no rise in hCG-OB just told me I’m definitely miscarrying

[gnosis1234]

@saughtandfound8 I’m not having any pain or ectopic symptoms, I’m not sure when to be worried that it could be an ectopic. My OB didn’t mention it when she told me yesterday that this is a MC. If it was ectopic do you think I’d know by 6 weeks?

 

[wael]

@gnosis1234 Not op but By 6 weeks you should be able to see a pregnancy in your uterus. A sac is seen 4.5-5.5 weeks, yolk by 6 weeks and a heartbeat should be seen by 6w5d so yes if you had an ultrasound they should be able to see the pregnancy.

 

[gnosis1234]

@wael My weirdly specific fear is that my ultrasound have all those things-that the gestational sac, yolk sac, fetal pole will be there, and just no heartbeat yet bc I’m too early. And then I’ll have to wait a few more days and go back for another US to make sure there’s still no heartbeat. Thus dragging all this out so long. It’s just the waiting and lack of definitive answer that I can’t deal with.

 

[wael]

@gnosis1234 I can understand that I’m just saying they can rule out an ectopic which would be of importance with slow rising hcg.

 

[saughtandfound8]

@gnosis1234 By 6w3d when I went in they were able to hear the heartbeat - my RE said that at 6w exactly we may not, but did expect a heartbeat at 6w3d. If you’re around that point it should be enough time.

I will say in your case I think the scan is mostly for peace of mind and to make sure the pregnancy isn’t ectopic. Low hcg can potentially indicate an ectopic pregnancy which is why I think you’ve seen some comments about that.

The hcg test on its own (if it isn’t rising or if it’s falling) would indicate a loss unfortunately. If it rises but not much + with the prior 48hr period without a rise, that’s where I’d be concerned about a potential ectopic pregnancy and definitely want a scan to rule that out.

I would say that even if you did a scan that showed a gestational sac, yolk sac, and fetal pole but no heartbeat, it would be unlikely to be viable if hcg wasn’t rising appropriately.

I hope you don’t find this to be blunt - I know how incredibly hard it is to be faced with difficult news and have had 3 losses myself that were each so so devastating. At the same time, I always found that getting false hope from doctors or friends made it all even harder.

Sending you a big hug.

 

[gnosis1234]

@saughtandfound8 No, not too blunt, exactly what I needed to hear. You addressed every single one of the concerns I mentioned, even the ones that I’m sure sound a little crazy and far fetched. After reading all these comments, I think it’s totally reasonable for me to call my OB first thing tomorrow and request a STAT ultrasound to make sure this isn’t ectopic, but also to get some closure so I can figure out how to start healing. I’m so sorry for your losses. Thank you so much

 

[saughtandfound8]

@gnosis1234 I’m glad it helped wish you the very best, I hope that it’s not ectopic and that you’re able to get through this very tough chapter with the least amount of difficulty

 

[gnosis1234]

@saughtandfound8 Me again.. think it’s okay for me to have a beer or two tonight? This has been the worst few days of my life and I’m not coping great. I’m holding onto hope but I think it’s safe to say this is another loss. I guess I just want someone’s opinion other than my husband’s. Silly, I know

 

[saughtandfound8]

@gnosis1234 It’s so tough to say - I think with hcg not rising I’d personally assume it’s a miscarriage and it’s probably ok. The day my 2nd miscarriage was confirmed with bleeding, a drop in hCG, and no fetal pole on an ultrasound (at 8 weeks) I had a glass of wine that same night. That said, I was 100% confident the pregnancy was a loss. If you still have any doubts maybe hold off and once you’re 100% you can enjoy the beers without worrying about that. In the meantime, is there any other comfort things you can indulge in? My favorite light TV show or movie + ordering in comfort food was def a go to for me! Also lots of cuddles/hugs with my husband (or if you have pets, snuggles with pets!).

 

[gnosis1234]

@saughtandfound8 currently snuggling with my husband, our kitty cats, ordered takeout and watching a new movie that came out. you’re right, I’ll wait it out

 

[gnosis1234]

update for those who’ve commented: I called my OB this morning and requested a STAT ultrasound and they refused to order one, or order any further testing. Luckily soon after that, the new OB that I’ve been in the process of switching to, gave me a call. When I explained what was going on, they were amazing and squeezed me in same day so I could get seen and they could establish care. They were shocked by how my old OB was handling things, and ordered a STAT ultrasound and 2 more hCG levels. Unfortunately I can’t get the ultrasound today because it’s too late in the day & there’s no availability even with it being STAT. But I was able to get my hCG drawn and I should have that result soon. Ultrasound sometime tomorrow. Obviously I’m still aware that this is very likely a loss, but I’m just happy someone is listening to me and getting some followup testing so we can make sure this pregnancy isn’t any threat to me. Will update with more results as I get rhem

 

[gnosis1234]

hCG only 2111. and that’s more than 96 hours after my first one which was 2004. definitely not viable. still not sure about ectopic

 

[gnosis1234]

update: baby still has a heartbeat. measuring 7w when I’m 7w5d. gestational sac is measuring 5w4d, “grossly small” and I have low amniotic fluid. OB is concerned about all of this. I had the same findings with my last miscarriage. In conjunction with my hCGs, OB says either it’ll end in miscarriage, or the baby will continue growing but likely has a genetic abnormality. If I might it to 10 weeks we’ll get testing done. He told me not to lose hope and there’s a rare chance everything is normal, but I’m already long past having any hope left. At this point I’m hoping things don’t drag out much longer.

 

[gnosis1234]

Update for anyone who may be reading this in the future: baby lived until about 8 weeks. After 3 good ultrasounds, heartbeat stopped at 8w2d (baby only measured 7w4d) I had a D&C yesterday.