Testing positive nearly 7 weeks post D&C

[KittyFantastica]

Hi all,

I had a chemical in January, which was our first time TTC. Had no idea what a chemical even was, it was heartbreaking. Shockingly, I fell pregnant after that straight away, so my cycle went back to normal immediately.

Sadly, that pregnancy became a MMC and I had a D&C at 10 weeks on 22nd March. I'm now approaching 7 weeks post D&C, and I'm STILL testing positive. EPU have discharged me as I've had two clear scans for retained tissue and hcg was going down during a 48 hour blood draw. I even started my first period since the MC on Saturday.

With all of that in mind, I'm 100% certain it's not a new pregnancy. I just don't understand why I'm still testing positive, especially while literally being on a period. I was under the impression I couldn't get a period until hcg was back to 0. The tests are super faint, but I'm desperate to see a negative because I'll be ovulating (hopefully) next week and we want to try again. I'm absolutely certain that if I got a true positive pregnancy test at this stage, I wouldn't feel a thing. I'm sick to death of seeing them, I've become totally desensitised to them. I don't know what to do. My husband is super supportive, but I can tell he's sick of thinking or hearing about how the tests are still positive. I know there's nothing he can say, I just feel so upset.

Has anyone else had this issue? How did you move forward from it? If you got pregnant again, how did you feel seeing the test? At this stage, I'm convinced I wouldn't even believe it because I know for sure I'm not pregnant right now and yet there are those two lines. Sorry for the jumble of thoughts. It's been a traumatic start to the year.

I’m so sorry OP for what you are going through.
I had my first MMC in November and it took 5 weeks for me to get a negative test. The EPU also did a blood test to check instead of a scan, and they said my level was so low that on some pregnancy tests it wouldn’t even show as a positive. It was frustrating.

Once I got a negative I was so relieved. But that relief soon turned to anger after trying to get pregnant that it was negative when I wanted it to be positive!

I did get pregnant again, and felt such relief at seeing a positive. That unfortunately ended in a MMC last week with a d&c. I’ve not yet tested to see what the line is.

It really does mess with your mind. My emotions swing so often on whether I am happy or sad to see a negative test!
I hope that you soon get the relief of seeing a negative test so you have a clean slate to start again from

I'm so, so sorry @Figtree11, it feels so incredibly cruel that this just keeps happening to people. The helplessness is just awful.

Thank you for sharing your experience with me, it does help to see I'm not the only one having these thoughts, or not getting my cycle back within the three weeks they told me to expect.

@KittyFantastica thank you. I totally get it, waiting for the test to turn negative so you can move forward with TTC is so frustrating. I’m expecting it to take many weeks for mine to turn negative this time too.

I hope you are doing as well as you can be. Recovering emotionally after a MC is so much harder than I ever thought it would be

Thank you @Figtree11, I feel so stupid for thinking or hoping it would go smoothly. I can't believe it has taken so long. The recovery process has been stunted and strange because of it.

I sincerely hope it doesn't take this long for your tests to go negative and that your recovery is as gentle as can be.

Hi @KittyFantastica

I’ve had the exact same as you - chemical then mmc and surgery this year.

I had a d&c a few years ago and tested positive right up until I came on my period, then negative.

I had small retained products that came away with my period.

sorry you’re going through this!

Hi @KittyFantastica, so sorry to hear what you're going through. I'm in a similar situation to you as well. I found out at 12 weeks that I had a MMC. I had my surgical management on the 20th March.

I had heavy bleeding for a couple of weeks after and I've had really clear positive pregnancy tests throughout. EPU won't do anything about it and have just told me it happens, they haven't seen me since my op. Its so difficult to find similar stories to know if this is normal.

I also had a positive ovulation test just over two weeks ago. I was really hopeful that I might have had a new pregnancy, but unfortunately AF arrived Monday even with my positive tests.

Good luck and I hope your body settles soon! Such a confusing time

OP, I'm really sorry for your losses, I've also had MMC, and also on a first pregnancy which can be very hard as the process is all so new.

However, why are you doing pregnancy tests? Is this now recommended?

It's some time since I had a MMC. The advice then was to wait for one cycle & start TTC, if wished. The only reason for that was to assist with dating the pregnancy.

Once your periods resume, you can TTC, if you feel emotionally and physically ready.

I even started my first period since the MC on Saturday.

So don't worry about testing. If you are ready, you can try during your ovulation period.

Your body may need further time to recover; try not to put yourself under pressure to be pregnant on the first cycle & hopefully within a few cycles you will be.

Hi @EarringsandLipstick I have to test every week until the tests go negative because otherwise EPU won't discharge me from their books. They're very thorough regarding the risk of retained tissue, though I had two scans three weeks apart and no retained tissue has been found. I also had to go back in with a uterine infection two weeks after the surgery. I was still getting dye stealers more than three weeks post surgery, which they said was unusual. The midwife said it was very rare they see anyone who tests positive for this long afterwards, so they were reluctant to take me off their books in case anything further developed.

I have to say, I can't fault them. She said to call and they will scan me early if we decide to try again and get pregnant as this isn't my first loss. My first loss was a chemical and my cycle went back to normal immediately, so this time has been quite the shock.

Oops, clicked send too soon! @EarringsandLipstick at this stage, we've both agreed we will just relax for the foreseeable and if something happens it happens and if it doesn't it doesn't. We will reassess when we feel like it. At the moment, for me, it's more about feeling like I have my cycle back and a bit of normalcy. I can't remember what my body feeling normal feels like.

Oh I see @KittyFantastica

You've been through the mill, you poor thing. I hope very soon you get back to normal, as you say, and feel ready to try again. You're making a good decision about relaxing for now. Best of luck ❤️

Hi @carrotsandhoumous, I'm so sorry your story is so similar to mine. No one should have to go through this.

How strange that just before my period arrived, I had a move toward a peak on some ovulation tests too. My pregnancy tests were getting a lot lighter, so I did ovulated tests for four or five days and they started off light and then really darkened up. I wondered if I'd ovulated, then my period came like a week later. I guess the cycle needs time to reset back to what it was, but it's a frustrating wait. I hate feeling out of control of my body this way. It's hard not being able to predict anything when I've always been clockwork previously.

Thank you, @EarringsandLipstick. Thankfully EPU did agree to discharge me, so I don't have to go back anymore, but they do still call once a week to see whether the tests have gone negative. I only test once a week now, but it's a strange feeling longing to see a negative when I spent several months hoping to see positives.