Interesting Results....

9:00 AM:  Went to the OB's office.  I've continued to spot brown and red since Wednesday, although this morning I'm not seeing anything on the TP, which makes me feel good.  They did the quant draw, but Dr B was out of the office in an emergency surgery.  My husband and I talked to the main nurse some and she was supportive as usual.  She said not to put too much stock in the quant levels because everybody is different, it's still very early, and they never used to even look at quant levels.  She also recommended I stay off my feet and take it easy for a while.  The nurse asked us to come back around 10 AM and she'd have the results back by then and Dr B should also there.

10:00  AM:  Dr B was back.  He didn't want to do an ultrasound because he didn't think there would be much more he could see from last time, and didn't want to irritate the cervix.  He did say that the quant level today was 122.6, which he felt was decent since Monday's draw of 68.6.  He commented that they aren't quite doubling every 72 hours as they would expect to see, but that they are improving each time.  He reminded us again that 25% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage and at least they know how to get me pregnant.  I told him that I've already been part of the 25% and I don't want to be in that percentage again.  He said that this doesn't mean it will be.  I asked if low rise meant something was wrong, and he said not necessarily.  He said each person is different and we just have to keep an eye on it.  He told me to continue taking the prometrium (progesterone) to help support the pregnancy and to come back in on Monday to recheck the quant levels.  Before he left the room, I asked him what his opinion was, was he optimistic or doubtful about this pregnancy's survival.  His response:

"I'm on the fence.  I really don't know.  We just need to keep checking your quant levels."

So, here we go, more waiting and wondering.  He wants to see me back on Monday at 8:30 AM for another quant draw.

Here's a breakdown of my current quant draws and what they typically should be:

Day	Date	Days Past Ovulation (DPO)	My Quant Level	Expected Quant Level	Difference
Thurs.	March 3	12	35.5	First Draw	First Draw
Sun.	March 6			71
Mon.	March 7	16	68.6	94.7	26.1
Wed.	March 9	18	105.26	142	36.47
Fri.	March 11	20	122.6	236.7	114.1
Sat.	March 12			284
Mon.	March 14			473.4
Tues.	March 15			568
Fri.	March 18			1136

The greyed out days are the original 72 hours and what their numbers should be.  Obviously I didn't get draws every 72 hours, so we've calculated what they should have been based on the "double every 72 hours" rule. 

Looking at it like this depresses me.  So today I should have been at 236.7 and I'm only at 122.6, which is a huge difference.  AGGGHHHH!!!!!  <Sobbing>  This isn't fair.

The American Pregnancy Association says:

The hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (better known as hCG) is produced during pregnancy. It is made by cells that form the placenta, which nourishes the egg after it has been fertilized and becomes attached to the uterine wall. Levels can first be detected by a blood test about 11 days after conception and about 12 - 14 days after conception by a urine test. In general the hCG levels will double every 72 hours. The level will reach its peak in the first 8 - 11 weeks of pregnancy and then will decline and level off for the remainder of the pregnancy.

Key things to remember about hCG levels:

• In a bout 85% of normal pregnancies, the hCG level will double every 48 - 72 hours. As you get further along in pregnancy and the hCG level gets higher, the time it takes to double can increase to about every 96 hours.
• Caution must be used in making too much of hCG numbers. A normal pregnancy may have low hCG levels and result in a perfectly healthy baby. The results from an ultrasound after 5 - 6 weeks gestation are much more accurate than using hCG numbers.
• An hCG level of less than 5mIU/ml is considered negative for pregnancy, and anything above 25mIU/ml is considered positive for pregnancy.
• The hCG hormone is measured in milli-international units per milliliter (mIU/ml).
• A transvaginal ultrasound should be able to show at least a gestational sac once the hCG levels have reached between 1,000 - 2,000mIU/ml. Because levels can differentiate so much and conception dating can be wrong, a diagnosis should not be made by ultrasound findings until the hCG level has reached at least 2,000.
• A single hCG reading is not enough information for most diagnoses. When there is a question regarding the health of the pregnancy, multiple testings of hCG done a couple of days apart give a more accurate assessment of the situation.
• The hCG levels should not be used to date a pregnancy since these numbers can vary so widely.
• There are two common types of hCG tests. A qualitative hCG test detects if hCG is present in the blood. A quantitative hCG test (or beta hCG) measures the amount of hCG actually present in the blood.

Guideline to hCG levels during pregnancy:

hCG levels in weeks from LMP (gestational age)* :

• 3 weeks LMP: 5 - 50 mIU/ml
• 4 weeks LMP: 5 - 426 mIU/ml
• 5 weeks LMP: 18 - 7,340 mIU/ml
• 6 weeks LMP: 1,080 - 56,500 mIU/ml
• 7 - 8 weeks LMP: 7, 650 - 229,000 mIU/ml
• 9 - 12 weeks LMP: 25,700 - 288,000 mIU/ml
• 13 - 16 weeks LMP: 13,300 - 254,000 mIU/ml
• 17 - 24 weeks LMP: 4,060 - 165,400 mIU/ml
• 25 - 40 weeks LMP: 3,640 - 117,000 mIU/ml
• Non-pregnant females: <5.0 mIU/ml
• Postmenopausal females: <9.5 mIU/ml

* These numbers are just a GUIDELINE-- every woman’s level of hCG can rise differently. It is not necessarily the level that matters but rather the change in the level.

I'm still not feeling better about this.  What in the world???  Why can't I carry and sustain a pregnancy???  What is wrong with me?  I believe in God, and I don't believe he'd hurt his children... so why am I going through this again???  What's going to happen?  Am I going to go along for a few weeks with off and on spotting (it's back now), and slow increasing quant levels only to miscarry once again? 

"God, you said "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it." (John 14:14).  So, I'm asking you again.  God, protect me against miscarriage.  Protect our baby God, hold him or her in your arms and breath life into him.  Bury him deep in the lining of my uterus God, and provide him with the nourishment he needs to grow strong and healthy.  Provide me peace and allow me the opportunity God to celebrate in the coming of our baby.  I pray this in your name God.  Amen."  ~Me