HCG question-GHOST or anyone??

[Tris]

Hi Im sure someone here can help when you count the day for beta measurement example 10dpt, do you start counting from egg transfer or the day after? Example my transfer was on a saturday, do I start counting from the Sunday after??? Since we are IVF´ers, when they say 10 days post ovulation do they mean 10 days after egg transfer??

I just want to keep track. I had my transfer June 7 and my first beta was on June 18 I got a BFP at 18. It was kinda low but then doc said maybe too early or late implanter?? dont know...so tested again on the 20th June and it was 32 and then today the 23rd it jumped 120!!! I was so happy actually especially since I bled in between the 2nd beta and today (now its just brown stuff,sorry for being too graphic, like its ending). I was really nervous especially since bleeding was like AF over the weekend not just spotting. My consolation was this and other sites that told of many girls who bled in the 1st trim like an AF (soaked pads even)but still went on to deliver healthy babies. So now doc is so happy too and says not to worry, it could be extreme implantation that may affect the cervix which makes it bleed more than normally....although there is NO exact explanation always

Any advise or experiences anyone can share on how to compute HCG and if my levels are OK? Thanks in advance for your help!

[Dakota]

Congrats!!!!

Its days post or past transfer. So if you had your transfer on a Sat, then SUnday would be day 1.

[Tris]

Thanks Dakota! I noticed you always reply to my questions...thanks again! I sound so dumb but then everything about IVF is so special and sometimes complicating...Thanks again! whats your story by the way if you care to share someday

[Ghost]

I see Dakota beat me to the answer on the days calculation. Nice job.

The low hCG level is not a good sign, but the rising hCG is good news. Let's hope it keeps rising like that.

[windycity]

Ghost,
I was hoping that you could answer a nagging question for me. I made a mistake an took a HPT on 7dpt and it was negative. I am let down because so many people on this message board test positive after day 5 or 6. My re does not test till 12dpt so I am wondering if I still have a shot to be pregnant. I know you suggest to stay away from HPT but I am not having any signs other than those you get with progestrone. Do some people test later like day 10dpt or 12dpt. I also assume that the blood test in office is accurate compared to a HPT marker. Sorry for what seems a silly question, it just that this is my first IVF and everything seems new. You also do not go back to the clinic till 12 days after tranfer as compared to other places that seem to start checking at 6 dpt. Just wanted to get your opinion.

Thanks

[Ghost]

Ghost,
I was hoping that you could answer a nagging question for me. I made a mistake an took a HPT on 7dpt and it was negative. I am let down because so many people on this message board test positive after day 5 or 6.

It may be that the positives are most vocal about their results. Maybe the negatives tend to stay quiet about it?

My re does not test till 12dpt so I am wondering if I still have a shot to be pregnant. I know you suggest to stay away from HPT but I am not having any signs other than those you get with progestrone. Do some people test later like day 10dpt or 12dpt. I also assume that the blood test in office is accurate compared to a HPT marker. Sorry for what seems a silly question, it just that this is my first IVF and everything seems new. You also do not go back to the clinic till 12 days after tranfer as compared to other places that seem to start checking at 6 dpt. Just wanted to get your opinion.

Thanks

I don't recall what you transferred. Was it day 3 embryos? If so, then today was the earliest that you had any remote chance at all for a positive. And that chance was low, even if you are pregnant. You might want to give it a few more days.

The lack of symptoms means nothing. There are no symptoms. That's why we need the test.

Chin up. Your only bad news is that you wasted one pregnancy test!

[Tris]

Hi GHOST thanks for taking time to reply I was really happy after the rise in HCG. Could it have been that my doc tested too early? He normally test 12th to 14th day...last was 11th (cuz he had a seminar on the 12th and wanted to personally test me he said). I know every single day counts since levels change daily.

WINDYCITY...in case this helps - until after I found out I had a BFP through lab blood test, I still did an HPT (just to see and it had a very faint line still This was the 11th day after transfer! My doc says actually it was too early to test for them especially since it seems I implanted late. Normally they call us in on the 12th to 14th so HCG levels are more or less viable....they even recommend not to test at home before the 10dpt! By the 10dpt it is still normal to be in limbo, is what I was told...you can get a neg, postive, faint line but you still have to wait for the blood test on at least the 12th day to know for sure! and YES thats why many docs also advise us to stay away from HPT when too early, they can really confuse you and cause useless worrying! Better to take the loong wait to test your blood Ive also learned this after my numerous tries...you just have to wait when its really time to test especially since what counts is the RISING HCG level Even if you get a BFP from a blood test, the HCG still needs to rise when they are expected to.... then you can be more sure.

So relax and really Ive learned through experience that patience is a virtue. Try to wait til the 12th day at least and take the blood test not the HPT! From then start to monitor your beta every 2 days so you´ll know for sure. This site will help you calculate when you have your first beta number: http://babymed.com/tools/pregnancy/hcg/Default.aspx

Good Luck then and dont panic...in my opinion 6dpt is so early...in one of the sites, a girl gave birth 3 times to 3 normal healthy children with very low HCG so she never got a positive HPT until her 3rd month!!! Unbelievable as it may seem, she swears by it. Pregnancy is different really for everyone...in this case, comparing can drive you nuts sometimes....no mater how helpful it can be...

[Ghost]

Hi GHOST thanks for taking time to reply I was really happy after the rise in HCG. Could it have been that my doc tested too early? He normally test 12th to 14th day...last was 11th (cuz he had a seminar on the 12th and wanted to personally test me he said). I know every single day counts since levels change daily.

Day 11 is not all that early, but yes, a day earlier will lower the result.

[windycity]

Ghost-Thanks so much for your advice. I took another HPT this morning and still neg. at 9dpt. I am staying away until Thursday as I figure it will be what it is and I won't keep wasting tests. I know this sounds strange but I feel pregnant although my brain says no. If it comes back neg. on my lab visit I may contact you again about advice for future cycles.
You are such a wonderful resource for all of us. Thanks so much for sharing all your knowledge, it is great to know it comes from someone in the fertility field. I get better responses from you than my own clinic.
Tris- Thanks for your sage advice. I need to just wait and give my body time to respond regardless. I have never been a wait and see kind of gal so this is a true test for me.
Best of luck to you.