Please help I’m terrified!

[Hall24]

So 3rd month ttc.. first two months I was pregnant but had a chemical pregnancy, I am now pregnant third month in a row.. however I’m 13dpo today first proper positive after very faint one yesterday and now I’ve had cramps all day today and now abit of spotting I’m crying thinking it’s going to be my 3rd chemical in a row. Do you get implantation bleeding before or after your positive test?

@crumblingschools these are all today my first faint positive at 13dpo, If I never mentioned how many dpo I was everyone would be like yeah there’s defo a faint line! Like I said I had these lines on 2 months tests too with also first response positives too so my initial post was worrying it will happen again. Don’t need everyone try tell me I’m seeing things because I’m not. The first repsonses I took and yes stuck into a book to compare tests shows this.

@MummyV2021
thankyou for this!x
you post on here for advice and support but you get people telling you maybe you should have a break from ttc for a while.. what!? Crazy honestly.

Hey OP, can you try one of those digital tests that actually say the words ‘pregnant’ or ‘not pregnant’? Just so that you get a more definitive answer. I hope you’re ok

I understand your panic @Hall24 I've been there myself with an early loss at 6 weeks where the tests never progressed, followed by a MMC, followed by a 19 week loss of my son. I really sympathise know the longing and the heartbreak.

Implantation bleeding happens 2-3 days before a positive test as it's the blastocyst embedding in the womb. It's after it takes 48 hours after implantation/spotting for HCG to show up. However, it is quite normal to spot in early pregnancy, so if you've ovulated late and it doesn't progress to full on period heaviness, it could be okay.

The Clearblue in negative. There might be a faint line on it in person, but if it's not visible on a camera at all and you have to squint to see it in person, it's best to consider it a negative as there's no 'maybe' option with them. The ones with the cross aren't early response, they're designed for after a missed period, and they're also well known for evaps, so I wouldn't trust it, sadly,

I do see the positives clearly on the easy@homes. It's always hard to tell with these when they first pick up HCG whether they're positive or evaps unless the line is strong and pink immediately. The only way to know is either throw the tests away and wait for AF to be late, then test again afterwards, or test in 48 hours to check for progression. The best way to confirm is to use two different brands of early detection pink dye tests, or a FRER, because Clearblue can't really be trusted when it comes to faint or incomplete lines like this.

As difficult and as upsetting as it is, anyone who has had a loss has to come to terms with it being out of our control. No amount of stressing will change the outcome. It's really hard to accept and totally understand wanting to do all you possibly can to prevent it, but whatever happens, it's not your fault. Be really kind to yourself.

Try to give yourself 48 hours and test again. You'll have your answer for certain then, and I have absolutely everything crossed that it's a lovely, positive one ❤️

Hi, this was my positive on the same test at the same point (just checked - 12 dpo). This is what you’re looking for. I would say you aren’t pregnant yet - rather than it’s a chemical

I can see the faint lines, which could be the start of a positive.

I spent 2.5 years trying to conceive and I know it's difficult, but the only way to not drive yourself crazy is by waiting until your period is due or late before testing, if positive then you are definitely pregnant.

My early symptoms were terrible cramping until I was around 5 weeks.
Also just before AF was due, I was really hot and couldn't cool down.

Fingers crossed and best of luck to you.

@Impr90 i was holding off getting one of those for a few days until i saw a stronger line cos there not the cheapest are they!x

Yes totally understandable xx

@Hall24 the tests you’ve posted all look negative, that’s what people are telling you. If you are reading negative tests as positives, and diagnosing chemical pregnancies/early miscarriages every month, you’re probably causing yourself more stress and upset for nothing.

You've had some really unsympathetic responses here - I'm really sorry you're so anxious. The process is difficult even when it's early days! I can see the positives on the cheapies - that's how mine looked at 10DPO, and then darker by 12DPO. Sadly it was a chemical also. I know they look grey in the photos I took but they were deffo positive as I had faint lines on other tests too!!!

I hope you've implanted late, but if not and it is another chemical I would be asking my GP for some tests just to put your mind at ease. Most CP is bcos the embryo is not genetically correct, so your body is being super efficient... as hard as it is. They are sooooo common. Be kind to yourself and step away from the tests for 2 days if u can 💖

I would assume it was highly unlikely to get pregnant every month, so as some of the tests aren’t very reliable the OP probably hasn't been pregnant and is causing herself unnecessary stress and sadness, by thinking she was pregnant. So probably best to give tests a rest, and if by chance she has miscarried every month then might be an idea to take a break from TTC

TTC can be stressful, testing continuously in the early days doesn’t help.

I'm surprised people are saying those strip tests are negative or evaps. I can definitely see the lines and they have colour.

I used those tests with my current pregnancy and had lines like that around your DPO even though I was getting faint positives on FRER from 9DPO. I'll never use them again, they are useless for progression and took ages to show an obvious line (probably about 17 DPO when I was getting dye stealers on FRERs!)

You could try testing one of them with water and seeing if a line appears if you're worried about a bad batch. If I were you I'd get some FRERs or boots pink dye tests.

I understand OP, if I saw those lines, however faint, I would be wondering too.

This month I was over a week late on my period, for the first time TTC in many years and the first time in years cycle went like this, and stark white negatives the whole time. Wondering what went on.

I read an old post on here I found very helpful explaining the science behind it - https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/conception/3218493-preggo-test-science-for-TTC-geeks

and also this site it has stats on test results days past ovulation etc - https://www.countdowntopregnancy.com/pregnancy-test/

From the science post, I learned that sperm can live for 5 days waiting for the egg, we can ovulate earlier/later than when we think (the only way to absolutely 100% confirm/pinpoint when ovulation has definitely occurred, is to be medically monitored with scans I think). We can also implant earlier or later (6 days to 12 days), and also in each woman 'baseline' (non pregnant) HCG levels can vary a lot, as can time to double.

The NHS website states urine tests are accurate 14-21 days after intercourse occurred, but obviously if you are having regular intercourse, this could be anytime.

So it's really variable between each woman and even each month. With these early tests being so sensitive, a lot of very very early pregnancies are being detected even if they don't progress. I understand how this feels, as I've had miscarriages at 5 weeks previously.

I hope this month turns out to be a success for you (how certain are you that you are 13 dpo? and have you DTD regularly? cause I only DTD once last month and I knew negative meant negative at 3 weeks post DTD), and if not then very soon. xx

Honestly OP, it's early days for you TTC and, if I was in your position, I would be stepping away from the obsessive testing for the sake of my sanity!

If you've had 2 x chemicals already then you know that these very early days are so uncertain and the only way of telling if the pregnancy will 'stick' is with time.

I honestly think you should stop testing. Wait to miss a period by a few days, take one test and get a proper clear answer either way...... if you really must test again after that then wait at least 48 hours in between tests to allow the hcg to increase.

Good luck

I'm sorry OP, they do look negative to me, I used strips like that for ovulation and used to see lines but it wasn't till I actually got a proper positive I realised what I thought were positives weren't. I do think it would be very unlikely to get pregnant 3 months in a row. Maybe consider going for bloods to confirm and it would put your mind at ease more than continually doing tests..

Sorry op but I do think they are negative. I had clear positives at 12dpo on all different types of test and on digitals..id also recommend leaving it 48hrs between testing as your hcg should've doubled by then so there would be an obvious positive if it was

What are todays tests like op?
I’ve been stung a few times with strip tests and false positives so I’m wary, but I do see faint lines on yours

I’m not sure a GP would help yet, this is the OP’s third month of TTC.

Good morning 🙂I didn't suggest this because it's her third month TTC, but because she's had three chemicals. My sister is an OBGYN, albeit in another country, so I do have some evidence behind the suggestion - she would always say multiple chemicals can be a sign of poor quality eggs being ovulated (which don't product enough progesterone when they then get released), so there may be benefit in trying something like clomid. Equally with young couples she'd say keep going and it's probably going to come good one month! It just depends. I don't think it can hurt for OP to speak to their GP to see, even just to talk about their anxiety. Meant with care and support x

I'm not sure what everyone is on about as I can personally see very faint lines.

However, I do think they are too faint for 13dpo. That said, you might have ovulated a bit later, you might have implanted later, it's possible that this could go on to be a healthy pregnancy, however in my heart I think it is unlikely.

I recently had an ectopic pregnancy and I tested every day whilst I lost the pregnancy, and had blood tests throughout. As such I now know with my own eyes exactly what a pregnancy test looks like when you have all sorts of HCG levels right down to 30, 25, 15 and 6 and then zero.

This one looks exactly like the very last test I took with any sort of line (the day the hospital measured my HCG in my blood at 6). So unless this gets darker tomorrow then I'm ever so sorry, but with the cramps and bleeding I would say this is chemical.

I would personally recommend for your own sanity testing later. Once before my ectopic when testing early I've seen these very faint lines and then I've known I had a chemical. I'd rather not know personally.

hey OP, I personally got implantation spotting before my positive, but have seen people on here who have spotted after their positive! I also had cramps pretty much throughout my first trimester, even when I got my positive I kept waiting for my period because of the cramping

the tests you’ve posted are very faint for where you are in your cycle, but that could be due to later ovulation or implantation, it’s a horrible wait but only time will tell

I don’t think people are trying to be mean by suggesting a break, more so out of concern considering you’ve said you’ve had 2 chemicals back to back..that’s horrible and a lot to carry

HCG apparently doubles every 48 hours, so maybe try distracting yourself for a bit before testing again?

Best of luck x

I think, under the NHS in the UK, they won’t help you until you’ve had six months of establish trying. With some trusts, a year. It’s different.

Anyway, how is it going @Hall24? Are you feeling any clearer about things?

@Twaddlepip as I understand it, the 12 month wait before NHS testing/intervention is if you haven't conceived. If you have had 3 miscarriages in a row (I think they are changing this to 2) then they should act on that and do the testing then, because it points to a specific problem with maintaining a pregnancy.

I forgot to add that I have ademyosis so I do wonder if this is what’s causing the chemical pregnancy’s. As of today I’m still getting lines on the strip tests. I only have the smallest amount of brownish sometimes pink when wiping occasionally. nothing on a pad, sometimes I wipe and nothing there and get the odd bit of this (will attach photo) not sure what’s going on. I’m late on my period by 1 day. When I usually start my period it comes on in full force, this pink n brown has been happening since Wednesday.