Very Confused with tests! HELP!!

[hopeful9410]

Hi 
Looking for some help..., such a crummy day and I am so confused. Ok here is my situation....SORRY ITS SO LONG! Lots to explain!! 
A week ago I took 3 pregnancy tests- a +/- test (got a negative first thing in the am) a digital test (got a POSITIVE! later that afternoon) and then took a another digital 15 mins later and got a negative. After the positive and negative craziness I went to the hospital with my hubby and I took a Blood test, finding out the next day I was indeed preggo- low count but the tech said that it might just be early. My husband and I were just on cloud nine so excited!! Here is where the story gets confusing...

Today (week later then getting confirmed with blood test) I had very mild cramps and a tiny bit of brown discharge just once when I got home from the gym, being worrywort first timers that we thought well we might just go to the er to get it checked out. So I was asked to pee in a cup because they were going to check pregnancy and whatever else.. I didnt realize that they were going to have to do that and I peed 15 mins before. So I was nervous about that, so after waiting awhile, the er doc came in and was confused because the er test said that I was negative not pregnant, which was a surprise to me since I had been confirmed a week with the blood test. So of course she had to scare my hubby and I about the possibility of a miscarriage and not being sure if I am pregnant or not and it was completely like the wind was let out of our sails.

So discussing all the way home, My hubby decided to get some more tests because he is still thinking I am preg. I took another digital test 4 hrs after my last negative at the ER and it came back POSITIVE!! So needless to say I am confused and don't know how to feel! Any insight would be great! Is this common with +/- tests and digital? Am I still hopefully pregnant?!? Thanks in advance! 

[Jaimee]

Welcome to MDC!!    I'm sorry you've had such a frustrating and confusing time at the beginning of this pregnancy!  I have a few thoughts...

What tests did you use?  HPT's have varying sensitivities.  Some require an hCG level of only 25 and others will require 50 or even 100.  A blood test can detect even the smallest amount of hCG and anything above 5 is considered pregnant.  Here are some websites comparing the sensitivity of various HPT's.

http://www.peeonastick.com/hpts.html

http://www.babyhopes.com/pregnancy-test-sensitivity-comparison.html

http://www.fertilityplus.org/faq/hpt.html

http://www.early-pregnancy-tests.com/compare.html

Check them out and see what levels your tests required and this could easily explain the different results you've been getting.

Next, do you chart or have a way of confirming when you ovulated?  If so, how many days past ovulation are you?  Some women get accurate results as early ast 8 or 9 DPO, but many of us have to wait until around the time of expected AF, which is usually 12-14 DPO to accurate results.  Even if you have regular cycles, your ovulation day can vary quite a bit and this would affect when AF would show that cycle and when a test would be accurate. 

The spotting your experienced is not at all uncommon, especially around the time of expected AF.  Brown spotting indicates older blood so the bleeding probably occurred a couple days prior to when you saw it.  Spotting in pregnancy doesn't mean that you are miscarrying.  Some women spot frequently in early pregnancy or even throughout their pregnancies.  Others all out bleed around the time of expected AF and others even bleed monthly (though this is rare).  Red blood that is increasing in flow, especially if it is accompanied by cramping is when there is cause for concern.  Otherwise cramping can also be a perfectly normal occurrance in early pregnancy as your body adjusts to the changes happening.

Next, a viable embryo will produce doubling hCG levels about every 24-72 hours, usually 24-48 hours.  This means every day or every other day your levels should double.  If they are not then there is a much higher chance of miscarriage.  Forgive me if you already know this, but it is not uncommon at all to miscarry early on.  The statisitics vary, but about 1/3 of all pregnancies end in miscarriage and a lot of times the woman doesn't even know she's pregnant b/c it happens right around the time of your period.  This is called a chemical pregnancy.  But with today's early sensitive HPT's more and more women are finding out they are pregnant prior to AF, noticing the losses, and being shocked.  I have had two very early losses myself.  The good news about these types of losses is that often (though not always) they increase your fertility for the next cycle since your hormone levels remain slightly elevated.  It is not uncommon to conceive the very next cycle after an early loss.

Lastly, in order to determine what is truly going on, you'll either need to wait it out or request beta hCG testing.  This is where they test the quantitiy of hCG in your blood and test again about 48 hours later to see if they are doubling.  Sometimes they'll continue to test every 48 hours for a week or so to get a good picture of what is happening.  Please note that the level itself is not important- it is the doubling time that matters when determining if the pregnancy is viable.  Levels vary dramatically woman to woman and pregnancy to pregnancy.  Depending on how you feel about ultrasounds, a 6-7 week u/s can show a heartbeat (thought at 6 weeks it will be slower than usual), a fetal pole, and gestational sac.  A strong heart beat at 8 weeks is a good indicator of a viable pregnancy. 

Good luck and keep us updated!

[hopeful9410]

Hi,

 Thank you so much for your reply.  It has been rough dealing with this on the weekend, cant get into a doctor, and the ER didnt seem to be much help.  I have an order to get a blood test tomorrow, and me and my husband are going first thing in the AM. I really appreciate the posts, its giving me hope and making me relax.  This is my very first pregnancy and my husband and I really REALLY  want a baby so this is making us a little on edge.  Thank you for your searching with the sites, I really appreciate them and already bookmarked them! 

Since I first posted, the slight brown discharge has turned into bleeding like my period.  Took a test clearblue digital test this morning anyways and it was still positive.  No crazy cramps just feels like my period. :-( Though all signs probably dont point to good, we are still trying to stay hopeful and see what the blood test says and maybe some chance they have increased and I  am still pregnant. Not sure if that is even possible????   I am about 14 days from ovulation.  We are still keeping hope but your story and  that posibility of getting pregnant next cycle is still keeping me positive for the future.  

Thank you so much for your help! 

[Jaimee]

I'm sorry that you're having issues getting in with the doctor!  If your insurance plan allows it, I would just call up a midwife or OB, tell them what's happening, and request beta hCG testing.  With a lot of doctors and midwives you don't even go in to the office, you go to a separate lab like LabCorps or Quest Labs to have the testing done.  That way once the paperwork has been picked up or faxed over to the lab you can just go in whenever.  I might try calling around a bit to find out more about your options.  It's really hard, I think, for doctors and even midwives sometimes to remember just how stressful and emotional the early days of pregnancy are, especially for first timers.  There is so much uncertainty and there are so many questions and yet what they are thinking is, well, if she's going to miscarry there's nothing that can be done and we might as well wait it out.  While there is absolute truth to that sentiment, it does not take into consideration your feelings in this moment. 

At any rate, increasing and red flow while certainly not a good sign doesn't mean you're out of the game this cycle for certain.  Because the HPT is still positive, that means your levels are still above the amount necessary for a positive result on that test, which means mostly likely they did continue to increase between then and now.  If the embryo had died earlier, then your levels most likely would have decreased below the point of the HPT sensitity by now.  My guess as to what happened is the hospital used a less sensitive test and/or your urine was not concentrated enough at the time to test positive b/c you were so early in the pregnancy.  Everything could be absolutely fine at this point!  Alternatively, it is also possible that your levels did continue to increase, but very slowly and now may already be decreasing, but are still high enough to test positive.  Depending on how long you are/were pregnant, hCG can linger for a while after a m/c.  Again, beta testing will shed light on what is happening otherwise there really is nothing to do but wait it out and continue to test every couple of days.  If you get a negative then you know that the embryo was flushed with the bleeding. 

I'm sorry you're going through this.  I hope it resolves quickly for you!

[hopeful9410]

Thank you for your insight and comment back. Found out yesterday the hcg level is at a 7.1 which means I miscarried been kinda rough even though it was early on. Nurse called it a spontaneous miscarriage. Have to go in on Monday for a follow up, don't think I need a d&c because it was so early and I guess everything just came out because I bled like my period since Sunday. My husband and I are trying to stay optimistic and are hopefully trying again soon. Not sure if I have to wait to start again. Any insight on that?? Thanks again for all your help

[SaritaMarina]

I say you keep trying. It'll all be worth it in the end  =]  best of wishes!!

[CorgiMommy]

Hi there, really sorry to hear about your miscarriage.  I really hope that things will work out better for you in the future.  HUGS

[Jaimee]

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss.  Doctors will often recommend waiting another cycle before trying after any early m/c.  This is for two reasons: to recover emotionally and so that you have a normal LMP to date a pregnancy off of next time.  But if you end up getting an early u/s for dating purposes the LMP doesn't matter.  Or if you start to chart and pinpoint your own conception date, LMP also does not matter.  It's really the emotional component that you want to take into consideration.  Some doctors warn of a possibly thinner uterine lining after m/c, but I have never heard of a women m/c again b/c of a thin uterine lining and instead I have heard numerous stories of women conceiving directly after a m/c.  So the short answer is, it's entirely up to you and how you feel.

Also, please note: a D&C is an invasive procedure that is necessary for incomplete m/c or when they want to test the embryo/fetus.  There are several risks and things to consider with a D&C vs. meds for induction or letting things proceed naturally.  There are many threads about this in the Pregnancy Loss forum.  This early in the pregnancy and with an hCG level of 7, your m/c is almost certainly complete and you know that your body has done what was necessary, which for me was a comforting thought when I had my early losses.  You will also no longer test positive on HPT's.  So if you test again in a few weeks and get a positive you know that it is another pregnancy.  The Pregnancy Loss forum is a great place to get support during this time as well, so please do not hesitate to post there if you feel the need.

((HUGS)) and keep us posted about your next cycle!

[morganxobrooks]

Aw, I'm so sorry! I had a miscarriage early on in Febuary of this year and haven't had any luck since! It's devistating, even though it was super early, just know that's its okay to grieve. Don't let anyone make you feel any differently. At least you know if you got pregnant once, it can happen again! I'm sure you'll get pregnant again soon if you want to be, good luck! Baby dust to you, hun!