Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Miscarriage/pregnancy loss

Find support and share your experiences on our Miscarriage forum. See also legal rights and support after baby loss.

Flip

Original poster

Low HCG, small sac, It's all over, isn't it?

22 replies

MrsHappy · 06/09/2008 11:03

I went for a scan yesterday when I should have been about 6 weeks along. It was "inconclusive". The sonographer saw an empty sac in the uterus which is the size of a 5 week pregnancy and which might have been a pseudosac (sign of ectopic pregnancy). She also saw fluid near my right ovary (which could have been caused by ovulation, a cyst or sometimes is a sign of an ectopic) and something at the top of my fallopian tube which might have been debris from my prevoius ectopic, a cyst or even part of my ovary apparently.

My HCG levels are "on the low side" for 6 weeks and so far I've only had one blood test so we don't know whether they are going down or up.

I'm very confused; after 2 losses I felt sure this one was ok. I had some twinges, but thought they were normal and I was genuinely shocked not to see something positive.

Has anyone else been through this? Is there any room for hope or do I have to get my head around things having gone wrong again?

OP posts:

electra · 06/09/2008 11:11

I really think that when you could be just under 6 weeks it would be quite normal to see only a sack at this stage. Why did you need to go for a scan? At this early stage I would take a wait and see approach...

Original poster

MrsHappy · 06/09/2008 11:14

Thanks Electra - I went for a scan because of previous ectopic (which had no symptoms) - I have to be monitored early, but would really rather not be because of this exact stuation.

The thing is, I chart my temps, so I have a really good idea of when I ovulate. I guess maybe if I ov'd twice 24/48 hours apart my dates might be a couple of days out. I feel like I am clutching at straws though...

OP posts:

electra · 06/09/2008 11:19

BTW, meant to say that I have had early scans and I think sometimes they cause unnecessary worry. I had one when I was pregnant with dd2 (was about 7/8 weeks). I was told the pregnancy might not be viable because they couldn't see a heart beat and I was asked to come back in 10 days. I declined on the basis that anything can happen in the first trimester and I might as well just wait it out. At the 12 week scan the baby looked fine.

I'm pregnant again now and I had a scan when I was around 5/6 weeks and again they were concerned because the scan was inconclusive. I am going to go for a scan next week because I've had cramping but I tend to take the view that if anything goes wrong I would prefer to just let my body sort it out and not have medical intervention. But not everyone feels like me.

Good luck - I hope it turns out well for you xx

electra · 06/09/2008 11:21

If your ovulation date is a few days out, at this stage it could really make all the difference to what they could see.

Original poster

MrsHappy · 06/09/2008 11:25

That's interesting electra. I know it sounds odd but I do feel like this one is normal. And since all babies in my family are born at at least 41 weeks (by scan dates), I do wonder if they are slower developing in the beginning.

If something is wrong though, I dont think I'll be able to take your aproach of waiting it out. I had a taste of that wait after my ectopic which was treated with drugs instead of surgery and I felt dreadful waiting for it to be over. I think I would have to go for surgery this time, much as it scares me.

OP posts:

electra · 06/09/2008 11:31

Well yes, ectopic pregnancy is serious and I would feel the same. I also agree that there is not an exact time frame for when things are visible because everyone is different. I have a retroverted uterus and that's supposed to make a difference too. It is like how people say when in labour you tend to dilate 1cm per hour, but we all know it isn't like that in reality lol!

FlightAttendent · 06/09/2008 11:39

Have they offered you another scan?

I know that early scans can be very misleading - mine showed I was 6 weeks when I was actually 8, I knew also from dates...

it is very hard to get an accurate size measurement at this stage.

Also was it a TV scan or an external one? TVSs are more accurate i think.

FlightAttendent · 06/09/2008 11:39

Or another blood test come to think of it? I would think tthey would want to do two in series, like one after 48hrs etc. to check HCG levels. I might be wrong but thought that was standard practise?

Original poster

MrsHappy · 06/09/2008 11:46

It was a TV scan (have a fat tummy so they couldn't see anything otherwise!)

I would be 7 weeks 4 days if they calculated by my LMP, but I know I ovulated late, so 6 is what I expected. But then I am measuring 5-ish.

They've offered another blood test on Tues and another scan on Friday. I just don't know whether I should just assume it's all gone wrong...

OP posts:

charlie1000 · 06/09/2008 13:05

Hello mrshappy and so sorry to hear what you're going through, it must be a very tense time. Thought I might find you over here from the May thread. I also had my scan yesterday which was inconclusive (but external scan though) and showed what they though could be small sac, but not positive. My Hcg levels were 672 which I was told was normal for 5 and a half wks but I'm still having A LOT of bleeding and am fearing the worst. Hve also lost all symptoms so I'm pretty sure my news isn't going to be great. I have to go back Monday for another blood test and then another scan on Fri. What did your hcg levels read?
From what you've said I don't think all hope is lost. Do you still have pg symptoms? I think it's so difficult when you're left in limbo and really feel no better off than before the scan.
I hope you can switch off to the constant worry (easier said than done I know) and you're able to rest.

Original poster

MrsHappy · 06/09/2008 13:11

Hi Charlie
All this waiting is shit, isn't it?
I don't know if I still feel pregnant. I certainly feel tired, but who knows whether that's just the stress of yesterday.
The thing is I guess I would have symptoms since my HCG is over a thousand and my progesterone must still be high. It's just that the baby might not be developig right. I'm sorry you're going through this too. It's really not fair (not that it helps, but it isn't).

OP posts:

justgotbfp · 07/09/2008 07:34

Hi MrsHappy (and Charlie if you are watching this thread), I have just got out of hospital but still feeling pretty dire, I caugth up with the May thread only to read your post. I am so, so sorry. I hope the tests you still need show something positive but if not you have my thoughts and support as I have been there before and know how cheated and hollow I found it. You bought me into the other thread and have been very supportive of me there, I would like to return the favour....thinking of you
YM (initials of my true identity)

Original poster

MrsHappy · 07/09/2008 08:13

Hi Justgotbfp. I'm glad you went to hospital and got it sorted - have they managed to stop the vomiting? Thanks for your kind words. I have this horrid sense of deja vu. I am just hoping it turns out that my babies develop slower than the average, that ultrasound is often out by a week or more or that somehow I defy the rules of charting and ovulated after my temp rise! Clutching at straws, but my instinct keeps saying this might be ok. Very confused...

I do hope you're feeling stronger soon.

Also, I have no idea whose initials are YM. Am I just being really thick? Quite possible...

OP posts:

mumoverseas · 07/09/2008 16:28

Hi MrsHappy, If its any help, I was really anxious a few years ago when I fell pregnant as I'd had a mc 6 months before. We went to the hospital for a 'reassurance' scan which didn't reassure us at all as they kept telling us I was only about 5 weeks when I knew I should be 6 Like you, they saw the sac but couldn't see anything in it so we assumed another mc. Thankfully, we went back a week later and there was our little bean. She is going to be 2 years old in 3 weeks! Hope you are as lucky as I was. x

sfxmum · 07/09/2008 16:40

hi mrsHappy was thinking where you had gone (missedith)

have everything crossed for you and doing a bit of hand holding

this is a complete shit time isn't it?

am 6wks now, but stopped feeling pregnant I think I will wait another couple of weeks before a scan, just can't be doing with more uncertainty atm

huge hug to you

Original poster

MrsHappy · 07/09/2008 21:01

Thanks mumoverseas- it's nice to hear positive stories. I'm just very confused about the whole thing. My appointment on Friday was at a private hospital since I couldn't get an appointment at the GP and can't be waiting long in case of ectopic. I have a GP appointment tomorrow though so am hoping to be referred to an NHS EPAU for another scan and some more bloods. They should definitely be able to see something better by now if this one is viable. I keep reading lots of stories that suggest that there is no chance but I can't help hoping...

And hello sfxmum - yes it is absolutely shit. Today I saw a woman who is very pregnant and is due when the first one I lost this year would have been. I started crying in the park ffs. Please don't worry too much about not feeling pregnant - other than sore boobs (which I always seem to have!) I did not have any symptoms when I was expecting my daughter, so it can be ok.

A couple of weeks ago (when I was, I think, exactly 3 weeks from ovulation) I peed on a spare one of those digi clearblues that tells you how far along you are. It said "pregnant - 2-3 weeks" and I was hoping it would say "3 weeks" so maybe my hormones hav been low but doubling all along. Or maybe charting is less great than I thought and I ovulated a couple of days later. Cluching at more straws...

OP posts:

charlie1000 · 08/09/2008 21:31

Hi MrsHappy,

I expect your impatiently waiting for tomorrow to arrive so that you get a more conclusive idea of what's happening. I think the fact that your boobs are still hurting and Fridays hormone levels looked normal is all positive- I really do, perhaps as you say you've just developed slightly later (but sounds like that happened right from the start taking into account what you say about CB pg test). Are you absolutely sure you would have been 7+ weeks by now 'cos I would have only been 6weeks today and my due date was 5th May (LMP 29th July)? Could it be you calculated wrong?

My blood tests came back today, very conclusive, hormone levels dropped to 77 already, can't believe it's dropped so dramatically and so quickly. Still it confirms what I already knew. I have another scan on Wed to check everything has passed and nothing left behind and then meant to be back at work on Thurs. Feels strange now moving on from it. Felt strong all day and dealt with hospital quite well but have been very emotional this evening, DH trying to understand but is still rather insensitive at times, feel like he sets me off on a hormonal rant just when I thought I was coping. I think he expects things to just return to normal like nothing's happened which I can't do just yet. Starting to understand the whole 'men are from mars, women are from venus...'

Anyway, I just wanted you to know I'm here if you need to offload and I'm really hoping all is good news with tomorrow's blood results. Thinking of you, Charlie x

Original poster

MrsHappy · 09/09/2008 14:22

Thanks Charlie
Unfortunately this one is another ectopic so the hospital are considering treatment options at the moment.
I hope you're ok. I have always found the bit when my hormones drop to zero to be very hard (I become terribly moody) so go easy on yourself in the next few days. Hopefully I'll see you on another AN thread in the not-too-distant future, although I will wait until after my scan to join I think!

OP posts:

sfxmum · 09/09/2008 14:25

I am very sorry to hear this had been checking today to see how you are
take care stupidly cruel this is

Original poster

MrsHappy · 09/09/2008 16:01

Thanks sfxmum. It's so shit I have taken to my bed...

I hope yours is totally uneventful. Take care.

OP posts:

mumoverseas · 09/09/2008 16:46

so sorry to hear your news MrsHappy. Don't give up though, after our mc 3 years ago my dh refused to even consider trying again but so glad we did. Fingers crossed for you next time x

charlie1000 · 10/09/2008 21:44

Really sorry MrsHappy, it's awful you have to go through this again. I really feel for you. Not that it helps I know but I felt easier if I knew someone understood, just to know I wasn't isolated. Give yourself plenty of time to grieve, you've been a great support for me and I hope you have family/friends you can depend on in real life too. Take care x

Flip