Dreaming Pink Due Date Group: TTC and Beyond

[Niva]

I found a good article about the rise of hcg during the first week after implantion. It is a dense read but I THINK my levels are normal for 3 days post implantation.

Urinary hCG patterns during the week following implantation

Update: Scratch that, the units are different and even DH, a bona fide biochemist, couldn't figure out the conversion. Our hcg lab tests are reported in mIU/ml and this study measured the hcg in ng/ml.

[Dollydot]

Congrats Niva, lovely to see an other BFP it's giving me hope, well done....

[bunnywabbit]

Yay, Niva! Congrats! x

[Mathilde]

Things are looking up ladies! Congrats to all bfp and tsp!! I bought my first opk after work, tested on loo at home w ds1, his friend and builder(!) outside the loo door(!) and it smiled at me! Had lots to do this afternoon, sent the boys out cycling, was shagged by DH, no romantic baby making here no! From behind, j&d after two minutes, by then ds1 had crept in the house and looked very suspiciously at us, asking what we were doing lol!! And then got about daily business. Swim upwards little pink ones and down little blue!

[GeCon]

Mathilde, great news on the smiley.

I ovulated yesterday, so am 1DPO today. Is there any point in BD'ing again tonight? I am thinking it may be too late...

[Emily]

Mathilde, great news on the smiley.

I ovulated yesterday, so am 1DPO today. Is there any point in BD'ing again tonight? I am thinking it may be too late...

I don't think so unless the mood takes you.

[Cagirl09]

Hey Niva,

(please excuse any typos, I'm adjusting to life without am coffee!). Thanks for sharing that article, I read through the article yesterday and I too was stumped by the conversion. However, there was one thing I didn't need a conversion to understand and that was that at this early stage, teh levesl in HCG don't necessarily reveal differences in gender!
Again, you're probably sick of my sharing my experiences, but I keep seeing parallels btwn us. I finally got my betas done at 16dpo. My number was 140, which I found to be extremely low (my md did not seem to be worried). When I did the math backgward, that number would have put me somewhere btwn 11 and 15 at 10dpo, so right about where you are. In the days between my blood tests I looked for as much information as I could find and I found several sources that suggest that the FRER is sensitive up to 6.5. When I went for my follow up blood test, my numbers had increased as expected and neither my doc nor her nurse are worried. I know that it is hard to have peace of mind until you get your own confirmation, but based on what I experienced, and our super early testing, you're right within normal limits!

[Niva]

Hey Niva,

(please excuse any typos, I'm adjusting to life without am coffee!). Thanks for sharing that article, I read through the article yesterday and I too was stumped by the conversion. However, there was one thing I didn't need a conversion to understand and that was that at this early stage, teh levesl in HCG don't necessarily reveal differences in gender!
Again, you're probably sick of my sharing my experiences, but I keep seeing parallels btwn us. I finally got my betas done at 16dpo. My number was 140, which I found to be extremely low (my md did not seem to be worried). When I did the math backgward, that number would have put me somewhere btwn 11 and 15 at 10dpo, so right about where you are. In the days between my blood tests I looked for as much information as I could find and I found several sources that suggest that the FRER is sensitive up to 6.5. When I went for my follow up blood test, my numbers had increased as expected and neither my doc nor her nurse are worried. I know that it is hard to have peace of mind until you get your own confirmation, but based on what I experienced, and our super early testing, you're right within normal limits!

Cagirl, no, this is exactly where we need to share our personal experiences! It helps so much to hear about others who have similar experiences to our own.
That is great to hear about back-calculating your levels to start at around 10-15 on 10dpo. I have a gut feeling that my levels ARE rising appropriately, since I have continuing symptoms (mainly increasing fatigue and decreasing appetite) and the spotting is intermittent, not steady. Just hard not to worry!

Yes, I know the First Response brand tests can test down to 6.5. That was the frer I used on 10dpo and got a really pink line. The ics, though, I thought they weren't that sensitive, and I still got a squinter with them, so I was worried that maybe my levels WERE higher to give me such nice lines -- and then fell. But I've continued testing and the line on the ICs does keep getting darker, so I doubt I need to worry about that. Relief.

I wonder so much if the spotting isn't caused by my blood being slightly thinned by the baby aspirin. It was worst the morning after I took a dose and had taken some DHA, which also thins the blood. I feel like those capillaries in the cervix and uterine lining are just so sensitive, with the lining being as thick as it is for implantation, that any little disturbance (like a bm, tmi) can make them leak a little. Also our hormones that normally control AF can still be present and allow some breakthrough bleeding. My AF would have been due tomorrow, and I usually start spotting about 3-5 days in advance of that. So maybe that's all it is.

Sorry, that was a big ramble! I cut out caffeine recently too, and I have been nothing but a zombie with a headache!

Oh, yes, I also noticed the excellent point that there was no difference in HCG levels between fetal genders at that early stage. One less thing to obsess over!

[Niva]

Emily, how is your bfp coming along? I read on your other thread that you are continuing to test every morning like I am, and obsessing about your spotting and cramping like I am... Don't be shy, this is the right place to worry out loud! Or if it isn't, I'm in the wrong place myself, LOL! Are you going to go get a blood test soon to put your mind at ease? My mw didn't mind giving one to me at 11dpo. Except it didn't put my mind at ease and now I won't know until the follow-up results come in on Monday... But I have a feeling everything is really just fine so I'm trying not to worry too much.

[Emily]

Emily, how is your bfp coming along? I read on your other thread that you are continuing to test every morning like I am, and obsessing about your spotting and cramping like I am... Don't be shy, this is the right place to worry out loud! Or if it isn't, I'm in the wrong place myself, LOL! Are you going to go get a blood test soon to put your mind at ease? My mw didn't mind giving one to me at 11dpo. Except it didn't put my mind at ease and now I won't know until the follow-up results come in on Monday... But I have a feeling everything is really just fine so I'm trying not to worry too much.

I got a darker line this afternoon but am still, really worried about spotting and cramping as it has changed to a brighter red the only reason I didn't post my concerns here is that I had a chemical in October and I am worried that history is repeating itself. I am sure that you are fine Niva and didn't want to pull you down.

The docs here don't seem to be as mum-friendly elsewhere. When I had bleeding last time I was told to go home and if it stopped everything would be ok and if not the I could try again soon. I agree though a blood draw would help so I might see if I can get one next week.