Need help w/HCG numbers from those having gone through FET

[CSBS]

Hi ladies-
I am new here. I had a my 1st fresh IVF in March w/resulted in a BFP, but a later m/c. I started w/a VERY low beta of 9. It doubled to 18 in 2 days, but didn't rise sufficiently 5 days later and I ended up having a D&E.

We got another bfp on 5/2 after our 1st FET. We tested 8dp a 5 day blastocyst transfer. Our number was 38. It was an early test and our RE said it's very common to see low initial #'s w/FET. We weren't concerned and considered the 1st time a fluke. However, I had my beta tested 2 days later and it had only gone up to 60. Now, I have to wait 5 more days to test again. My progesterone and estrogen look great.

Any thoughts on this or similiar situations? I feel just sick at the thought of going through another m/c and D&E after having our hopes up.

[Ghost]

We got another bfp on 5/2 after our 1st FET. We tested 8dp a 5 day blastocyst transfer. Our number was 38...However, I had my beta tested 2 days later and it had only gone up to 60.

Your first one was almost guaranteed to be a loss, given the low hCG value.

This one is better. You're correct that failure to double is not a good sign.

How many were transferred?

The loss of part of a multiple pregnancy can cause a brief slowing in the exponential rise. It can even cause a brief drop. I have seen it drop, then resume rising and go on to live birth.

[CSBS]

Ghost-
Have you had an FET? I transferred 2 blastocysts. My RE didn't sound quite as negative about the situatioin. What is your experience with this?

[Ghost]

Ghost-
Have you had an FET? I transferred 2 blastocysts. My RE didn't sound quite as negative about the situatioin. What is your experience with this?

If I ever get an FET, it would be publishable. I'm male. I'm a scientist that studies IVF.

I don't mean to be negative. An hCG of 9 is very low and will rarely make it to birth. We don't tell patients that at the time, because we want them to be positive, but now that its after the fact I can tell you that a 9 is not good.

Your hCG of 38 on day 8 is much better. The failure to double is not good, as you know, but I've seen anomalies like that work out and yield a live birth. I have definitely seen a drop in hCG around the time of loss of part of a multiple (this was after ultrasound saw the sacs and heartbeats), and then a live birth resulted with the remainder of the pregnancy.

[CSBS]

Ghost -
Sorry to jump on you for that, but I've been on boards before with what I like to term "Debbie Downers" who have no expertise, but like to go around being the bearers of bad news. Just wondering what your background was!
Having said that, y pregesterone was 43 and my estrogen 358. Any thoughts on that?

[Ghost]

Having said that, y pregesterone was 43 and my estrogen 358. Any thoughts on that?

After transfer, we like to keep P above 15 ng/ml. The protocols I've seen from other clinics set the minimum at 10 or 15, and one I saw set it at 20. 43 is above all of those and would therefore be considered adequate on all of those scales.

Same for your E2 of 358 pg/ml. We use a minimum at 200. So again, 358 would be adequate on our scale.

This is assuming you are in the USA, where the units are ng/ml for P and pg/ml for E2. In Europe they use different units (nmol/l and pmol/l, respectively), so the numbers are different.