm).

GP was shut for lunch, then I phoned Gm& the receptionist accessed system for results & said she doesn't know what she's looking at (no shit) & that the dr was out on house calls, but she'd get him to phone me back. This was just after 2, no call back so far. She wouldn't make me another appt for bloods.

Anyway, the receptionist from gp just phoned as I was typing that & said gp has made me an appt for scan at epu at 10 tomorrow! He'll ring me after surgery this afternoon to discuss why...

Fingers crossed.

I did a CB digital this afternoon & it says pregnant 1-2 weeks. However, I know ov was three weeks ago tomorrow, we only dtd once, the night before ov & so am I right in thinking that hcg levels could be dropping or at these digital tests sometimes wrong?

So many questions! I'll be back tomorrow to let you know the outcome of the scan if not before. Thanks for thinking of me.xx

Goodness. How cryptic. Hope you speak to the GP soon.

As for digi tests, 1) you did the test in the afternoon when your wee / hcg levels are less concentrated, and b) they do have a margin of dating error.

I worried myself when I POAS the day I should've gone to 2-3 weeks when it remained at 1-2, but hcg levels vary between women anyway, plus it's not an exact science.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

Should've said, my hcg levels were fine (I'm now almost 35 weeks' pregnant!).

This website is useful: m.huggies.com.au/pregnancy/early-stages/symptoms/hcg-levels/chart/

That's really helpful Horace, thank you! Level is 35 apparently, which the midwife said seems low but can't use it alone - needs another test for comparison, which I knew. I'm not worried, what will be will be & I can't influence it now but what we find out tomorrow can only be seen as positive either way - there's either a perfectly healthy & happy cell bundle in there or there's not & it will prompt further investigations to help me grow a healthy one in future. Still no call from gp but probably still seeing patients.

Congratulations on your pregnancy! Is this your first baby? What a wonderful, hectic & mind-blowing time you have ahead! Eeee!

Hi Tuckingfits, what a confusing day! Glad to hear you have been booked in for a scan tomorrow, so at least it you won't have it dragging on for another couple of weeks. You sound really positive, which is good to hear. Fill us in tomorrow x

What a roller coaster! Hope you get the news you want!

It is low, but that chart suggests not abnormally low. Very confusing.

Good luck tomorrow.

And no, my second. DD is only just a year old, so I really do have chaos ahead! :-)

How did it go? Are you OK?

Good luck OP.

Sounds frustrating to say the least

I'm hopping on board if thats okay? I'm interested to see what's happening :-) hoping scan went okay OP :-)

Hi. Well, what a day. Have only just got the blood results & been spending time with the children after abandoning them with dp this morning!

Hcg is now 282!!! Wasn't expecting that. Progesterone is 16.5 which they say is quite low but not to read into it as lots of places don't measure it.

My midwife friend is unofficially suggesting perhaps it was multiples & I've miscarried one.

They didn't scan me, I have to go back (an hour drive each way) on Thursday for more bloods & then get those results Thursday afternoon & see from there. If it's still going up they will scan me. Which will be another set of driving & childcare without letting people know why, dp is self-employed & can't keep taking mornings off.

Sorry for leaving you hanging, I just didn't see the point in giving you half the information.

Horace you have a busy time ahead!! I don't know how you found your first baby, mine was issue-filled & first 18 months was hard going, but baby number two has been such an easygoing delight that we have been lead into trying for number three, obviously. Let's hope it's as easy & happy as she is!

That sounds like very good news! I'm excited for your Thursday appt now. :-)

DD wasn't too bad. Not much of a sleeper, so I'm hoping we get one of those this time! She's a lovely little girl, so fingers crossed DC2 has a similar temperament.

sounds like a roller coaster op. good luck for Thursday x