Positive pt but low hcg levels and bleeding.

[MichelleWG38]

I have a positive test. I also have period. Blood test at clinic reveals levels are low and not where they expect me to be. They want to repeat Friday as they don't know if they are coming in or going out. Back to limbo again. Has anyone had this and still had a healthy pregnancy?

[AcuFertilityDoc]

Just to gather some more info before responding: How many days ago was your transfer? Were your hCG numbers healthy to begin with? How long have you been bleeding (and how many days after transfer), and what is the quality of the bleeding. Are you charting your BBT?

[MichelleWG38 in reply to AcuFertilityDoc]

I had the transfer 1st May. They told. Me. To take the test today so I did but I have no idea as to previous HCG level. I started bleeding Monday which would have been 12 days after transfer. It is a period. Medium to heavy period. I'm new to this so don't know what BBT is sorry.

[AcuFertilityDoc in reply to MichelleWG38]

Hi Michelle. BBT stands for Basal Body Temperature. It’s an old school way to predict the course of your cycle. Your temperature goes up after ovulation when the follicle transforms into the Corpus Luteum. It’s the progesterone that the Corpus Luteum produces that causes your temp to go up a bit and stay up if you’re pregnant. If you’re not pregnant the Corpus Luteum closes up shop and your temperature drops back down as your period begins.

Progesterone prepares the inner surface (endometrium) of your uterus for implantation of the fertilized egg. The reason I asked about BBT is that progesterone levels (and temperature) go down if your pregnancy has not proceeded. Dropping hCG levels suggest an ended pregnancy. Having a full on (if heavier than normal) period is not what you’re hoping for. I’m afraid this cycle may not be a winner for you, but the great news is that you were able to become pregnant. You’ve proven that you can leap this highest of barriers.

Please keep in mind that normal healthy women have pregnancies that end this way 30-50% of the time and often never suspect such, thinking it is their normal period. The reason for such a high level of “non”-pregnancies is that genes and chromosomes are funny and unreliable, but your body wisely recognizes when you get genetic material that is incompatible with a baby and does the natural and healthy thing by drawing things to a close and resetting for the next one.

I am very sorry if my suspicions are correct. I feel for your disappointment. But of all the women off to the baby races, the hurtle that is highest is the one marked “getting pregnant”. This kind of journey is always just that. Be patient. It sometimes takes time and a number of cycles. It’s rare that it happens for any woman the first time.

But you’ve crossed that highest of hurtles and have proven to yourself, the universe etc, that you’re in the baby camp. That’s a good place to be even if the first time wasn’t the charm. ( :