Any HCG ‘experts’ out there?!

[CountryGirl189]

Long story short, I had my HCG done at roughly 6 weeks due to some spotting and it came back at 20,000.

Two weeks later at nearly 8 weeks, I’ve had it done again due to the same thing (and a bit of a loss of symptoms) and it’s come back at 94,000.

This to me seems like a VERY slow rise, but I’m honestly clueless, so wondering if anyone could shed some light or share their thoughts?

I’m going into EPU later this week for a scan as they want to check it out - do I brace myself for a potential MMC?

Thanks all!

I'm no expert but I understand that HCG doubling only applies in very early pregnancy so maybe that's why?

@lawandgin ahh potentially!

I think I would have still expected them to be a bit higher 🤔

I hate this waiting!

@CountryGirl189 I don't blame you, early pregnancy is an incredibly anxious time! I know there are online HCG calculators but I don't know how reliable they are?

Why wouldn't you just go for a scan at 8 weeks? HCG figures really aren't useful any more. The point of them is to get an idea of development before scans can be used.

At 8 weeks what matters is that the embryo has a strong heartbeat.

@ZoeTheThornyDevil

As per my original post, I have a scan booked with EPU on Thursday and they’re not able to get me in sooner.

I also didn’t request the HCG, the midwife did, therefore I am just going with what they recommend at this point.

Once you can see a heartbeat on ultrasound (at around 1200 hcg) generally you stop looking at hcg, as it doesn't tell you very much.

It does double much more slowly after the first couple of weeks, so I think you're fine :) To be honest I'm not sure why they have even ordered that test at this gestation.

This is massively long but might be helpful.

www.babymed.com/normal-hcg-blood-level-by-week-during-pregnancy#

Sorry it's 10,000 for a heartbeat, not 1200!

@BertieBotts - thank you! Very helpful answer 😊

Honestly I was a bit confused too as to why they were doing it, but hey ho.

We did see a heartbeat at 6 weeks, however I’ve had quite a lot of my symptoms disappear over the past couple of weeks and I am a little worried about a MMC.

This first time stuff is stressful! 😂

Seeing a heartbeat at 6 weeks is really really good. The vast majority of MMCs do not follow an early scan. (The scan isn't causative/preventative but it's likely if you were having a MMC you may not have seen a heartbeat at that scan.) Obviously 6 weeks is still very early days, but chances are really great, around 90-95% IIRC of a healthy pregnancy after a heartbeat has been seen. The reason it's not given as confirmed until 12 weeks is more that most people don't have a scan before that time.

@BertieBotts again, thank you! Really helpful answer!

Time will tell on Thursday 🙏🏻

Can you go privately sooner? You could probably get a slot today

I think the HCG numbers are good based on the averages in the link.

I had a MMC in first pregnancy, lost symptoms in the pregnancy completely at 8 weeks for 4 days and had accepted the worst, had a private scan at 8 plus 5, baby looking great, strong heartbeat.

The midwife who scanned me said that our bodies get used to the pregnancy hormone levels, then there is another surge and symptoms are back.

Fingers crossed it will be the same for you

@rainbowbaby33 & @fineappleglasgow

Thanks ladies - I absolutely would go private if I could, but I’ve looked this morning at all the clinics around me and nothing until Friday at the earliest! So may as well wait until Thursday and not have to pay 😬

I think because of this ‘increasing every 96ish hours’ thing once they reach 6,000 I had expected to be over 100,000 by now 🤔

www.betabase.info/chart/basic/single

I found this really useful for seeing how wildly different normal can be.

I think with your hcg levels being that high you will hopefully be fine.

Good luck at your scan. Keeping my fingers crossed. Waiting is the hardest part trust me. Had a mmc in November 2021.
Xx

Thanks lovely @Jluna

I am so sorry that you had a loss, my heart hurts for you 💔

This is my first and whilst I’ve had amazing experiences with the NHS recently, the pregnancy care has been a bit pants to say the least! I really do think 12 weeks is a wee bit too long to wait, especially for nervy mamas!

I hope your sweet miracle baby comes along soon if it hasn’t already 💕

I found this really helpful when I was pregnant. It shows the massive variation of HcG levels in pregnancy.

Thank you @CountryGirl189

I am ttc again already so fingers crossed for my miracle. Please do let me know how your scan goes. Will be thinking of you and really hoping all is ok. X

Yes, it can be completely normal for symptoms to come and go during early pregnancy. Try not to worry :) More symptoms does not mean more pregnant.

Thank you all, I really really appreciate you commenting on this!

I feel a bit more grim today, so hopefully that’s a good sign?! Other than that, I’ve barely been sick this pregnancy, so maybe I should take it as a blessing!