Potential high risk mamas: how often are you testing for hCG, progesterone, or others?

[josyegeta]

Quick background: I'm 36 and my first two pregnancies (both in the last year) ended in miscarriage at about 10w (MMC...both stopped developing at about 6w). I'm recently pregnant again, and on baby aspirin/progesterone routine...Just had first round of hCG and progesterone tests and everything looks normal (still need second hCG tomorrow to confirm, but fingers crossed .

My question is this: my doctor seems pretty optimistic that if tomorrow's hCG quants are good, then we can stop the hCG and P-testing until the first U/S (~7w)...but given my past MMCs, I'm inclined to do at least weekly monitoring...not just b/c I'm an anxious nut job right now, but mostly b/c I had symptoms of low P in BOTH of the last two pregnancies and think it's worth monitoring these, even with the progesterone suppositories that I'm using.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation, and if so, what did you test for (e.g., hCG, progesterone, anything else?) and how often? Also, feel free to share any reference websites/articles/etc. So grateful for this community and looking forward to hearing about your experiences!

EDIT: typo

 

[elysse]

@josyegeta My doctor did not test my progesterone because they said the suppositories would not show in the blood stream. So I'm not sure it would have been an accurate number. So I only tested hcg and they did it 4 times. But this was under the care of an RE not OB.

 

[josyegeta]

@elysse Thanks! This is really helpful...and good point re: the suppositories not showing up in the blood (I didn't realize it worked this way, but just googled it and now understand why . When (at what points in the first tri) did they do hcg testing?

 

[elysse]

@josyegeta It's a bit different at a fertility clinic but in common terms it was 14dpo, 16dpo, 18, then 20. So Right before 5 weeks they finished, and at that point it was over 1000 and had doubled ok so they stopped testing it and then did the initial @spiritualtranscendence. Haven't had hcg taken since, after a while it's not as reliable as dating ultrasounds (as you may know).

 

[josyegeta]

@elysse Yep--this makes sense. I appreciate your taking the time to share your experiences...it's really reassuring to hear from other people who've been through this and to get a sense of the various options available. Thank you and good luck

 

[trulybeaute]

@josyegeta I'm on progesterone suppositories 3 times a day and they've checked my progesterone every week and my hcg every other day until my first ultrasound at 5 weeks. Now that I'm graduating from the fertility clinic I won't be getting it every week anymore

 

[josyegeta]

@trulybeaute This is really helpful! Thank you. Congrats on getting to the 5w U/S...hoping I'm there with you very soon

 

[loverofchrist69]

@josyegeta My RE and OB clinic both didn't test for progesterone. When I asked about testing levels, they told me serum levels of progesterone weren't significant. Having said which, I was put on routine supplementation up till 12 weeks (2 mg of dydrogesterone a day, and 200 units of progesterone in oil twice a week).

Having said which, I had bleeding and passed clots at 11 and 13 weeks, I was put back on dydrogesterone, 200 mg of micronised progesterone, and the occasional PIO shot. (Just had a 500-unit shot—FIVE VIALS!!—before my cerclage yesterday.) But all this only happened because of bleeding and a funnelling and shortening cervix.

 

[josyegeta]

@loverofchrist69 That's interesting about the serum levels?? I hadn't heard that and my doctor did test me, but maybe she did it just to reassure me

Thanks also for sharing your experiences with going off and then back on (sorry, that sounds like a helluva roller coster, but I'm glad you're getting through it, and I'll keep this in mind if/when I hit that point). Wishing you the best of luck with next steps!

 

[loverofchrist69]

@josyegeta Thank you! It has been quite a ride so far indeed.

I hope for your sake that you don't need any of that though! Good luck to you too.