I'm Pregnant BUT...

[Anonymous]

I heard this three times last week. My levels were 19.04 on Monday; 73.25 on Tuesday; and 310 on Friday. Was told my levels were lower then what they would like to see. I went in today for an u/s to make sure the pregnancy was not in my tubes. Turns out they can't even find a sac. I was devastated but kept it together. I gave more blood and was told to come back on Thursday for another u/s. They said by now they should have seen something, but they couldn't find a sac anywhere. If I go back on Thursday and they can't find a sac I will have to take a Chemo pill to dissolve the pregnancy, where ever it may be. Then we will have to wait two months before being able to try a third IUI. They are hoping my levels start to decrease and that I'll just miscarry on my own.

I really don't know how to process this.

Shady Grove patient here.

[Anonymous]

I am so sorry...really, I know you must be devastated.

Hugs.

[Anonymous]

How many days post ovulation are you? That makes a difference. I think it can be hard to see a sac if your hcg is still under a thousand, which it likely is today. I wouldn't panic yet. Those are nice rises in hcg levels.

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure if this story will help you (ie if youa re looking to keep your hopes up or are trying to figure out what to expect if the worse happens), but I had an u/s at 5w1d at SG and the doctor saw one sac. I went back two weeks later and there were two sacs. I asked the RE why he hadn't seen the 2nd sac on the 5w1d u/s and he said that 5 weeks is sometimes just too early to see a sac even in a viable pregnancy. Also, at 5w1d my beta was 3,000 (and even with that they still missed one of the sacs).

I've got my fingers crossed for you...

[Anonymous]

I'm really sorry for your situation - I've been there too several times and have a miracle daughter as a result of one time. Just make sure you continue to be monitored and have another ultrasound before you do anything else, if your levels continue rising.

I was told my levels were dropping after a fertility treatment pg - also had previous miscarriages etc. Decided to wait to miscarry naturally. A few weeks passed and nothing was passing, went back in, levels had gone up - cautiously referred for an u/s and low and behold there was a baby. I must have been pregnant with twins, lost one while the other continued to grow.

Aren't the numbers supposed to double daily? Yours seem pretty good. If they continue upward, I would insist on an ultrasound.

Hang in there!

[Anonymous]

OP here. They actually did more blood work and ultrasound today. I'm waiting on the call about the hcg levels. She said they did a whole panel today to make sure I'm not anemic and my liver values are good. I don't know what that has to do with it, but they know. Dr. Greenhouse told me this morning that I'm five weeks and 1 day and he should have been able to see something somewhere, but that it was still early. He said by Thursday, which I will be five weeks and 4 days pregnant, he should be able to see a sac somewhere. I thought my numbers were doing good and he said they were but not as high as he would like to see. They are alarmed because of the jumps... going from 19 to 73 to 310. I am afraid to take that pills to dissolve the pregnancy if there is still a chance. So confused. Thanks for sharing your stories though. It helps. Still not sure what to think or feel.

[Anonymous]

That first level was a little low, but really, all the others are fine. I would really do some research before I would be willing to take the pills, unless they've seen a sac somewhere other than the uterus. Was this IVF?

[Anonymous]

OP here. It was our 2nd IUI procedure. I thought the numbers were ok too. I was thinking about making an appt with my regular OB and see if she could do an ultrasound and maybe see something different. I just don't want to take this pill if I don't have to. It's a Chemo pill that apparently is hard on the body. It also means another two full cycles before we can go on with more treatments. I know some people don't trust temps, but I've been taking my temps every morning and keeps going up. Even this morning it jumped again. Thank you all for your comments, stories and advice. I really need it right now.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I forgot to answer a question from before. I am 22DPO (IUI). Hope that helps.

[Anonymous]

I agree that you shouldn't take the pill without careful evaluation.....god forbid there is a healthy embryo that they are missing.

However, if they continue not to be able to see it in your uterus that is a very serious thing. A baby can't really survive outside the uterus obviously and sometimes if left too long a placenta will grow onto another organ which can be life threatening. If it's hidden in a tube the tube can rupture which is also life threatening and will further impact your future fertility.

[Anonymous]

I think the pill you might be referring to is methotrexate, which is used in chemotherapy. I received it as a one-time shot, and didn't have any bad side effects. I know this isn't the option you want to be thinking about, but for what it's worth, at least that medical piece wasn't bad. There are more posts about it on this board.

I was also a patient at SG. I'm not sure what kind of OB you're seeing, but I felt pretty confident that SG's ultrasounds were more sophisticated than my OB's.

Good luck, OP. I've been there and the waiting is really awful. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

[Anonymous]

I just got a call from the nurse. She said my beta level was 1408 this morning so they should have seen a sac on the u/s. The doctor wants me to come back on Wednesday now and do another u/s. If again they don't see anything they will want to give me the Chemo (methotrexate as the pp referred to - thank you for that). I asked if I had to have it and they said no, they I could opt for surgery. With the chemo meds I wouldn't be able to start another IUI cycle for two full normal cycles. If I opted for the surgery I could start back after one full normal cycle. I don't even know what they call that surgery.

[Anonymous]

So so sorry you have to go through this. Good thoughts going your way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just got a call from the nurse. She said my beta level was 1408 this morning so they should have seen a sac on the u/s. The doctor wants me to come back on Wednesday now and do another u/s. If again they don't see anything they will want to give me the Chemo (methotrexate as the pp referred to - thank you for that). I asked if I had to have it and they said no, they I could opt for surgery. With the chemo meds I wouldn't be able to start another IUI cycle for two full normal cycles. If I opted for the surgery I could start back after one full normal cycle. I don't even know what they call that surgery.

hope you see a heartbeat. i've gone thro' a m/c and it's hard emotionally.
that surgery is called D&C.
good luck.

[Anonymous]

I hope that everything works out for you and you don't need the MTX shots. I'm also a patient at SGF - went through 9 IVFs and had the MTX shots twice - both times because my betas were rising but not appropriately and not for where a healthy pregnancy should be for the number of days past ovulation. I also subsequently went on to have two healthy pregnancies after the cycles where I had the MTX shots (which resulted in 3 kids) so while there are risks with the MTX shots and you do have to take time off between cycles it is likely that even with the surgery (not sure what surgery that would be) - you might have to take time off anyway because it can take a while for your HCG levels to drop to zero. I thought I'd share my experience because I was always trying to "talk" to someone who had been there done that when going through IF treatments.

The reason they did those extensive b/w panels on you to check your levels is they need to make sure that you liver, etc. is fine if they had to administer the MTX shots (again - hope you won't need them so please don't read into anything I'm saying). Unless your OB is also a maternal fetal doctor/perintologist - I really think SGF's ultrasound equipement is adequate if not better than what your OB probably has.

When your blood levels don't rise appropriately - it's hard to know what's going on. Were you pregnant with multiples and now you are pregnant with one? Is it an abnormal pregnancy? Is it an ectopic pregnancy? In my experience - when SGF sees your levels not rising appropriately they want to make sure that if you are pregnant - that it's not in your tubes because they don't want you to risk rupturing a tube and then bring on a whole host of other issues. With your b/w levels over 1,000 you should be able to see something and hopefully you will.