FRER detecting previous pregnancy?

[camcw]

Hi all,

WHOOPS! Not sure how i managed that!

Anyway here it goes.

I sadly suffered a miscarriage last cycle (4 weeks ago) at 6wk+4. I got a negative pregnancy test about a week later and started trying again. I only used a cheapie strip test though, which I'm kicking myself about now.

At CD15 I got a positive OPK which was confirmed with BBT.

On Friday, which was 12 DPO, I got a BFP on a FRER and a faint squinter on a cheapie strip. Obviously delighted thinking I was being a second chance, but naturally very anxious given the previous MC. Today I am 14 DPO and took a CB digital with FMU - BFN I followed that up with another FRER and cheapie but got pretty much exactly the same result as 12 DPO - don't think the lines have progressed at all.

Do you think I'm having a chemical? Or is it possible that the FRER is detecting HCG from my MC?

The CB leaflet states sensitivity of 25 so should really be positive by 14 DPO shouldn't it

Will try to attach pic of both FRERs - top one is today.

PS Should probably add that my cycles are a bit irregular but average length 26 days, this is CD 29 and no sign of AF. However given that I haven't had a period since the MC I guess I wouldn't expect it to turn up at the usual time anyway.

I think FRER have 6.3 sensitivity so could very well be a genuine positive! I'd say fairly likely it is if you've had a negative test after previous loss as well!

Tentative congrats!

Thank you Apple Just really finding it hard to be positive at the moment as I feel like the frer should be a stronger line by now and digital should be positive too... My last pregnancy also started with very faint lines and obviously that didn't end well Maybe I'm being overly pessimistic but I guess it's probably natural following a MC. I also don't have any symptoms, which I know can also be completely normal, but is doing nothing to help my worry!

I wouldn't have really said they are faint lines OP, they are about as dark as I got at 13 dpo! I also continued to test and got a faint line on a cheap super drug one at 8 weeks and panicked. I'm now 16+6 so don't lose hope!

Unfortunately if you are certain on your OPK dates then you should definitely get a BFP on a digital by 14DPO as they are well over 95% accurate by this point.

Assuming that the BFN you got after your miscarriage was on a first response then the BFPs you've got are mostly likely a chemical sorry 💐

I would leave it one period before TTC again - you need to give you lining time to recover to be able to support a new pregnancy or you could risk having further chemicals x

Thank you for everyone's support

IVF that's exactly what I was thinking about the digital test, and I'm pretty certain on my OV dates as I had both a OPK surge and then temp spike after. My confusion is because I (stupidly) didn't use a FRER after the MC just a cheapie, so although I got a negative, I'm now questioning it and wondering if the FRER is picking up levels left over from the MC. I guess either way it makes no difference, it doesn't look hopeful for this cycle does it.

It's interesting what you said about leaving it a month. I read a lot online before we started trying again and there is so much conflicting information and opinions, it's so confusing. I did read about one large study that suggested higher rates of live births for women who conceive again straight away. But then again plenty of people disagreeing with that for the reason you say. It's so hard to know what's for the best.

Thank you for your advice though

I think when the studies state "conceive again straight away" they don't mean less than 2 weeks later.... it's generally said up to 6 months after a miscarriage you are more fertile

I'm a member of lots of groups having had 5 miscarriages and 2 ectopics myself and see so many posts from women who say they've had multiple chemical pregnancies back to back and asking what they are doing "wrong" - but if you ask them whether they actually tried having a break of one period in between they say no.

I know it's tempting to get straight back to TTC - I nearly died from a ruptured ectopic though having had back to miscarriages without a period inbetween and suspected fluid built up causing the 3rd BFP to be an ectopic. But for every story like mine you'll get a post from someone saying they didn't wait and had a healthy pregnancy but that tends to be on the 2nd BFP and not if you have more than 2 miscarriages/chemicals in a row

I'm so sorry to hear what an awful time you've been through. Thank you for sharing that advice, I do wish I'd waited now in hindsight, especially with this being Christmas week. It helped me to deal with the MC by being proactive and 'getting back on it', and I think i thought it would help me get through Christmas better if I was pregnant again - instead all I have is more disappointment!

Thank you again, I do appreciate the advice x

@camcw I personally think you should do what works for you mentally. NHS advice is also for people to wait one cycle off the pill before trying, but ultimately it is up to you. There is no evidence there is any risk trying straight from a MC and I've seen 100s of success stories of people falling straight away (without waiting a cycle) on the MN pregnancy boards.
If you are pretty certain you ovulated then it is very unlikely to be left over HCG. I'm no expert, but my understanding is you don't ovulate if you still have HCG present. Those lines are exactly what mine looked like at 14DPO (I'm now 9+5). I would personally wait 2 days, given HCG doubles every 2 days, and test again with a FRER to check progression. Only when you see some progression also try with thr digital. Got everything crossed for you xx

Thank you so much @AMS19 . And congratulations to you! I want to be realistic but obviously it's hard not to hold on to some hope too! So it's nice to have some reassuring words. The uncertainty that is so hard. But yes to be on the safe side I will keep testing until the witch shows up!

@camcw it is really tough. And I've learnt just gets worse after the BFP, as you well know too. Let me know how it goes when you retest, would love to hear some positive news in the current sh*t storm surrounding us right now 😂😂

@AMS19 I will! Although please don't hold your breath, as I'm expecting this will just be the final nail in the coffin for 2020 for us! Wishing you a very happy and healthy rest of your pregnancy x

Arrrrraaaggggh update this morning. Am now 15 DPO, no AF and BBT well above cover line.

Took a First Response this morning but a Rapid Response rather than an Early Response, think I just wanted to see if I had a line on a 'normal test'. Got a clear line but I still think pretty faint for 15 DPO. Then a cheapie in the hope of seeing progression, but it was barely there. (All attached)

Then caved and did another CB digital, this one came up pregnant! Now my head's all over the place.

My hcg levels must be going up... but I'm so worried about how faint my lines are for this stage, and the fact that the digital was negative yesterday. Also it's saying 1 - 2 weeks but I'm at 2 - 3 weeks past DPO.

@ivfbeenbusy in your experience does this still sound like a chemical?

My last pregnancy started out with faint lines around this same time, and CB weeks were always behind (although did go up to 2 - 3 which is when I stopped testing). I MCed at 6 weeks so I'm just really worried the whole thing is repeating itself now

@camcw that all sounds very positive! Cb digitals are notorious for being behind with the weeks one!

I don't think anybody on here can tell you what's going on, your best option is to ring your EPU and explain and get them to scan you or take HCG bloods to see if things are developing.

Good luck xx

@camcw

Difficult to say still - clearblue digital with weeks are reported to have a hcg threshold of as little as 10 which is a lot lower than most think (the U.K. website gives one level whilst the instructions give another)

Tentatively I'd say this is a new pregnancy BUT like you would also expect darker lines/more progression at this point to give greater confidence in viability?

Thank you everyone. I know no-one can give me an answer at this point, it's just a waiting game but just so hard! The uncertainty is just so awful. If I'm still testing positive after Christmas I'll ask my gp to take bloods. Not going to bother with my EPU as they were more useless than a chocolate teapot when I was having my MC!

Don't forget to take in to account when implantation can happen. You may be 14dpo, but what if you only implanted say 11dpo for example? Your hormones may be on increase, which is why the digital has only just given you your BFP. They aren't as sensitive as the FRER.

I didn't get a strong positive until well after my missed period with my DD.

All I can say is take it as a BFP and maybe take a couple more tests over the next few days to check line progression.

Congratulations OP

Thank you @Pudding01. I know it's just a case of waiting it out to see what happens at this point. But it definitely makes the wait more bearable to hear some reassuring words. I've been doing a lot of Googling and haven't seen any stories of people with a faint line at this point that doesn't end badly But the digital is still positive for now (did another this afternoon, I know i have fully lost it) so I can't give up hope just yet.

Google can either be your best friend or a total mind haha. Glad you got another positive :) if it's on a digital it is definitely real! Keep us updated when it goes up to 2-3 weeks x

I will. Keeping everything crossed for some Christmas magic!

Just wanted to give an update. Over the past few days I have been doing a lot of Internet searching trying to make sense of what is happening to me, and although it wasn't always what I wanted to hear it did help me to understand and prepare myself. The worst was coming across threads without an outcome though so here it is!

Unfortunately yesterday (16 dpo) my line got even fainter. Today (17 dpo) got a bfn and started spotting this afternoon. So that's that. I did also have a bit of a BBT plummet this morning so that was also a sign of things to come.

I know chemicals are common, but given that it followed a MC I'm now worried so that there could be an underlying issue. Any reassuring stories from people who have had similar and gone on to have a successful pregnancy afterwards would be very welcome!

I don't subscribe to the view that the solution to chemical pregnancies is not to test early. My average cycle length is 26 days (has been as short as 22 in the past 5 months) so when I tested at 12 dpo it was already well past my period due date - I'm effectively a week late today (well, not anymore) so I would have known i was pregnant whether I had done a test or not.

I know a lot of people say stop testing as soon as you get your bfp, but for me I'm so glad I continued to psoas like a crazy person as I knew something was up at the earliest opportunity - which for me was a good thing, I never allowed myself to get excited this time. It's a personal thing, but for me ignorance isn't bliss and I'd rather be prepared for what's coming.

Just my opinions

Thank you for everyone's support and wisdom, it really has helped

Sorry to hear this @camcw

I would have a break of one period before TTC again - perhaps let your GP know about this second chemical pregnancy so that they have it on their records. That way if worse happens and you have another one then you can ask for a referral to a recurrent miscarriage clinic for additional testing

How old are you OP? X

@camcw I am so sorry ❤ No matter how early it is, a loss is a loss and it is horrible.

I don't have any mc experience, as my first two pregnancies were ectopic and I've only had 1 chemical a few years ago. But I know what it's like to lose hope, so all I can do is offer support and say that I now have a healthy 3 year old. I agree with pp that maybe take a little break and then try again. No harm in speaking to a doctor for any medical checks to give you peace of mind x