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Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

Me again! BFP (yay!) but confused and worried about HCG levels

15 replies

Secretlifeofme · 08/01/2018 22:00

Some of you may have seen my recent thread 'help me to relax and stop stressing about my period'. Well I got my BFP on an FRER yesterday at 14dpo. Because of my history of miscarriage I went straight to the doctor yesterday evening (I'm not in UK so I am lucky enough to be able to do that!) and she gave me a blood test.

DH and I were gutted to learn that my HCG levels came back as ridiculously low - 7.8 :( and I was asked to come back on Friday for another test. The doctor implied that the pregnancy may not be viable or could be ectopic :(

However, this morning I have done a clearblue digital test and got a result of 'pregnant 1-2 weeks'. I am now super confused. Is this good news or could my HCG levels still be too low to indicate a viable pregnancy? I am 4 + 3 today.

OP posts:
Original poster
Secretlifeofme · 08/01/2018 22:04

I should add that the time difference means that it's Tuesday here now, so when I say 'yesterday' I mean Monday!

OP posts:
Celebelly · 08/01/2018 22:48

Are you certain of your ovulation day? Could you have ovulated a few days later than you think, hence the lower HCG reading than expected for 14dpo?

Celebelly · 08/01/2018 22:50

Also I think the Clearblue digital tests aren’t overly sensitive so I guess a result on those could be a good thing?

Original poster
Secretlifeofme · 08/01/2018 23:02

Thanks for the response Celebelly. I am pretty sure I ovulated on Christmas Day, as I had ovulation pains. I was thinking implantation could have been late, as at 13dpo I had some pink spotting. Just really want this to be a healthy pregnancy for once :(

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Celebelly · 08/01/2018 23:05

Everything crossed for you. I sometimes get pain a few days pre-ovulation that feels v similar to ov pain. I think it might be the follicle or something.

Xx

Clickncollect · 08/01/2018 23:13

I recently got a BFP on a FRER then Clearblue 1-2 weeks and my blood test HCG was 4! I couldn't believe it as I thought FRER were a minimum of 25 and CB 50. I'm
sorry to say that mine didn't progress from there but mine was due to fertility treatment so I was obviously certain of my dates whereas yours is natural and therefore can't be 100% certain of the actual moment of conception so it could be early. Really hope it all works out for you x

Frogqueen13 · 08/01/2018 23:16

What country are you in they might measure there levels in a different unit, we don't get a decimal point here, and it needs to be at least 10 (U.K.) for it to register

Original poster
Secretlifeofme · 08/01/2018 23:18

Thanks Clickncollect and I'm sorry for your loss :( that's really weird isn't it? How can the pregnancy tests detect such low levels? In your case, could I ask if you got the HCG level of 4 on the same day you did the clearblue test?

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Original poster
Secretlifeofme · 08/01/2018 23:20

Frog queen I'm in China. I don't think it's a different unit as far as I know - maybe they make a practice in the UK of rounding up to the nearest whole number?

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Fia256 · 09/01/2018 05:40

I recently was searching what the levels are for Clearblue and ended up on their website where they have a table for each week indicator. Says on there that 1-2 needs hcg to be a minimum of 10, so I think they have become much more sensitive these days than what people originally think! And frer is something silly as low as 6.5.

It could be that you ovulated later than you think you did and then implantation happened later too hence the low level? Everyone's hcg levels have to start at the bottom, and it could be you've caught it early but think your further along than you actually are.

I hope that helps @Secretlifeofme. It's such a stressful time when you get a bfp after having previous losses!

Original poster
Secretlifeofme · 09/01/2018 08:03

Thank you @Fia256, although that's not good news for me it is useful! I am trying to stay positive and think 'today I am pregnant'. Not holding out much hope though at the moment :(

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MynameisJune · 09/01/2018 09:10

I really hope this is good news for you but I think CB tests are much more sensitive. I got pregnant 1-2 weeks on a CB test on a Monday night at 8pm. Went to bed thinking everything was progressing well. I woke up on the Tuesday morning and had started bleeding. Unfortunately it ended in an early MC.

Clickncollect · 09/01/2018 19:43

@secretlifeofme - no, I did the CB one day before the HCG. On a side note, I have had previous successful fertility treatment (DS is 19 months) and at 14 days past transfer date, my levels were over 1300 so a bit different to 4 for this cycle!
Do you have any follow up blood tests booked?

Original poster
Secretlifeofme · 10/01/2018 23:23

Thanks @MynameisJune and I'm sorry for your loss. And thanks for the response @Clickncollect. I have another blood test tomorrow (Friday). In the meantime I have kept away from the pregnancy tests, as I don't think I would do myself much good testing repeatedly. I have had a tiny bit of pink spotting each day, but it hasn't increased at all so I'm not sure this is something to worry about. I have also had other pg symptoms including being totally exhausted at the end of each day, nausea and loss of appetite, and my boobs are sore, so I'm holding out some hope that the HCG will have increased by tomorrow. I'll keep you all posted Flowers

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Clickncollect · 11/01/2018 07:44

I think you've done the right thing in staying away from the tests - I always had a theory that the longer we wait, the more definitive an answer we will get either way.
I really do hope it is good news for you xx

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