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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

Hcg not doubling and empty sac on 5 week scan

10 replies

jaychops · 13/12/2019 15:52

Found out I'm pregnant at the weekend. First off, let me just be honest and say this wasn't planned and we still haven't got our heads around it and feeling a bit numb. Have 2 very young children.

Went for a private scan when based on LMP should be 6+6 however I'm convinced I ovulated late that month as I'm pretty sure we only DTD once and it was late on, making me probably in the 5th week.

At the scan they found an empty gestational sac and therefore said its a pregnancy of unknown location. Referred me to EPU where they rescanned and still could only find the empty sac although said it had a second ring around it which is suggestive of an intrauterine pregnancy although until they see at least a yolk sac they can't rule out ectopic. However I have no symptoms of this and nothing seen on scan.

Had bloods 48 hours apart, first roughly 8100 hcg then second around 11200.

Dr wants me to have another scan early next week. She said hcg hasn't doubled but it is high. The fact that I am well, no pain or bleeding, high Hcg and the second ring makes her optimistic its not ectopic although can't rule it out. She is surprised though that for high hcg they couldn't see anything on the scan.

My questions are I suppose, has anyone had hcg that hasn't doubled in a normal pregnancy? And also not seen anything in the sac on a 5 week scan?

I feel terrible for saying this but it wouldn't be the end of the world for us if this pregnancy didn't work out. I'm just terrified of ectopic and wanting all this to be resolved in time for Christmas my little ones.

OP posts:
Floralgizelle · 13/12/2019 16:02

I have experienced an empty sac at around what i thought was 8 weeks pregnant, turned out it measured 5 weeks and ended in miscarriage. I recall having bloods done but didnt get much info on the levels although assuming they were not increasing due to the outcome. However i have also seen various threads on here where their hcg has increased but couldnt see anything and a few weeks later updated to say it progressed as a normal pregnancy. I know thats not overly helpful either way but it does sound promising to not be eptopic especially with the absence of any pain/bleeding type symptoms. Hoping you do get sorted before christmas and it not be hanging over your head. Sorry couldn't be more help x

Original poster
jaychops · 13/12/2019 16:07

Thankyou @Floralgizelle, it does help. I'm sorry about your mc. I either want it to be a normal progressing pregnancy, whereby we would just have to get our heads around a 3rd child, or a normal mc. It sounds horrible and I feel so terrible and almost guilty for being in this position when people try for years for a child.

The Dr did say that not everyone fits into the standard 'doubling hcg' criteria and that all our bodies react differently.

OP posts:
Michette · 13/12/2019 16:15

My scan showed an empty sac at 5 weeks yesterday and she said it’s normal and we rescan next week...

ByAppointmentTo · 13/12/2019 17:03

I've had a successful pregnancy when my HCG wasn't doubling. They admitted me and told me that it was "clearly a non-viable pregnancy" My non viable pregnancy is currently charging around the living room.

Conversely I've also had doubling high HCG levels but nothing showing in my uterus and it was an ectopic.

It's good that you are being monitored. When are they rescanning you? If there is no sign of an intrauterine pregnancy at that scan and they say they will rescan in a few days again then please don't agree to that and insist on further action. Expectant monitoring with an hcg level that high is not appropriate. They should be considering an exploratory laparoscopy at that point.

Good luck. I hope you get answers soon. If you get any symptoms that could point to an ectopic then obviously please go to A&E straight away. Thanks

Original poster
jaychops · 13/12/2019 17:34

@ByAppointmentTo my scan is on Monday and she said the same, to watch for ectopic symptoms.

Sorry to hear you've had an ectopic. What were your hcg levels, can you remember? What symptoms did you have?

OP posts:
cookielove · 13/12/2019 18:25

After a series of losses i fell pregnant and started bleeding on the day of my bfp, i went to the dr who sent me for blood tests, i doubled the first 48 hrs but not the 2nd 48hrs so they sent me for a scan, when my numbers were really still quite low, i think in the 300's. The scan showed a gestational sac and nothing else, scanned a week later and there was a hb!

Now 16 weeks so it can happen.

cookielove · 13/12/2019 18:25

Fx for you x

itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted · 13/12/2019 18:31

If they've seen a sac in the uterus then it's not ectopic?? (Unless you previously had a c section then it could have implanted in the c section scar)

At this point with the lack of doubling over 48 hours and also the fact that a fetal pole hasn't been seen then it may be non viable but perhaps too early to say either way x

Original poster
jaychops · 14/12/2019 00:54

@itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted apparently you can sometimes get a fake sac called a pseudosac if you have an ectopic, but usually they have just a single rim whereas mine has 2 which is a sign of an intrauterine pregnancy so fingers crossed...

OP posts:
louisepx · 14/12/2019 06:26

I had similar situation .. I was 7 weeks but scan only showed me to be 5 .. sac& just about to could see the yolk. My bloods were high .. repeat bloods were higher but not doubled.. sadly my pregnancy ended in miscarriage x

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