Hi Ladies,

So I tested BFN at 12 DPO, thought for sure I was out until AF didn't arrive, tested again evening of 16 DPO and got a positive. Tested again 17 DPO with a FRER and some internet cheapies and all positive -- although the lines are definitely not as dark as the control line. Tested again this a.m. at 18 DPO and the line got darker than yesterday but it still wasn't as dark as control line.

18 DPO at about 8:30 a.m. I had a beta HCG and a progesterone test. Beta HCG came back at 122 (progesterone ok at 42). It's possible I miscalculated my O date and I'm not 18 DPO but since I temp I doubt this is the case and if I'm off it's only by one or two days. I know this is still in the "normal" range of HCG but it's verrrry low for the normal range (which I've seen reported as 70-758+) and I haven't been able to find anyone else (online anyway) the reported numbers so low and went on to have a successful pregnancy. I go back in 48 hours to check for doubling but in the meantime I'm going crazy. My heart is telling me this is not a viable pregnancy and I should prepare for the worst...

Any thoughts, experience, feedback appreciated!

First of all, congrats on your BFP.

Even though you know when you ovulated, you don't know when you implanted. You could have implanted 7-12 days after ovulation.

The most important thing is the doubling at this point, not what the numbers are. Try not to stress out and check again in a few days. It sounds like everything is fine to me.

Good luck and keep us updated.

Thanks, TMonster but I've also read that late implanting is bad and has a higher likelihood of miscarriage. Since I test negative at 12 DPO and a faint positive at 16 DPO I'm guessing I did indeed implant late, like you said, but if that's the case I'm worried it won't stick (apparently 82% of pregnancies miscarry if the embryo implants after 11 DPO).

Thanks again for your reply.

I am sorry you are going through this. Hopefully you were off a couple of days on ovulation. There is no need to worry though, as long as your numbers are doubling.

a home test usually wont show a positive for quite a while after implantation. My FRER didnt give me a positive until around 16DPO while other tests gave me a positive (although super faint and I had to break the test apart and look at it in the light) at 9DPO and that was a blue dye test but I dont ever have evap problems. My doctor confirmed it at 11dpo.

Sometimes its just the test. I also had very high HCG levels early on.

I wouldnt read too much into it. There are a bunch of threads here with people who have low HCG levels or even slow rising HCG levels that do just fine.

First tri is scary, 30% of pregnancies miscarry during the first tri. I was convinced multiple times that something would happen. I had my progesterone drop down to 9.9 and also had quite a lot of bleeding and then I didnt see the heartbeat when I should have but things have worked out so far. I am 9 weeks, I have a home doppler so I can listen to the heartbeat whenever I need to, I have had 4 scans and another one april 9th, the bleeding stopped and I am sick day and night. So far so good.

Best wishes for a continued healthy and uneventful first trimester... Sorry you're feeling so sick (although I'd almost welcome that at this point just so I could feel more pregnant!).

I'm just hoping that if these low numbers mean bad things to come it's a miscarriage and not an ectopic or something worse.

Is it horrible to just want this to hurry up and go one way or the other so if it's not meant to be we can start trying again!?! I'm feeling anxious but also impatient...

Ectopic would be accompanied by a lot of pain and you would know because your numbers wouldnt be rising as quickly as they should.

Its perfectly normal to feel that way. I have often wished that if I was going to miscarry I just wanted to be done with it already and move on. Waiting is really the hardest part but I definitely don't think hope is lost for you at all.

Try reading this thread... it may be helpful For all you worried about low hcg numbers..

There is quite a few of us right now that are struggling with low HCG #'s and many before us that pulled right through and had healthy babies

I just checked my chart and at 20 DPO my # was 169.

Thanks Brandy, that's reassuring... Fingers crossed for you...