hCG level looks good, but is rising too slowly

[writingislove]

I am just over six weeks pregnant and had an early scan at 5w4d that showed only a gestational sac but no fetal pole or yolk sac. The doctor said for where I was at, that wasn't concerning, but she did want to see my hcg levels.

On Wednesday last week they were just over 8,000, and by Friday they'd only gone up to 9,800. The doctor's nurse who called me with the results told me they're expecting I'm getting ready to miscarry, and actually told me to not be surprised if I started bleeding over the weekend. I have a scan scheduled tomorrow just to see, but the nurse didn't sound hopeful at all.

I've read up a lot on slow rising hcg, but what I'm finding is a lot of information about women whose levels never even get into the thousands. I want to believe that my levels were, at one point in time, doubling just fine since they were at 8,000 just before six weeks. But it seems to be rising very slowly now, and of course I'm terrified of miscarrying.

Has anyone else been in this situation? How did things turn out? I have only occasional, VERY mild AF-like cramping, and no bleeding, and I do have plenty of symptoms. I want to be hopeful, but I also don't want to get my hopes up too high and have my heart broken at my scan.

 

[lilmisscaviar]

I'm so sorry you're going through this

Unfortunately I don't have any advice but I want to tell you that you're not alone. I am going through a very similar situation right now. I had an u/s done at 7 weeks. Gestational sac measured 6w6d but there was only a yolk sac, no fetal pole. I went back for another scan almost a week later, at 7w5d and there was a fetal pole measuring 6w3d with no heartbeat but the gestational sac wasn't measuring much larger and the yolk sac didn't shrink. At my first u/s my hcg levels were 29,000 and at my second they only went up to 41,000. They didn't double like they should have but they were still rising. My midwife still thinks I'm going to miscarry though.

It is difficult to be in the waiting game. I know exactly how you feel though and I wish you only the best!

 

[writingislove]

Thanks lilmisscaviar, I'm sorry to see you're also in a similar situation. I never imagined the first several weeks of pregnancy to be so stressful!