HCG levels not doubling *Updated*

[joybird]

I had a miscarriage last summer and my midwife suggested we check how my levels are going up, just for reassurance. I am 6w5d

Well, they are not doubling. Not even close. They went from 61,000 on Monday to 72,000 on Wednesday. So they were spot on Monday for dates but then not going up as they should have been.

So I am preparing for the worst. She actually said that she's seen a very similar situation where everything was fine, but I can't see how things could be okay with numbers like that.

My boobs are still sore but I'm not feeling as nauseous today as I have been.

[chaoticzenmom]

It seems like your numbers aren't doubling because they're past that doubling point. Those seem fine to me. Try looking at betabase.com and see if that offers you any reassurance. I read somewhere that after 20,000 they don't double as fast.



Lisa

[ms.shell]

(edited to add that when i started with my reply no one had answered yet. thanks, Lisa for the much more specific info for her on the numbers! so now my response will yeah that. i'm just leaving it as I had it, but just so i dont look like an idiot i wanted to say this. lol)

mama, don't worry. at all.
your hcg levels are high and good. i think while the hcg levels are still very low, really early on, then watching for doubling can be a good indicator if something is off. But then even when you are talking about very low hcg levels, they can not double and everything be really a-ok. when they are already elevated and still rising, I think that is a good sign.
you cant tell by symptoms fluctuating because for sure that's what symptoms do. You do not have any indications that this is not a normal pregnancy. those hcg levels sound fine. i really dont think you should be worrying at all at this point.

good luck mama! relax and have a great day today.

[CEVmommy]

I agree, I think those numbers are above the stage where you expect them to double. My betas were 96 and 2137 (a week apart) and at that stage you want them to double, but I think yours are at such a later stage that it doesn't apply anymore.

[joybird]

Really??

My midwife has scheduled an ultrasound for Monday to rule out an ectopic pregnancy. She told me to stay optimistic but also said that she would expect to see at least a 60% rise at this point, and that it is possibly not a viable pregnancy.

At this point I really wish I had not done the test. If I am going to miscarry I don't want to know about it in advance. My last m/c happened at 11 weeks but it was missed at 6 weeks.

This is the first time I've ever done any HCG testing so I don't know what the numbers should be, I just know that they are not within the range of what the MW considers normal.

[jkg]

Good luck mama, I hope all is well.

[AngelBee]

: for you

[heatherweh]

Hang in there with me over the weekend Joy! We will both be finding out how things are going on Monday! I don't want to post a just yet. Lets do this and remain hopeful.

I am so sorry for your worries. It just isn't fair. You're in my thoughts.

[mamamelia]

goodness me - isn't your midwife overreacting just a little bit?

HCG can take up to 92 hours to double when they are in the higher range *and* they do not double indefinitely otherwise you'd be as sick as a dog. HCG peaks at around 100,000 which is at around 7-8 weeks. if i were you i wouldn't worry at all (this is coming from a worry wart). i'd be far more concerned with low numbers that aren't doubling, not levels that have obviously doubled up to this point otherwise it wouldn't be in the 60,000's to begin with.

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/dur...hcglevels.html

goodluck with your ultrasound on monday! i'm sure you'll see that little bean alive and well. i wish you the best.

[joybird]

Thanks for all the responses. I'm really debating whether I want to do the ultrasound or not. I mean, if I hadn't decided to do the stupid HCG test I would have no reason to do any other testing right now...

I did read that about it taking up to 92 hours for doubling at this point, but mine only went up like 20% in 48 hours so theoretically they would have only gone up 40% in 92 hours. Still pretty far from 100%.

I am still having preg symptoms - nausea, fatigue, sore boobs. So that's something I guess.

I'll update whenever I learn anything. Best of luck to you too heatherweh. I'll be sending you good thoughts as well. I really like your sig BTW!

[AngelBee]

I have had blood tests that were bad yet I stayed pregnant.

Hang in there :

[mamamelia]

when i was pregnant with dd#1 my HCG was 57500 @ 6w5d - your numbers are actually higher than mine were. with dd#2 i know my levels peaked at 100,000 at 7 weeks and that was that. with this pregnancy, if my numbers kept doubling every 48 hours (i had 3 HCG tests) they would have been at 200,000 @ 6w5d which is absolutely crazy (not to mention unrealistic). my point is, the levels really do not double in a textbook fashion once they are very high - they need to slow down and peak. this could very well be the peaking process in your case.

i say go for the ultrasound. yes you probably wouldn't of had one if you hadn't had the beta testing but it will help to ease your mind. with those numbers you should be able to see a babe with a heartbeat. i'll be thinking of you tomorrow!

[jrose_lee]

This happened with me and it was an ectopic pregnancy. I had to have surgery the next day after it was confirmed. I guess it can be very fatal to the mama if the baby is implanted in a tube and it "explodes". I don't think that could have happened to me anyway though- the baby didn't survive and stopped growing.

Not to scare you though....I don't really know how far along it was or anything. Others seem to know more than me and think that your levels look okay. This is just something that happened to me and that is what my midwives were telling me (about the levels). I had a lot of blood work done during that time.

Keep us updated. I pray everything is alright.

[ms.shell]

j rose lee, i bet your levels were nowhere near the 70,000 hcg that she has quoted with your ectopic. i dont think an ectopic would ever make so much hcg.
joybird, i hope you have the ultrasound and i really think you will see that everything is fine.

[JenMidwife]

Joy, I'm so sorry you have to go through all of this worry

[jrose_lee]

Originally Posted by ms.shell

j rose lee, i bet your levels were nowhere near the 70,000 hcg that she has quoted with your ectopic. i dont think an ectopic would ever make so much hcg.
joybird, i hope you have the ultrasound and i really think you will see that everything is fine.

I'm sure you're right. I have no recollection of the actual numbers. They just kept testing me and explaining they were low. This was quite a while ago.

[joybird]

Okay so I got the ultrasound...

and there was the little baby, doing just fine! Hooray! :

We saw the heartbeat right away. I am obviously so so happy! I was pretty darn sure today that everything was fine 'cause I was sick as a dog all morning and wanted to take a nap about 15 minutes after I woke up.

Thanks for your support everyone. Once again, it seems that the MDC mamas know more than the medical professionals. I'm not surprised.

[JenMidwife]

Originally Posted by joybird

Okay so I got the ultrasound...

and there was the little baby, doing just fine! Hooray! :

What a relief!

[catballou24]

yay!!!!

[Guinevere]

What a great update! I'm so happy for you!

Guin