Got a call from the nurse with the results and booking me for a re-test on Thursday. Is this level too low to even consider myself pregnant? The nurse says it's not possible that this is still the hcg from the trigger showing in my blood but I have no idea what to think - 5 iu/l doesn't even show as the bottom end on many hcg charts. 14 cycles trying , 3rd iui, never had a positive test. I'm sorry, I have no idea what I'm looking for other than perhaps reassurance to hold out hope.
singleloser50
New member
.Thanks for responding. I would assume the same based on what I've seen, but she said they consoder if positive at this time with a tbd on viability, which lines up with americanpregnqncy.org numbers. I'm still going through with my official IVF consult for the next cycle on Thursday, but this result just feels so cruel with its uncertainty.
singleloser50
New member
@jenfromnj Thank you. I appreciate it. Just tested on a cheapie and got a faint line. I'll test on an FRER later this evening and tomorrow morning. I'm hoping it was a slightly late but otherwise healthy implant - I'd consider myself between 11 and 12 dpo at the time of blood draw early this morning. Hard to not keep hope alive despite the crushing disappointment likely to follow.
anthonys36593
New member
@garys What amount of trigger did you use? I used 10000u hcg ones and they gave me hcg near that same amount (5ish) around 12-14 days post trigger. They tried to tell me it was a chemical. It wasnt. It was the damn trigger. I learned that later after using the trigger ~ 7 times. That 10k trigger sticks with some for up to 2 weeks.
@anthonys36593 Oh, that's interesting (in a cruel and heartbreaking way). Yes, it was 10000 ius. I always use the same amount, though, and I've never tested positive before, though I didn't do betas due to travel and can't be sure of when I peed on a stick. Also, they retested on 14DPO (16 days post trigger), and it was up to 6.22. So it does sound like a pregnancy rather than left over hcg?
This is particularly interesting for me at this time as I'm trying to determine if we should do more IUIs due to the "positive" response or switch to IVF.
This is particularly interesting for me at this time as I'm trying to determine if we should do more IUIs due to the "positive" response or switch to IVF.
anthonys36593
New member
@garys It could be pregnancy since it went up, but that's still quite low for 14dpo. It has been years since I did IUIs, but if I remember correctly, statistically, your best chances of success are within the first 3 attempts and after that the statistics declined. (It may be different now. This was 2017).
If you wanted to "test" to see if the trigger is giving you false positives in future cycles, you could ask to swap to Ovidrel. It's over 5k but less than 10k hcg. Could also consider switching to lupron trigger.
If you wanted to "test" to see if the trigger is giving you false positives in future cycles, you could ask to swap to Ovidrel. It's over 5k but less than 10k hcg. Could also consider switching to lupron trigger.
@anthonys36593 Yes, we're at the magic number of 3. I'm not sure if a chemical justifies continuing on this path or switching to IVF, I'm leaning towards the latter. I assumed it wouldn't have gone up (or still been on the system) at 16 days past trigger, but maybe the teat time caused that.
I thought 5 or 6.22 made sense for a chemical, but are you saying it's too low to statistically even be a chemical and is more likely just the trigger? I hadn't considered that.
I thought 5 or 6.22 made sense for a chemical, but are you saying it's too low to statistically even be a chemical and is more likely just the trigger? I hadn't considered that.
anthonys36593
New member
@garys At 16 days past trigger, 6 could be chemical, ectopic, or it could surprise you and turn into a viable pregnancy. That would be a nice surprise!
I think Id move to IVF if I were you. In my opinion ivf really helped take the pressure off of my body because they essentially hijack your cycle, force you to ovulate, remove and fertilize the eggs and grow the embryos externally, then just put the best one(s) back in. Success rates are higher, and if you're lucky enough to get multiple embryos to freeze you may have enough embryos to give you as many children as you'd want in the future (so less biological clock concerns too). Fwiw, I have a 3.5 yr old IVF baby and I'm 8w pregnant with my 2nd IVF baby. We had multiple failed IUIs, medicated timed intercourse cycles, and even a few failed IVFs, but we were lucky enough to find success (after much digging into the failed cycles, seeing multiple docs, & eventually finding/treating the culprit.. endo & adeno
).
I think Id move to IVF if I were you. In my opinion ivf really helped take the pressure off of my body because they essentially hijack your cycle, force you to ovulate, remove and fertilize the eggs and grow the embryos externally, then just put the best one(s) back in. Success rates are higher, and if you're lucky enough to get multiple embryos to freeze you may have enough embryos to give you as many children as you'd want in the future (so less biological clock concerns too). Fwiw, I have a 3.5 yr old IVF baby and I'm 8w pregnant with my 2nd IVF baby. We had multiple failed IUIs, medicated timed intercourse cycles, and even a few failed IVFs, but we were lucky enough to find success (after much digging into the failed cycles, seeing multiple docs, & eventually finding/treating the culprit.. endo & adeno
).@anthonys36593 Thanks for responding! I'm sorry the journey was rough, but I'm glad things worked out. I feel similarly about IVF, it feels like I would be taking back some of the control but getting rid of some of the "logistical" uncertainty. Thank you for sharing your story and giving me your views. Sending you lots of positive, sticky pregnancy vibes and energy. Hope it's an uneventful one.