Singleton VS. Multiples hCG Levels

momma+street

Backstory: My husband was leaving for Canada for a business trip during the last two weeks of January 2016. He came back February 1st! We weren't as careful as we should have been, who would after two weeks separated?! I had a short but very heavy period that started a few days later. It ended on the 13th! The next day, let's just say we were more careful, or so we thought. 

I first noticed that I may be pregnant March 6th. I had suspicions before then, but the insane nausea was a tell-tale sign. I confirmed at home on March 11th. Here's where the story gets confusing. 

March 17th, I went in for my first prenatal (I have a history of miscarriages, and high risk pregnancies.) When they did the ultrasound, I only measured 4w 5d, and of course no heartbeat, only a sac. 

I also had an hCG test done which revealed a level of 1,840 -- At 4w 5d? Either I am further along then the ultrasound said, and I'm measuring small, or my hCG is really high. 

So, my question is: Could I be carrying multiples? 

Can an you tell me your experiences?! Singleton and Multiples stories will be greatly appreciated, as well as any questions. Thanks!!!!

*update, this is my 5th pregnancy, and will be 3rd child.

WinchestertoPittsburgh

HCG has no bearing on multiples, some women simply have high levels.

PugsandKisses

https://www.betabase.info

If you look, twins and singletons are very close betas.  Your just seem to be on the high end of nornal.
If you were farther along then 4.5 weeks, your U/s would have shown that. First tri U/S are very accurate,  to +/- 3 days. 

sjo_thetwins

My twins showed and HCG level of 948. I think I may have been 17 or 18dpo. However, my ultrasound at 5 weeks also showed two sacs. We confirmed by the ultrasound, not the HCG. 

goldie987

My hCG at 4w6d was nearly 3,000, just one healthy singleton in there (I'm 27 weeks now so I'm pretty sure they would have found a twin if there was one).  There's a HUGE range of "normal" for HCG, you could have a "normal" hcg of 1000 and have it be from 2 babies each pumping out 500 each or you could have a super overachiever in there pumping out 2000 on their own and both would be considered healthy as long as they were increased at the expected rate.  Ultrasounds are the only way to confirm twins and if they only saw one sac, chances are that you've only got one in there.  

momma+street

Thanks guys! I have one other thing to add too. For every other pregnancy, I showed morning sickness at approximately 10-12 weeks and HG all throughout pregnancy. This time, morning sickness (now diagnosed HG) started at 3 weeks!!!! I've heard that could also indicate multiples?

Also, the tech said there is definitely one sac, but where it was positioned they couldn't rule out multiples. So I do go in at 8w 6d to confirm either singleton or multiples! 

jonesl12

momma+street said:

Thanks guys! I have one other thing to add too. For every other pregnancy, I showed morning sickness at approximately 10-12 weeks and HG all throughout pregnancy. This time, morning sickness (now diagnosed HG) started at 3 weeks!!!! I've heard that could also indicate multiples?

Also, the tech said there is definitely one sac, but where it was positioned they couldn't rule out multiples. So I do go in at 8w 6d to confirm either singleton or multiples! 

Your symptoms have nothing to do with how many embryos you have.
every pregnancy is different and symptoms can change.

PugsandKisses

I had HG with my first, only child. My cousin had no 1st tri symptoms, twins.

Symptoms are not a sign of a healthy pregnancy nor are they a sign of twins. Each pregnancy is different. 

goldie987

momma+street said:

Thanks guys! I have one other thing to add too. For every other pregnancy, I showed morning sickness at approximately 10-12 weeks and HG all throughout pregnancy. This time, morning sickness (now diagnosed HG) started at 3 weeks!!!! I've heard that could also indicate multiples?

Also, the tech said there is definitely one sac, but where it was positioned they couldn't rule out multiples. So I do go in at 8w 6d to confirm either singleton or multiples! 

Every pregnancy is different.  Some people have awful HG for their first pregnancy and nothing with their second, some have nothing with their first and awful MS with their second.  Symptoms do NOT indicate how many babies you have, no matter how early on they start.  It seems like you really want twins but please, don't get your hopes up because of a new symptom or hcg level that you didn't have with another pregnancy.  Either way, the ultrasound at 9 weeks will tell you what you're dealing with.  

sjo_thetwins

Ditto on the symptoms. The only time I had crappy symptoms like sore boobs and extreme nausea was while I was taking progesterone. I had very mild nausea when I was hungry for a couple of weeks, but now the majority of physical symptoms are gone and I'm 10 weeks. Symptoms have no bearing on healthy or plural babies. 

alynne1113

momma+street said:

Thanks guys! I have one other thing to add too. For every other pregnancy, I showed morning sickness at approximately 10-12 weeks and HG all throughout pregnancy. This time, morning sickness (now diagnosed HG) started at 3 weeks!!!! I've heard that could also indicate multiples?

Also, the tech said there is definitely one sac, but where it was positioned they couldn't rule out multiples. So I do go in at 8w 6d to confirm either singleton or multiples! 

I had HG with both singles.

so no, has nothing to do with amount of babies.

AandDM2014

My HCG at 4w3d was 1610 and I only have one growing. Like everyone else said, HCG levels generally don't indicate how many there are, unless it's something crazy like 200,000 at 5 weeks. Then you probably have multiples.

BostonBaby1

I started feeling/getting sick at 3 weeks even this pregnancy (singleton.) Very early, but I was able to turn a test then. As stated above, each pregnancy is different. When I was pregnant with my twins, I felt fantastic. Odds are, if you were ktfu with twins, two sacs would have been visualized.

momma+street

To be clear, since I feel there may be a miscommunication, I am not at all gunning for multiples. Secondly, The drastic change in my pregnancy to the last 4 is what I was trying to get an idea of. I have a history of multiples in my family, and many have said to look for a drastic change in pregnancies. Hence the asking from those who have had multiples Last, it was my midwife who hasn't ruled out multiples considering the ultrasound was a very vague ultrasound -- which is why I am scheduled to have another in April. 

HG is not an indication of anything except being pregnant. I get that, 5th pregnancy, 3rd viable pregnancy, all HG. I wasn't using that as a key sign. The only difference is how early this one started. 

Thanks for all of your opinions! Happy pregnancies!

debzra

WinchestertoPittsburgh said:

HCG has no bearing on multiples, some women simply have high levels.

debzra

That is actually not true - while HCG levels do vary greatly from woman to woman, unusually high levels can indicate multiples...

harpseal135

debzra said:

That is actually not true - while HCG levels do vary greatly from woman to woman, unusually high levels can indicate multiples...

Holy Zombie Post! This post is 4 years old!

By the way, no HGC levels do not indicate multiples - my obgyn told me that when I thought I may have twins.