Why?

[camprunner]

What causes some women to metabolize hcg slower than others? My two week wait has always ended up being a 4 week wait. Both babies were born at 39 weeks 6 days so even though I wasn't checking for ovulation, I'm pretty sure it wasn't delayed. Anyone know what could cause this to happen? I keep hoping maybe this time it will be different.

[luminesce]

I've been reading some research papers about hcg lately. There are apparently different kinds of hcg; some pregnancy tests look for one kind (intact hcg) while others (like FRER) look for multiple kinds to get a better early result. Overall though, given that there are different kinds of hcg, the detection methods aren't foolproof, and that some women seem to produce hcg differently - I guess some women may just take longer to get a positive or naturally have lower levels (at least for the kind they are testing!) It is all rather fascinating to me but I don't really have a good grasp on the biology of it yet. One paper I read said that some pregnant women actually had short transient dips where intact HCG was literally undetectable. They accounted for all the possibilities and even redid their tests but couldn't explain it. Our bodies probably have reasons for it that we just don't yet understand.

[camprunner]

Thanks. I've always used FRER in the past. I have noticed that it went from 1 day early with my first (according to the box) to 2 or 3 days early with my second and now they are up to 6 days early so maybe I will find out a little sooner? I can't remember...they may still be measuring the same amount

[konayossie]

I would guess it has to do with your ovulation date if you've never tracked it for sure. I ovulate around CD 18-20, so almost a week later than "normal" or the average. My cycle isn't longer than the average though, b/c I have a short LP, so I would never have known this unless I was charting. Giving birth around 40 weeks doesn't really tell you if you ovulate a bit latish or not since anytime between 37 and 42 weeks is totally normal; 40 weeks is just the average. The whole "up to 6 days before your period" thing is TOTALLY dependent on when you ovulate, not when your period starts. Peeonastick has great info explaining it.

[camprunner]

Originally Posted by konayossie

I would guess it has to do with your ovulation date if you've never tracked it for sure. I ovulate around CD 18-20, so almost a week later than "normal" or the average. My cycle isn't longer than the average though, b/c I have a short LP, so I would never have known this unless I was charting. Giving birth around 40 weeks doesn't really tell you if you ovulate a bit latish or not since anytime between 37 and 42 weeks is totally normal; 40 weeks is just the average. The whole "up to 6 days before your period" thing is TOTALLY dependent on when you ovulate, not when your period starts. Peeonastick has great info explaining it.

I really thought this was the case the first time that maybe it was a fluke that I ovulated late but I was consistantly having cycles that were about 23 days long at the time and I wasn't testing until Day 28 and it happened the second time as well. As far as I know with a 23 day cycle that doesn't leave a lot of flexibility in ovulation time and giving time to implant. We were pregnant on the first try both times. The second time, the symptoms came up severe and several weeks before a positive test result so obviously dd had made herself at home fairly quickly in there.

[konayossie]

Wow, with a 23-day cycle you sure couldn't be a late ovulator and be successful at TTC.....hmmmm.

[camprunner]

Yeah This time it is different due previous hormone treatments since the second child and a recent miscarriage so my cycles are longer. And I don't think that I ovulated this month because I had tons of positive opks though though most of them were not a reputable brand. I've never had tons before though.

I did research those papers that luminesce discussed and that's scary stuff. I sure hope those things are wrong with me!