beta HCG and progesterone results "not wonderful"... HELP

[nbbymakesthre]

Hi Ladies,

It's been awhile since I've been on this board, well the TTC anyway, after months and months of constant disappointment and heartache I just couldn't be in the TTC whirlwind anymore. A few months later here I sit with my FIRST BFP EVER(!) after having unprotected sex with my husband for over 9 years, and actively TTC for over two years! The first day of my LMP was 8/25 and my period was due on 9/22. I've peed on so many sticks it's insane and really I am still in shock! Since I'm a worry wart by nature I immediately called my old Nurse Midwife to make an appt with her (haven't been the GYN in about 4 years....after the last one I told we were TTC told me lose 25 pounds. I'm 5'2 and at the time weighed about 145 pounds - a little overweight according to the charts but I wore a 6/8 - that offended me so much I never went back and also honestly was too afraid to hear them say we would have problems.)

The midwife won't even see me until 10 weeks (11/3) but I insisted I get some of test or bloodwork done. She sends me for the betaHCG and progesterone on Wednesday and I am supposed to go back today for another one so they can compare. I called today to get the results of the first test. She said "the results are not wonderful" and "I'm not saying there's no hope but we don't like to get people's hopes up" and "your progesterone was very low" "pretty much there's nothing you can do" and "we'll just have to wait to compare your results" -- the only positives she had to say were "There is a chance you could have a perfectly normal, healthy pregnancy" and "the levels could be low because you are very early." (<---- that makes the MOST sense to me but then WHY would she have to add in all those other negative things!)

So now I'm FREAKING OUT and I've just wanted to cry all day. The HCG was 125 and Progesterone was 10.3. I'm getting ready to go get the rest of the blood work when my husband gets home and then a VERY LONG weekend I know I will be in for. I've already told a bunch of my friends and family and we are just so so elated - everyone has literally burst into tears of joy when they've found out. I have an appt with another ob on 10/8 and I can't even call them to ask their opinions since it's a new DR. I'm scared! Any advice or reassuring words would be so greatly appreciated right about now.

THANK YOU!!!

 

[Picksbaby]

No them results sound pretty spot on for around 4weeks. At 3weeks 6days mine were 146. It's not so much about the number it's about them doubling but they sound perfectly healthy try not to panic! A lot easier said then done x

 

[mod19]

The progesterone is on the low end. I would try to get into an ob on Monday and get some progesterone supplements.

 

[tulip1975]

They need to put you on progesterone supplements immediately. They do make a difference. I think my m/c 3 years ago was likely due to low progesterone rather than chromosomal defect.

 

[jodiejodie]

Definitely ask for progesterone! Mine was at 17.3 at 3w6d and they put me on 100mg of progesterone a day!!

 

[SweetV]

Ask for supplements or try the creams. 10 is very low normal. Try not to stress too much unless the next test shows it going down.

 

[Angelbaby_01]

Congratulations!!

Your beta sounds great hun, ask, well insist on progesterone supplements. I can't believe how they can just give up hope. With this baby I had the same reaction from a gp. I then insisted on getting a referral to an obgyn who prescribed 200mg utrogestan and now I am 19 weeks already with a healthy baby. Good luck hun! Xx

 

[pinkpassion]

Sometimes progesterone DOES start out low... don't stress by the answers, your next draw could show a jump in progesterone... ive had both happen, in my third pregnancy it was 10.2 and two days later was 17.8 then two days later 28, so that was good, but my recent pregnancy at 3 w 3 days it was 17.3 and two days later dropped to 10, I was put on progesterone at. 4 weeks 3 days after all was said and done, I now have a healthy beautiful 3 month old baby!! And the previous pregnancy resulted in missed miscarriage with perfect progesterone levels!! Try not to stress until those results are in!!

 

[skyesmom]

your HCG sounds spot on as you are very early on! for progesterone, as said, it may pick up and even if it's on the low side for a couple of days, it can still be fixed with progesterone supplements.

my new OB is also the kind of a doctor that doesn't want to get people all over excited in the first few weeks. i think it's because the pregnancy loss is so very common and people who end up losing their babies sometimes wish they were warned beforehand, at least i was one of those - i was clueless when it happened that it happens that often and that it's so common.
i was at another OB at the time and just felt in my guts that something was wrong, but kept being brushed off as paranoid and that it was all in my head (despite having suffered another loss before)... not nice at all.
When i walked back into their office after having an emergency D&C at the hospital few weeks later, i wish i could have taken the picture of their faces, from the receptionists to the nurses and the docs, the entire staff was embarrassed, uncomfortable and baffled that "the paranoid freak" was ultimately right.

my new OB is very maternal and overprotective - she's also very cautious when giving results and never too optimistic until you've reached 12 weeks. i know this kind of attitude drives some people crazy and most of the times you end up worrying for nothing, yet... you DO get checked WAY more often with doctors like this. even when everything is just fine.

all this talk asides: i think your levels sound great for 4 weeks! and sending my and prayers that the weekend flies by and you get great results on monday!

 

[nbbymakesthre]

Thank you ladies so much. I have been comforted by your responses! When I find out my results have doubled on Monday (I try to always be positive!) I'm going to tell her how insensitive and unkind her remarks to me were and for absolutely no reason. She's an office manager - she had no right to give me her opinions on my test results and terrorize me with worry all weekend! I did my own research and those numbers were actually normal with the pg being on the low side.

I'm working with two herbalists from my local herb shop. They do something there called muscle testing (it's an alternative treatment - western medicine probably would not acknowledge it though it is scientifically backed!) that has ALWAYS worked for me every single time over the last 5 years I've been going there to tell me what I need to heal my body and I am not testing for progesterone. This leads me to believe that everything is FINE. I went back Friday am and yesterday to have them test me again and still no need according to my body.

This has DEFINITELY been the longest weekend of my LIFE. I swear I woke up this morning saying "It's MONDAY!!" but no. Welcome to parenthood I guess.... worry worry worry!!

Be well ladies and thank you again for your responses!!

 

[SweetV]

Best of luck tomorrow!

 

[rosegarden620]

Oh my gosh, as a nurse, please let me assure you that because so many PP suggested progesterone supps that that may not be what you need. First and foremost you are early. And those levels sound great. Progesterone levels range depending on the lab you get your specimen processed at. Labcorp, quest.... All of those places have different ranges for "normal levels" in women and in early pregnancy. Example- at 4w6d I had progesterone levels checked and they were 6.1. The range was 4.0-34.0 in the first trimester. Naturally, I worried bc people use their stories as guidelines rather than cautionary tales. My doctor was happy with those numbers and reiterated that like HcG- progesterone levels increase in early pregnancy with the rate of the pregnancy. Until about 11 weeks when your placenta takes over. So please don't feel as if progesterone is your only chance survival at this time.

It's not.

Those levels are fine. Hcg included. What matters is the rate in which the HCG doubles....which it will until your numbers hit about 20-30k at about 6+ weeks or so and the doubling rate decreases from every 48-72 to 72-96.

Your midwife has to tell you these things- good and bad to cover her legal bases. We never give or are allowed to give false hope. You have to be honest- although I will say there's a way in which you do it that doesn't increase unnecessary stress in a patient.

Congrats on this miracle ad enjoy it. Stay offline and away from peoples experiences bc ultimately you are an experience of your own. Your factors are already so different than a lot of people.

Worrying will only hurt the situation so please, just enjoy the miracle that has happened and the results will shed some more light.

Also- just be aware common spotting periods in pregnancy are weeks 6-8 when more vascular connections are being made. And women with light spotting have the same chances of carrying a baby to term as a women with no spotting. That's fact. I can post the research if you'd like.

Gl

 

[mod19]

PP is right. I was basing the progesterone on MY experience. I'm no nurse so I just want to apologize if I put any fear in you whatsoever.

As far as using an herbalist: I work at a supplement store and we do the same kind of testing. There's also a saliva test that will tell you what your hormone levels are and a hair test that will tell you what your toxin and mineral levels are. I've personally not havehad them done as our nutritionist puts everyone on the same EXACT supplements (a multi, an enzyme, adrenal support, rice bran, kona gold-not sure what it does, and 50/50 she puts on k2 with d3) that she sees that I've deemed it a waste of money. However if yours is willing to really read your results through thoroughly and make recommendations that YOU need I think they can be very beneficial.