hcg levels..is there still hope?

[valerie68]

I just got my 3rd beta today and the numbers are not doubling. I had a transfer of two blasts on 04/24 and my first beta on 05/05 was 30. Two days later it was 63 and today 101. I'm not feeling very hopeful. I try to stay positive but at the same time I have to be realistic.
Are there some happy ending stories with such numbers? I probably think I will have a chemical pregnancy.
At least I know I can get pregnant, that's positive but I want this one to hang on so bad. This is harder than the 2ww....without a doubt!
I'd like to hear from the ladies that had a chemical if they don't mind sharing their experience.

Valerie

[beachbaby]

Hi Valerie, I am so sorry you are feeling down. I have had two chemicals, but my numbers were never higher than 15 and went straight back down. it still does not make it any easier, but as you say at least you know you can get pregnant, that was what kept me going. Although the pain and heartbreak were still very real. also my clinic make us wait 2 AF's before we can start again. After my second i had further tests and was found to have a blood clotting problem, we added 75mg aspirin to my daily medication to thin the blood, i transferred 2 x2day, 4 cell embryo's and both took, as you can see from my sig i am due in a few weeks time. by the way i am still taking the aspirin. i will stop around week 34.
I wish you all the best and hope this works, when do you get your next beta?
Good luck, i have everything crossed for you. Keep the PMA.
beachbaby

[Neffi211]

I also had a chemical pregnancy last cycle. My numbers didnt climb like yours though. I actually got a Positive on HPT 7 days before my beta....then when I went in the number was only 26 so I know something was wrong.....it had probably been dropping for days. 2 days later is was 23. I stopped my meds and AF came in a week. There was another girl on that thread with me, sort of similar to your case...her numbers kept getting higher, and they kept doing beta, but they weren't doubling. She finally stopped her meds too, but she had a u/s first to make sure. I hope that this works out for you, but I had the same thoughts.....at least you know it CAN work, maybe not this time, but it WILL!

[valerie68]

Thank you for your replies and encouragement. It gives me a lot of hope to be successful on our next try, which I'd like to do very soon after if this does not result in a preg as I'm 39 fast going on 40 !
Beachbaby: I'm so very happy for you and I hope your pregnancy is going very well and that your delivery goes very smoothly. Twins! That's fantastic !!!
I'll talk about the aspirin to my RE and see what he says. I switched from PIO to vaginal tablets because I was so allergic to them and I hope that did not jeopardize the pregnancy.
My next beta is on Mon. and I'll let you know what the results are.
This is so hard because I FEEL pregnant as I have symptoms and it makes it that much more real. I'll keep the PMA, it's the only thing I can do.

Neffi211: The very best of luck on your next cycle !! I hope that third time's a charm. Maybe a chemical pregnancy is a good sign that it will work the next time!

Baby dust to all....

Valerie

[SDtrying]

I just got my 3rd beta today and the numbers are not doubling. I had a transfer of two blasts on 04/24 and my first beta on 05/05 was 30. Two days later it was 63 and today 101. I'm not feeling very hopeful. I try to stay positive but at the same time I have to be realistic.
Are there some happy ending stories with such numbers? I probably think I will have a chemical pregnancy.
At least I know I can get pregnant, that's positive but I want this one to hang on so bad. This is harder than the 2ww....without a doubt!
I'd like to hear from the ladies that had a chemical if they don't mind sharing their experience.

Valerie

I'm not sure what the right answer here is valerie. It comes done to: 1) do you prepare yourself for the worst case situation or 2) do you stay hopeful? I guess you have to ask yourself whether or not preparing for the possibility of a chemical pregnancy will help you deal with the news any better if you start dealing with it now or do you want to continue to be hopeful throughout the process until the docs tell you otherwise. Sure your numbers aren't the most reassuring, but they are certainly rising. My understanding is that rising is ultimately more important than doubling and that pregnancies resulting in healthy baby can occur in situations like your.

I think no one knows the answer, valerie, no one knows what the outcome will be. We're here to support you either way, though. And whatever way you chose to deal with it is up to you- whatever you need to do to get through the "unknown" periods of this process. go for walks, read magazines, chat with us. Just hang in, until there is more "known" because the worry about the "unknown" eats us all up, all of us you are not alone.

[beachbaby]

Hi Valerie, thyou for the congrats, doing ok so far.
Regarding the progesterone, i have only ver used the suppositories, my clinic will give shots and used to do so, but there is no difference in absorbtion, they now only pscribe it if people insist but the results are no different. Also as extra info i did a medicated FET so my body produced no pregeterone itself in these cycles, In a fresh cycle they only give it as a top up, as when you ovulate it is released from the follicle sac. hope this helps.
Keep us updated.
Beac

[JustJenis]

I wouldn't give up just yet. The good part is that the numbers are increasing and they aren't that far off of doubling. Just keep up the PMA and good luck to you

[sharishu]

I agree with Jenis. I read somewhere that the number should increase by at least 60%, which yours has. I know you would like your numbers to be much higher, but try to think positive. There is such a vast range of normal where beta numbers are concerned. Good luck!

Shari

[ann d.]

I read your post and had to reply. I don't have a happy ending to my story as you can see by my signature but wanted to share my experience as I am sure you can relate to some of it.

I had a BFP in late March. My numbers started in the low 60's. I kept having to go in every 2 days for b/w. It was an emotional roller coaster. You're right- much worse than the 2ww! My numbers weren't doubling like they should, but they were rising. My RE kept saying to stay cautiously optimistic, but it was hard. I was feeling exactly how you described, trying to stay positive but wanted to be realistic. Kept trying to be mentally prepared for the worst. Then we went in for an u/s and we saw the gestational sac. It was the smallest black whole on the u/s screen I had seen. My hopes were up again. I thought this could be it for us. Unfortunately, my Hcg levels were not where they should be at this point. My RE recommended we stop the meds as to not put my body through further stress. He told us this was a miscarriage.

I was okay when he told me. (I was at work at the time). I thought, "Oh good, I'm mentally prepared. I can handle this." But boy, how I cried when I got home. My husband held me for what felt like hours as we grieved together. Now, looking back, I wish I could give you some "words of wisdom" of how to better prepare yourself mentally. I thought I had figured that part out. But I don't think there is an answer. If I had to go through this all over again, I would definitely stay cautiously optimistic. However, upon hearing bad news, I think I would cry just as much and feel just as sad. There's no mental preparation that I think will make it any easier. I do want to say to focus on the positive. If this doesn't work out, then at least you know you CAN get pregnant. When hearing the first BFP news from our RE, I remember how shocked and excited I was because up to that point, I didn't know if our fertility problems laid with the embryos not being able to implant. Recently, we met with our RE, and he also stressed the positive news of being able to get pregnant. We have 3 frozen embies left and will try again in July/August. I'm hoping third time's the charm for us.

I wish you the best!! And just because I don't have a happy ending doesn't mean you won't. Please let us know how things work out. Keep up the PMA- as much as possible, right? Good PMA is so important through our IVF journey.

[valerie68]

I was going to reply to one of my post but then decided to write this as I feel very touched!
It means a lot that we can feel understood and encouraged by women who have gone or are going through the same process, the same emotions, the same hopes and doubts!
It is amazing how we can come together and support each other so amazingly well during these difficult months and sometimes years of our lives!
Thank you to all the women that are so incredible, that we feel comfortable sharing our deepest emotions with and know that we will find comfort and reassurance !
I have read a lot of comments from many women and sometimes men and I've found myself very touched more than once !

I'm an open person but I never thought I would share such intimate info with other people that I've never met, whether it's physical or emotional info. Nowhere else would we find this kind of support, this amount of info regarding our procedures.
I feel fortunate to have found this website and the women that are traveling the road with us.

Thank you all for being available, for sharing, for supporting and understanding. I think it's important to recognize what a wonderful journey this is because hopefully in the end we will all have a baby that we will cherish but be grateful as well for all the positive people that come into our lives and make this journey that much more memorable !

Best of luck to all of us !!

Valerie

[valerie68]

This last one was supposed to be a new topic. Still getting familiar with the logistics of this forum.

Thank you for your support as I've written above!
I'm getting mentally prepared for tomorrow as I feel that I will probably miscarry. The symptoms are just about gone and something inside tells me that it's probably over for this cycle. Like you said Ann, I feel mentally ready but I also know that I will cry a lot once I know for sure because we can't help but have that glimmer of hope inside of us. And once it's finalized, we still have to grieve.

The test tomorrow will tell us for sure and I will let you know what the outcome is. My PMA is there as I will then focus my energy on the next cycle, I want to feel mentally strong to be able to give my embies all the chances they deserve.

Talk to you tomorrow.

Valerie

[SDtrying]

I hope and pray that your preparation for the worst is not needed. I hope and pray you get news tomorrow. Let us know how it goes when you are ready to share. You are strong and ready to deal with whatever comes. I'll be thinking of you tomorrow.

[valerie68]

Well another day of testing down and I feel as confused as ever.
To my surprise, the numbers went up...I'm now at 174, 4th beta since last Monday. If that had been my first number, I would have been very happy, but the reality is that it's just not good.
So the numbers went up and AF decided to show up on my doorstep this morning totally unannounced and that's one relative we definitely don't want to see when trying to be pregnant.

Does anybody know why the numbers went up? I can't make sense of this.
It's not a good feeling at all to be with such uncertainty but in my heart I know that it will not work out.

I try not to be too bummed out and remain positive for the next cycle, I think this was not meant to be this time around.

Any input on this would be greatly appreciated as I always like to understand why things are the way they are.

Next beta is Thursday, I hope that test will be more conclusive.

Valerie