help-beta doubling time is slowing down...should i worry?

[karenvancouverisland]

hi ladies...i know not everybody continues to get weekly beta's throughout 1st trimester- but if you have, or happen to know, please help me:

i've had weekly betas:

17 DPO- beta= 341
24 DPO- beta= 7741
31 DPO- beta= 29,779

and then 6 days later- Yikes
37 DPO- beta= 55,083

at first it was doubling faster than average- every 37 hours, then every 86 hours, and now only every 163 hours....

from everything i've read, after 6000 beta, it should double every 96 hours...one source said 'every 96 hours or more'.. so it should double every 4 days, and it didn't quite double in 6 days!

i'm freaking out. have a history of m/c...my OBGYN's office was closed today, so i couldn't get an opinion, i just had my GP's receptionist tell me the number. i'll call my OB first thing inthe morning ..i've had some brown spotting too, slight. wasn't worried about it til i got this b/w back.

any input would be so appreciated.

[PMApsy]

Dear Karen,

It breaks my heart to see you in that state! Gosh, I hate when our bodies send weird messages like this! *HUGS* My clinic only takes the beta once in order to avoid stressing their patients with the numbers, so I can't help you with the doubling standards. However, I can help you with two things.

Given that you had slight brown spotting (which does not worry me at all), insist on having your cervix examined next time you go to the doctor. My cervix a bit on the fragile side. Changes nothing for the baby, but it's easier to make it bleed. The moment I knew that, I stopped stressing about finding brown, pink or red spotting in my panty liner. It was all just my cervix bleeding a tiny bit. Maybe it's just the same for you!

Secondly, last time I was pregnant, one of the docs told me that betas are not so reliable. Even a DROP of 10% does not worry them too much because things might still be perfectly normal and the baby is still developing nicely. For that doctor, a slowing down in your numbers would not worry him at all.

I wish you the best, sweetie, and I hope your doc can reassure you very soon! *HUGS*

Sophie xxox

[Warren Dew]

The rapid doubling doesn't continue forever. The following chart shows an increase in average doubling time from two days early on to three days later:

http://www.betabase.info/showBasicChart.php?type=Single

That chart only goes to 30 days, but the following chart goes further, and indicates that the beta probably levels out about 7-12 weeks post last menstrual period (5-10 weeks post ovulation), then gradually decreases:

http://www.childbirth.org/articles/pregnancy/betas.html

I wouldn't be too worried about the beta, though as the previous poster said, it can't hurt to double check on the spotting.

[SilverAngel679]

I had the same thing happen with my twin boys here, my doubling time was in the 50-54 hour range at first then slowed down close to what your expiriencing now. I am now 5 1/2 month pregnant and all is well.
Try not to worry about it too much and the only other advice I can give you is try not to give yourself too much information.
I remember whe you first got your BFP you where worried about molar pregnancy because your doubling time was too fast. There was nothing to worry about then and I'm sure there's nothing to worry about now.
Women who get pregnant naturally don't have a care in the world because they know nothing about this stuff and I'm sure alot of them have had the same thing happen without knowing about it. We freak out over everything because we have a wealth of information that makes us nuts.
Try not to look at that stuff and analyze it becuase you'll worry about things that for the most part you don't need to worry about.
But if you are, try not to look at it from such a bad prospective, the site said every 96 hours OR MORE. Your doubling about every 6 1/2 days it would seem which I think most doctors wouldn't be concerned about.
I know how hard this can be. I have a history of miscarriage as well and know how scary all this stuff is. But I'm sure your fine, and your baby is doing great.
Big hugs and calming vibes out to you from me

[kerpupples]

Karen, my doctor said that once you see the heartbeat that beta levels are no longer the best indicator of the baby's progress. I think as long as they continue to monitor by ultrasound and things look OK there that you should be just fine. I see you are 7+ weeks - you've seen a heartbeat by now, yes?

[karenvancouverisland]

hi everyone...i love all you for reaching back to me!!!!

and i love my OB...i have an appt in 1 hour....to review everything.

and YES i had an u/s last week, it measured on track and had a h/b of 121 at 6 wks 4days, which is "good"

it's horrible that i torture myself with information that i'm not qualified to interpret. thanks again..karen

[esperanza]

Hi Karen, I hope you're more relaxed by now. From what my nurse told me the beta kind of plateau after a while, no worries. Also, as somebody else said here, after you see the heartbeat in the u/s, you should just worry about that, don't focus on beta numbers from this point on.

Congrats, you're having a baby!!!!