I caught a miscarriage this way. I tested at about 6 weeks and it was fainter then it had been. I’d read about the hook effect but had a bad feeling and got my HCG taken anyway. Next day I miscarried.

When I was pregnant, I did ...until the day I got a negative result, and learned about the hook effect (my hcg WAS crazy insane high from the beginning, so in retrospect it was basically a sure thing at some point.) Now I know: a positive test doesn't mean you're still pregnant...and a negative test doesn't mean you aren't pregnant. So if I do it again - after the first week or so of progressively darker lines, I'd give it a rest.

Anonymous wrote:I don't. Your HCG is high enough that even if you have a missed miscarriage (meaning you don't bleed even though the embryo is no longer viable) chances are your tests will still be positive since it takes a while for HCG to go down.

This. I had a MMC and needed a D&C. My HCG took a couple weeks to come down.

No. My hcg was still high for weeks after miscarriage. No point.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't. Your HCG is high enough that even if you have a missed miscarriage (meaning you don't bleed even though the embryo is no longer viable) chances are your tests will still be positive since it takes a while for HCG to go down.

This. I had an ectopic, and it took nearly 3 months before my HCG level returned to zero. Positive tests (after the initial test, of course, tell you nothing.

curious if they stayed dark the whole time-- during my recent miscarriage- betas started dropping at 5.5 week and you could see the hpt getting lighter--- but then it took 2 more months to reach 0

Anonymous wrote:I don't. Your HCG is high enough that even if you have a missed miscarriage (meaning you don't bleed even though the embryo is no longer viable) chances are your tests will still be positive since it takes a while for HCG to go down.

This. I had an ectopic, and it took nearly 3 months before my HCG level returned to zero. Positive tests (after the initial test, of course, tell you nothing.

I have repeated my HPT repeatedly out of anxiety... have my first ultrasound tomorrow and will learn more then- first pregnancy since a miscarriage (and after multiple rounds of IUI) so on edge... but was disappointed to learn that rising HCG doesn't mean anything comforting at this point

No. Because as PP said it would show up positive no matter what was going on. If you had a missed miscarriage or a blighted ovum you wouldn’t know until ultrasound or miscarriage. Just enjoy this time and break from the appointments!!!

Anonymous wrote:I don't. Your HCG is high enough that even if you have a missed miscarriage (meaning you don't bleed even though the embryo is no longer viable) chances are your tests will still be positive since it takes a while for HCG to go down.

Thanks, this makes sense.

There are risks to that, like PP mentioned, also you can have more dilute urine than average and have a freak out over the line getting lighter and find yourself holding two tests under bright lighting trying to compare shades. Truthfully there isn't anything you can do other than wait it out.

I don't. Your HCG is high enough that even if you have a missed miscarriage (meaning you don't bleed even though the embryo is no longer viable) chances are your tests will still be positive since it takes a while for HCG to go down.

I’m just over 6 weeks pregnant and haven’t taken a pregnancy test since the HCG test and HCG follow-up at my clinic. Maybe a dumb question, but does anyone test after that initial positive to be sure it’s still okay? My first ultrasound is in a week.

I’m taking estrogen pills and progesterone shots so I’m not sure that I would bleed if I miscarried (anyone have insight?). I wonder if I have a way of knowing.