Confused what's happening to me 1 month post mc

[Sherry200408]

I got my BFP on November 21. A week and a day later, on November 29th (which would have been 5 weeks based on LMP), I started heavily bleeding, no cramps, just heavy red blood. I don't have a set doctor yet because I'm new to the area, and the clinic that I had scheduled my first real appointment with (it was scheduled to be at 6.5 weeks) didn't have any sooner availability, so the next day, I went to the ER.
They performed an internal and external ultrasound, a pelvic exam, and measured hcg. The ultrasound showed nothing - no sign of eptopic, but also no visible pregnancy. My hcg was 201 (which is in the range for 5 weeks, but is basically as low as it can be).

They instructed me to follow up with a clinic in 2 days. What followed was a failure of the healthcare system that I won't get too far into. I walked out of the clinic angry and on the verge of tears (note to any nurses - don't ever have the first question out of your mouth to a woman who is miscarrying her first pregnancy be - "so this was an unplanned pregnancy?"). I refused care after they wouldn't let me speak with a nurse or doctor prior to them performing an internal ultrasound when I just had one 2 days before. I have never felt so let down by healthcare.

I had already cancelled what was supposed to be my first "real" appointment with a midwife, so now I had no second hcg level, and the bleeding was continuing and my sore boobs (my only real symptom I'd felt) were starting to no longer be sore. I accepted the miscarriage and decided to move on with my life and start planning our next attempt at getting pregnant.

So skip ahead to today. Its December 26th and I'm still spotting. Last night I decided to take my last pregnancy test to make sure the hcg had left my system, and the dang thing said "pregnant". Before anyone starts typing a reply, I know that hcg remains in every woman's body for differing amounts of time and that pregnancy tests can still say you're pregnant when you aren't. That's not why I'm confused. I'm confused because this test, and the following test I took this morning, were both significantly darker than the pregnancy tests I took when I was actually pregnant. My hcg was only 200 when I believed I was miscarrying, and that was almost 4 weeks ago. Shouldn't I be seeing very faint lines, if anything? Not DARKER lines? Please help! Has anyone experienced this? I have another appointment scheduled in a week and a half but that's a long time to wait and wonder what is happening to me body....

Also! No, I did not get pregnant within the past few weeks after the mc and that's why I'm seeing dark lines. I am using a sperm donor so it is not physically possible that I have conceived again!

 

[Scout]

I'm sorry you had such a horrible experience. How long did you bleed? I don't know if this is helpful, but I had heavy red bleeding, plus horrendous cramps, when I was 6 weeks pregnant with daughter. The bleeding filled a tampon and then a pad, then slowed to spotting. It lasted a day and the pregnancy was fine. She's now 5.

Another time, I had bleeding for 4 days and then spotted. I thought it was an abnormal period. A week later, I was nauseated so I took a test and it was positive. I had my hcg checked and it was over 1000, then next check it rose appropriately, the next one it didn't rise appropriately and the 4th check it had started to drop a bit. I eventually miscarried.

I don't know if any of this is helpful bc it's just so hard to know what's going on without testing and ultrasounds. The bleeding could be just one of those things (it happens to some women without an identifiable reason) and your pregnancy is progressing. And maybe they didn't see anything on ultrasound bc you were too early. Maybe you implanted later than you thought?? Or it could be a nonviable pregnancy that you haven't completely miscarried yet. I've seen women post about hcg that goes up and then slows and then drops and then goes up again.

If you had a complete miscarriage 4 weeks ago, when you hcg was only 200, you'd be getting a negative pregnancy test by now. (my experience having had 3 miscarriages) They certainly wouldn't be darker.

A week and a half is a long time when you need answers! I don't know if you can do this, but I'd be tempted to go to a walk in and have my hcg tested. Good luck and hope you have a positive outcome from this.

 

[Hoping4numbr3]

@Sherry200408 IF you are in the USA you can also get your own Lab work done (in most states but there is a few you can not) I got my own HCG tested for like 30 bucks a piece. Walkinlabs.com is what I used and it was so easy! Good luck. I would definitely be getting checked again to make sure it isn't ectopic or anything. A sac would not show up until 1000 hcg. I am sorry you are experiencing this.