Shady Grove question

[Anonymous]

Once you start doing ultrasounds, does Shady Grove still do hcg beta tests? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

The one at GBMC did 3 beta tests and 3 ultrasounds. They stopped doing the betas before starting the ultrasounds.

[Anonymous]

Beta are to make sure the embryo is growing when it is too small to see. Beta number are all over the map for successful pregnancies, so they don't really tell you much beyond the fact that they are rising properly.

Once the pg is far enough along that you can see the embryo, then size and heart rate are much more accurate measures of success. There is very little difference between 6 wk embryos, while betas at that stage are widely different.

[Anonymous]

shady grove does ultrasounds at 6 and 8 weeks. By those times, the beta numbers would be in the many thousands and would vary immensely from pregnancy to pregnancy and so be of little to no value.