Please Help!!! Need recommendations for doctors that treat HCG slow growth in first trimester

[Anonymous]

Hi, ladies:

I got pregnant with an IUI treatment at Shady Grove. Last menstrual period starts on April 13th and I did IUI on April 24th. I found out that I was pregnant on May 9th with HCG level of 420. However, my HCG level was not doubling just increasing in the following week. My Shady Grove fertility doctor refused to order tests for blood clotting and immunity as well as NK cell, etc. And she said that she would not do anything to help HCG growth.
Now I urgently need recommendations for another doctor that is willing to order relevant tests and prescriptions like lovenox, prednisone, etc, to prevent miscarriage. Now I am taking aspirin 81mg daily. Any comments or recommendations will be highly appreciated!!!

My test results are as follows:
Pregnancy week Test Date beta HCG progestrone
4 week 1 day 5/9/2024 420 (mIU/mL)
4 week 5 day 5/13/2024 945 (mIU/mL) 28.1(ng/mL)
5 week 5/15/2024 1161 (mIU/mL) 30.5(ng/mL)
5 week 2 day 5/17/2024 1599 (mIU/mL)

ultrasound on 5/17 shows that the baby sac is in the uterus and of the right size for 5 week 3 day. Thank you very much!!

[Anonymous]

I’m sorry OP. Your doctor is right. There is nothing to be done at this stage. I understand your desperation and I sympathize.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m sorry OP. Your doctor is right. There is nothing to be done at this stage. I understand your desperation and I sympathize.

You don't know what you are talking about. In Asian countries, lovenox and many other medications are pretty standard options in the first trimester. Only few doctors are open enough to use them in the US.

[Anonymous]

unless your progesterone is low and you need supplementation I also don’t know what else you would do at this point. There is no research behind lovenox increasing hCG in the first trimester, that even sounds a little insane.

If it makes you feel better, my oldest was a slow and low beta and he’s 5. I did have significant placenta issues which is almost certainly what caused the low betas. There is almost no research on placentas because it’s the only organ that lives for 9 months then dies, and no doctor wants to study on a pregnant woman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m sorry OP. Your doctor is right. There is nothing to be done at this stage. I understand your desperation and I sympathize.

You don't know what you are talking about. In Asian countries, lovenox and many other medications are pretty standard options in the first trimester. Only few doctors are open enough to use them in the US.

Ok— but what difference do they make in terms of outcomes? Lovenox is a blood thinner. It has nothing to do with hccg. If they make a difference great, if they’re just a we give you this to make you feel like we’re doing something that’s neither harmless nor particularly effective, then they’re equivalent to sugar pills.

[Anonymous]

I have one friend who had HCG supplementation during a pregnancy. In Europe, years ago. I don't know in what form. My understanding is that nowadays doctors prefer to give progesterone supplementation, because apparently supplementing in progesterone leads to higher HCG.

Could you point me to an article linking low HCG with the need for all these meds, OP?

The meds you describe are usually associated with auto-immune disorders. Do you have a diagnosed auto-immune issue? I know there are at least two posters on DCUM with such (plus me, but maybe not the same thing: my reumatologist said I would need heparin for my auto-immune blood clotting disorder if I became pregnant).

[Anonymous]

^ and also my blood-clotting disorder has nothing to do with levels of progesterone or HCG, as far as I know... but happy to be corrected, of course!

[Anonymous]

Lovenox can help first trimester miscarriages caused by clotting issues. Those happen later, not at 4-5 weeks. Slow doubling is caused by the embryo itself and there are no meds that can fix embryo issues during pregnancy. I’m sorry.

- Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Patient

[Anonymous]

https://americanpregnancy.org/getting-pregnant/hcg-levels/

Your levels look fine. My 3rd pregnancy didn't double hCG either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lovenox can help first trimester miscarriages caused by clotting issues. Those happen later, not at 4-5 weeks. Slow doubling is caused by the embryo itself and there are no meds that can fix embryo issues during pregnancy. I’m sorry.

- Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Patient

Interesting, my low bHC pregnancy had oligohydramnios at the end. He is a very healthy 2 year old today.

[Anonymous]

Your doctor is right, OP. Hope this one works out!

[Anonymous]

I have a reproductive immunologist and unfortunately by the time your numbers aren't doubling it's too late. The RI can only help proactively not once you are losing a pregnancy. Treatment for immune abnormalities started months before I got pregnant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lovenox can help first trimester miscarriages caused by clotting issues. Those happen later, not at 4-5 weeks. Slow doubling is caused by the embryo itself and there are no meds that can fix embryo issues during pregnancy. I’m sorry.

- Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Patient

Interesting, my low bHC pregnancy had oligohydramnios at the end. He is a very healthy 2 year old today.

Why would you think any those things are related? A slow embryo catches up or it doesn’t. Did they say the oligohydramnios was caused by a chromosomal abnormality?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lovenox can help first trimester miscarriages caused by clotting issues. Those happen later, not at 4-5 weeks. Slow doubling is caused by the embryo itself and there are no meds that can fix embryo issues during pregnancy. I’m sorry.

- Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Patient

Interesting, my low bHC pregnancy had oligohydramnios at the end. He is a very healthy 2 year old today.

Why would you think any those things are related? A slow embryo catches up or it doesn’t. Did they say the oligohydramnios was caused by a chromosomal abnormality?

To my understanding, oligo comes from the placenta going on vacation before the pregnancy is done

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lovenox can help first trimester miscarriages caused by clotting issues. Those happen later, not at 4-5 weeks. Slow doubling is caused by the embryo itself and there are no meds that can fix embryo issues during pregnancy. I’m sorry.

- Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Patient

Interesting, my low bHC pregnancy had oligohydramnios at the end. He is a very healthy 2 year old today.

Why would you think any those things are related? A slow embryo catches up or it doesn’t. Did they say the oligohydramnios was caused by a chromosomal abnormality?

To my understanding, oligo comes from the placenta going on vacation before the pregnancy is done

I see the problem, I meant to respond to this post:

unless your progesterone is low and you need supplementation I also don’t know what else you would do at this point. There is no research behind lovenox increasing hCG in the first trimester, that even sounds a little insane.

If it makes you feel better, my oldest was a slow and low beta and he’s 5. I did have significant placenta issues which is almost certainly what caused the low betas. There is almost no research on placentas because it’s the only organ that lives for 9 months then dies, and no doctor wants to study on a pregnant woman.