When to test?

[Nicolelinda96]

Hi guys. I recently had what may have been a chemical pregnancy.

I miscarried at 5.5 weeks and the bleeding stopped around 15 days ago. We have been having sex regularly (2-3 times a week) since about 2 days after the bleeding stopped. There is a possibility that you can conceive soon after a miscarriage, so I do plan on taking a test at some point unless my period arrives within the next couple of weeks. I had mild symptoms last time (I found out at 4.5 ish weeks) and was already having mild symptoms (bloating, cramps, larger breasts) . Should I just wait to see if any symptoms happen? I’m very impatient lol and will struggle to hold off for very long! Should I wait a month and if I have mild symptoms or no period, test then? I will be using a first response as they are the most sensitive.

Note: my hcg will be below 5 now as I feel back to normal and it was very very low anyway.

@Nicolelinda96 I feel every bit of the emotions you're going through.
I had a chemical pregnancy in July, which was heart breaking 🥺
I personally waited until I had a period in August then got straight back at it again.
Currently in my 2 week wait and I'm obsessing over every twinge, niggle and sensation in body 🙈🙈
I know it's easy for others to say but try to think positive and plan stuff to do whether it's a walk or meeting up with friends for dinner/lunch etc. This helps keep your mind active, personally for me it stops me obsessing about it 🙈🤣
Keep me posted and remember to have fun whilst trying again 🥰xx

@Nicolelinda96 I'm sorry for your loss!
Do you have regular cycles?

They are pretty regular, yeah. Not to the day, but I get a normal period every month within a few days of the same time.

I'd calculate with the same cycle as usual. Depending on how long your bleeding was, you'd be on cd 20? 25?

I have no idea. But if you count the first day of my last period, it was 38-40 days from that I believe. I bled for 7 days in total

To add. I mean the bleeding started 38-40 days after my last period started. I started bleeding (at this time only a bit of pink spotting) on the 13th of last month. That stopped on the 20th. So I could potentially have ovulated already, or be approaching it. I had mild sympathy time, so I’m thinking of waiting for those, or if my period doesn’t return by next month.

That would make you cd24 then. Depending on your normal cycle you could be ovulating or even already past ovulation?

Yes I have deduced that I am either currently ovulating or a little past it. It’s tough because the mc could mean that I ovulate a little later and delay my period. But I shall test in about 3 weeks if my period doesn’t make an appearance.

A little off topic, but I’m terrified that Ive harmed my chances of conceiving and keeping a pregnancy due to past struggles with alcohol. I haven’t drank anything for close to a year, but it’s still a worry. I’d binge every few months and I’d drink A LOT. On a couple of occasions, I recall chugging hard liquor, but typically I would drink a mixture of different things until I blacked out. I’m scared I’ve damaged my eggs by doing this. I feel so stupid and regret it so much.

I don't think you have anything to worry if you stopped drinking a year ago. It's a different story if you're binge drinking in the 2ww for example.

Tbh I’ve seen very little evidence out there to suggest that short term alcohol abuse (these binges occurred sporadically over the course of 2 years) has a significant affect. It’s probably just my anxiety talking and I know one early mc is still within the normal and I didn’t have any issue conceiving either. But it’s just hard waiting to conceive again, because all I have is this negative experience of an early loss.

My mind is torturing me ffs. It keeps going back to one very specific time when I chugged probably 200ml of neat gin. (This was one time only) That must’ve damaged a lot of my eggs, right? Meaning that an embryo can never develop properly? I hate myself and am beyond mortified and devastated that I might’ve ruined my chances of having my own baby.

No, that's not how our body works dear. You don't ruin all your existing eggs just because you were binge drinking. Otherwise our mankind would be doomed :)

Ok so I’m pretty sure I ovulated either yesterday or the day before. Is it a good plan to test 12-14 days from now?

To add: if I count the first day of proper bleeding from my MC/CP as day one of my cycle, I’m apparently on CD26? So is it possible that I already ovulated? Confused.

So I had larger , slightly achy breasts about 3 days after my period was due last time, so if I don’t get those, should I bother testing? Can symptoms vary that much?

@Nicolelinda96 yes, first day of bleeding = CD1.
A woman with a 28 day cycle will probably ovulate at CD14. But the longer the cycle, the later the ovulation.
Do you track your ovulation with BBT or OPK?

No I don’t. My cycles are roughly monthly, maybe a couple of days more, so my ovulation will most likely be later than cd14 as you said. It may also be a little delayed by the mc.

Ok so if the first day of proper bleeding was cd1, this would be the 14th august. This puts me at cd26. If my cycle was 28 days then I could’ve potentially ovulated on the 28th at the earliest. If I put my cycle at 32 days, then I could’ve ovulated on the 1st-2nd of this month, meaning that I may already be 6-7dpo? Could I potentially have ovulated that early?

Oops I calculated it wrong. If I go by 2 weeks after the mc, the earliest I could’ve ovulated would be the 4th of this month. That means I may be 4dpo- is it possible that I could’ve ovulated before that? Or is it bare minimum 2 weeks post mc?

Please tell me that taking a test would be pointless. I’m tempted to buy one lol

When they say that you can ovulate as soon as 2 weeks post mc, does this mean after the bleeding had stopped or from the start of the mc?

I have an early miscarriage in July and ovulated a week and a bit later and am now pregnant again I found out at 3 weeks 5dsys :)

@Nicolelinda96 they calculate from the first day of the bleeding, as this is the only reliable date so to speak, because bleeding length can vary a lot.

I caved and took a test this morning didn’t I? A clear blue blue cross one (25mu) there’s still a chance, right? It’s too early and that’s not the most sensitive test, right?