Spotting, measuring behind - need support

[clairedelune]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this board, but can't seem to get any replies in the other forums I belong to so I came over here hoping for more traffic.

I have one child, and last year had a miscarriage. Got a positive pregnancy test on May 10th.

I started spotting brown about 2 weeks ago, at about 5 weeks and a few days along. I'm certain about my dates because of charting/OPK. After spotting all weekend I went to the doctor. I should have been about 6 weeks, but they did 2 ultrasounds last week (Tuesday and Friday) and could not find anything, not even a gestational sac, which they said meant I was measuring 4 weeks and a couple days.

The doctor tested my hCG on the 27th and the 29th. It rose from 1400 to 1800, but she wasn't optimistic. She was worried about an ectopic but couldn't find that on the ultrasound either, and suggested I get another beta this week. We had a talk about how this would probably be miscarriage, and she recommended I go to a reproductive endocrinologist (RE) to discuss recurrent miscarriage.

This Monday, on June 2nd, I had another beta that measured 3200 (96 hours after last one measured 1800). Yesterday I went to see the RE, who said he was concerned about an ectopic as well, since they hadn't been able to find a sac but my hCG numbers were going up. He did another ultrasound and found a very tiny sac. He told me it was not measuring where I should be (looked more like 5 weeks even though I'm at 7) and that he was not hopeful but that he wouldn't suggest doing anything (ie a D&C) until we saw where the sac was going. I am supposed to go back to my doctor this Friday morning for her input.

I am totally confused. I have been spotting brown off and on for two weeks but have no cramps. I also feel like my pregnancy symptoms have gone away, but I honestly don't know if I had any to begin with. With my first child, I didn't feel anything until after 8 weeks. The betas and the visualization of the sac are giving me hope but I don't know if I should be hoping for anything at this point.

If I were having a miscarriage, why would there be nothing there last week and this week there's something? I would love anyone's thoughts on this, similar stories, etc. Thank you!

 

[clearbluesky]

I know it must be stressful but try to stay positive until you at least get a clear answer. At this point I think there's a good chance the dating is just wrong maybe a later ovulation and implantation. Especially since your hormones are rising and the sac has now been found. Will they do another ultrasound soon? In a couple weeks they should be able to see the growth. As for the spotting this is my second pregnancy. My last pregnancy I spotted brown until 9 weeks and this time I'm over 9 weeks and spotting brown even brown blood at times but everything is ok with the baby so far and had 3 ultrasounds. Implantation bleeding happens to many women and although scary it's very common. Stay positive and good luck!

 

[slg76]

I'm so sorry you are in such a stressful situation!

I had something similar happen to me about 6 months ago. My story ended up in miscarriage I've heard of stories that end happily but I'm afraid they are the minority. If you want some hopeful stories look up misdiagnosed miscarriage.

I was very sure of my dates from OPK/EWCM and my cycle is very regular. I went for an ultrasound at what should have been six weeks. I was already a little suspicious as my symptoms had eased up. I measured about a week behind. I had a gestational sac and yolk sac but no fetal pole. I tried and tried to make the dates fit but they just didn't. I went in several times over the next two weeks for more ultrasounds and betas. My betas did continue to rise although not nearly doubling in 48 hours. My ultrasounds showed the sac growing a bit larger and the fetal pole eventually showed up but smaller than it should have been. At that point the sac started to look misshapen and smaller. My betas leveled off and then began to drop. I never had any bleeding or cramping.

So, the short story is that I had a missed miscarriage at about 5 1/2 weeks. My betas continued to rise for a while after the pregnancy stopped developing but then dropped. I never did bleed and at 9 1/2 weeks I had a D&E.

I hope that your case has a happy ending

 

[clairedelune]

Thanks for replying, clearbluesky and sig76. I was pretty much resigned to the miscarriage happening until something was spotted on the ultrasound and my HCG numbers went up. But they're not going up very quickly, and I don't think there's any way around my dates - the only possibility would be that having a tilted uterus might have affected the ability to visualize the pregnancy. I have an appointment with my OB tomorrow, so I'll see what she has to say about it. Hard to hang in there!

 

[clairedelune]

So, I went to my doctor today and they did their own ultrasound and confirmed there was a gestational sac there that wasn't there last week. She wanted to be conservative and wait another week, have me do more blood tests, etc. even though it is measuring super small, just because there was nothing at all there last week (in the two other ultrasounds they gave me). She said she had never seen a case like this where we were certain of the dates, for there to be nothing there and suddenly something, but that it does happen when people's dates are off.

I was resigned to certain miscarriage last week but it's hard not to be a little bit hopeful. Another week of waiting to go...

 

[slg76]

Hang in there

 

[clairedelune]

Thanks, slg. I keep thinking about your story. It could likely be that something similar is happening to me, and it's interesting you still had some growth, just not enough. I assumed that once the pregnancy wasn't viable, you wouldn't see any growth at all.

I just keep going back to why there would be nothing there in two ultrasounds this week, and something is now there. It just seems to me if my development was so far behind schedule, wouldn't it have clearly stopped by now?

My cycles are normally irregular and this cycle I took clomid for the first time - I also keep hoping something bizarre might have happened with the clomid - but I am pretty sure of dates, unless I ovulated twice in one month (superfetation - it really does exist! But maybe like the chances of winning the lottery).

 

[slg76]

Not knowing is the worst! I know your mind must be racing with different scenarios and outcomes.

The way I see it, a pregnancy that is developing normally usually continues right on course and doesn't just stop one day or one hour. It's more likely that the pregnancy is trying to develop but has gotten off track causing the delayed or slow growth. At some point the pregnancy has gone as far as it can and stops and then shrinks/resorbs. I'm not sure I explained that very well

There are always cases where ovulation is mistimed or even happened twice like you said. Or some babies do just get a slow start. I really hope your story doesn't end up like mine

 

[clairedelune]

That makes perfect sense, and I really feel like that might be happening here - the pregnancy is trying to develop but it's so far off course it will eventually stop. Yesterday I woke up with cramps and real bleeding, for the first time, and I thought, good, at least this is going to get resolved. But then by lunch time the bleeding went away completely, although I did continue to have some mild cramping all day. Today, nothing. I'm puzzled and anxious.

 

[dreamofabump]

Hey hun please try and stay positive. The same thing happened to me and they even booked me in to have the sac removed saying there's nothing. Growing in the sac. I refused and went back three days later. Like magic there was a yolk in the sac ten days after had another there was a heartbeat now i have a healthy 16 month old. Hang in there doctors are not always right. Trust ya heart xxxxx gl

 

[clairedelune]

Thanks, dreamofabump. Your words mean a lot! I don't really have much hope at this point but at least I'll know something more by the end of the week. Pregnant until proven otherwise, lol.

 

[dreamofabump]

Thanks, dreamofabump. Your words mean a lot! I don't really have much hope at this point but at least I'll know something more by the end of the week. Pregnant until proven otherwise, lol.

I really hope to god you prove them wrong. il be praying for you and your lil bean. but in the mean time try and relax and clear your head. honestly I have been though the same thing and its heartbreaking but hang in there... theres always hope xxxxxx

 

[clairedelune]

Thanks for the support, everyone. Went back for an ultrasound (literally like the 5th one I've had in the past three weeks), and the sac hadn't grown at all. It definitely had a decidual reaction around it, meaning not ectopic, but there was nothing in it. I'm at almost 9 weeks now so this is definitely not normal. hCGs are only doubling at a rate of every 6 days. Had to schedule a D&C for next week... I'm glad it will be resolved, actually, so I can move on... the feeling of dread and being in suspense has been the worst.

 

[slg76]

I'm really glad you got an answer but so sorry it wasn't the one you want. I understand wanting to move on and I hope you can do that quickly. There is a lot of support in the loss forums if/when you decide you need it.

 

[RcdM]

I'm sorry to hear as well, but at least you have closure and can move forward without feeling like you're stuck in limbo and not knowing what's going on.

Best of luck to you!

 

[clairedelune]

Thank you! Yes, I'm glad I at least know what's going on, and that it's not ectopic. Not the outcome I wanted, but I knew the signs were pretty bad... and I'm glad to have found the support here in this community for the next stage.

 

[dreamofabump]

So sorry to hear that hun

 

[clairedelune]

Update - had a D&C on Tuesday. It wasn't a horrible procedure for me - I had general anesthesia and was out for the whole thing. Still recovering, but glad for the closure. Thanks for the support, everyone.