First cycle after Missed MC?

hunt_adventure_society · July 2017

I woke up to medium bleeding on Monday, June 19th- which would have put me at 9w 2d.

An emergency ultrasound showed no heartbeat, and the baby was measuring at 7w 2d- we had last seen a healthy measurement and strong heartbeat at 6w 4d, and we all know how tough this news is to receive.

I was able to take Misoprostol to trigger the miscarriage, and confirmed via u/s on Friday, June 23 that the medication had worked and the m/c was complete, no D&C necessary. I continued to bleed incredibly heavily through the weekend (gotta love maxipads in 100 degree heat), and it tapered off by June 28th.

My doctor asked us to wait until after our next period to start trying again, which was our plan. The last couple nights we got a little carried away making up for lost time, but we didn't use protection because I figured it was a few weeks before I'd ovulate again.

Today I had pretty classic O pains and EWCM, so I took an HPT to see if my HCG has gone down- still a very faint positive. I then took an OPK, which was a solid positive.

Is it possible that I'm actually ovulating right now, or is it more probable that it looks positive because I still have the hormones in my system? I have an appt on the 11th to find out where my HCG levels are, but if it's possible that I'm ovulating NOW and we accidentally had the right timing, I want to start my progesterone supplements again, since they need to be started 2 days after a positive OPK. (I'm guessing all this confusion is why she told us to hold off, so I'm too embarrassed to call her and tell her we acted like teenagers despite her warning and teasing us for being newlyweds!)

Any helpful insight? This is our first pregnancy, first loss, and this whole recovery phase has me totally bewildered.

runninginva · July 2017

I'm so sorry for your loss! I read that you are most fertile in the time after the miscarriage before your first period, and the reason they tell you to wait until after your first period is that it helps with determining how far along you are when you do eventually get pregnant again, but that it's not actually dangerous for you to get pregnant before then... Maybe worth mentioning to your doctor in case it did result in pregnancy, or you could just wait a few more weeks and see if you get your period. Best wishes with everything.

dpjennifer · July 2017

It is possible that you are ovulating right now, or just finished ovulating. Your current cycle starts from the date of the MC (probably June 19th, the day you had bleeding). So that’d be about 17 days. How long were your cycles normally? It’s possible that after the MC your cycle can immediately go back to ‘normal’ and pick up where you left off. However, it’s also common for cycles to be completely different after MC.
Usually doctors have you wait at least 1 cycle for dating purposes, among other reasons. Some say that you can be more fertile after a MC, but that’s not just the first cycle, but rather several. Depending on how your body works this COULD be true, but it could just as easily be detrimental. Listen to what your doctor says.

If your HCG levels never got low enough (5 or less) to confirm the end of your previous PG then you may have a heck of a hard time figuring out if you are still showing HCG from your last PG or from a possible current PG. You should definitely call your doctor to find out what you should be doing. I know it’s embarrassing, but it happens. I wouldn’t take progesterone if you aren’t sure that you need it. She may be able to get you in for an HCG level test TODAY to see where it’s at right now…

hunt_adventure_society · July 2017

@dpjennifer Thanks so much for taking the time to create such a thorough reply!

I used to always O around CD12, so CD17 seemed super late, but it was the first time I noticed that distinct O pain plus heaps of EWCM, so I figured it was worth testing to see what's up!

I tested again today, and the HPT still had the faintest of lines, and my OPK had faded to negative, so maybe we accidentally had great timing?

I think I'll call the dr and see if OPKs would be that thrown off by CD 17 and I'll start the progesterone just in case, and see what happens in a few weeks. My doc told me that they can't cause harm if you don't need them, they're just a little obnoxious. I'm sure the doctor has seen much worse than a couple of newlyweds accidentally getting pregnant when they're actively trying.

(Also I don't believe we'd actually be pregnant yet- I bled for so long that I was really uneasy about having sex until I was sure my cervix had closed back up, so those last few nights were our first nights back in the saddle since it happened! My thinking is that there's a CHANCE I ovulated in the last day or two, and since we had sex both those days, I want to jump on my progesterone just in case. If I get my period, then we'll know, and at least we weren't planning on starting until that cycle anyway! )

Thanks again.

dpjennifer · July 2017

What CD are you on? If you're only a few days past O then it is WAY too early to turn a test. (like absolutely impossible). Most can't turn a test until 12DPO or so (but early ones can turn around 9 or 10 DPO). Basically you don't have PG symptoms until the hcg is in your system, which is after implantation, and implantation isn't until 8-12 days after O. So... If your HPT is still coming up faint at a few days after O, then I'd say you still have hcg in your system.

Hopefully your doctor will get you in for a beta hcg test, because that's really the only way that you would know at this point. Hopefully you can get this blood test so you can know what's going on with your body. I'd hate for you to take progesterone and keep getting positives on your tests when your MC isn't actually finished yet...

babybakie · July 2017

@hunt_adventure_society I have no answers or advice for you, just happened to read this and wow... Good luck! Tha would be awesome if you get your little rainbow baby so quickly!!!

zamoraspin · July 2017

@hunt_adventure_society I'm so sorry for your loss. I was on the same BMB as you but left due to a loss as well. Unfortunately there were a bunch of us who had losses on Jan 2018 BMB. I do know that at least one poster is already ku again and due in March!

I'm sorry I'm late in responding and you may have already talked to your doctor. I do know that OPKs can misread hCG as LH but I don't know if it would be to the extent of turning the OPK positive. I tested my hCG to zero and was cleared by my doctor to start trying again this first cycle and am in the TWW. I think for most first tri losses (unless there are complicating factors) most doctors now recommend TTC again the first or second cycle, so long as the couple as ready.

Good luck! I hope you have your rainbow baby soon!

hunt_adventure_society · July 2017

Hi ladies! Thanks for all your encouragement.

I knew the positive HPT wasn't positive for a new pregnancy, don't worry. It would have been completely impossible for that to show so early (when I got my initial BFP in May, the test was negative at 9DPO on the day we went on vacation, so I thoroughly enjoyed our trip only to get a BFP on 14dpo!!)- I was just confused if someone can still get a truly positive OPK before all the old HCG is out of the system, or if HCG can throw off the OPK and make it a fake positive!

I had my appointment on Tues and my doctor was very understanding and not at all upset, haha. She tested my levels and looked at the photos of my hpt/opks, and said my miscarriage was definitely complete and it certainly looks like I ovulated, plus the timing would actually make sense (making my period due July 19th, exactly 30 days after my m/c!).

So it turns out we're in the TWW (Currently 8ish DPO), and accidentally had perfect timing for this cycle! If it doesn't go the way we hope, at least we were emotionally prepared to start trying NEXT cycle, anyway. This was just a little bonus cycle.

I still keep our first baby's u/s image framed next to our bed, and I look forward to being able to talk about this with my stepson when he's older and can understand that this is common, but that the sweet little baby we never got to meet had value, and its days counted for something even if they never happened outside of my womb, and how special it is that our family learned to love a little harder and ask for help in our grief. It all mattered.

@zamora_spin I am so, so sorry for your loss as well. Looks like Jan was a tough month, but I'm so encouraged that other mamas are already moving forward! It's so helpful to hear about the success stories, you know?

@babybakie @dpjennifer It's wild how humans have the capacity to hope so much in the midst of unspeakable pain and fear. You ladies are remarkable, let's never forget it!

rachelg777 · July 2017

@hunt_adventure_society fx for your TWW! To answer the question about OPK's and HPT's- my HCG is down to 8 as of 7/13. I have done 2 FRER's (ever so slightly positive) & 1 OPK (slightly more positive) since then. So yes, the OPK is still picking up the HCG in my system even at 8. However, it is only a light positive, not a blazing positive! So if your HCG was low enough to O, I assume it would not be giving you a super dark OPK, and was instead probably the LH surge. As your doc already confirmed, I am sure you did O.

hunt_adventure_society · July 2017

@rachelg777 thank you! That's super helpful.

My HPTs (one FRER, one Wondfo) yesterday gave very faint positives, but like...SO FAINT. My husband saw them too, so we aren't crazy, but stuck in that emotional limbo of not knowing if it's old HCG or new HCG. We fly back to MI for my family reunion on Wednesday, so I won't have time to get in for two blood tests before then to confirm that my levels are rising- so instead I'm waiting until tomorrow to take another test to see if it's any darker.

I know my doctor told me my last test was negative, but it was just a urine test and I'm somehow convinced myself she wouldn't have noticed that faint line like we would since we were looking for it.

So hard not to know if we can celebrate, you know? Trying to stay hopeful and also realistic is very difficult.

rachelg777 · July 2017

@hunt_adventure_society If you are crazy, you can use requestatest.com to order your own Beta. It is $39 but you can use any lab anywhere. I have done that a couple times.

For the most part my wondfo's have been negative below 10. I did randomly have a positive wondfo yesterday and my hcg was 6 today. It's so hard to know. Anyway, hoping the best for you and that you are KU again. FX!

ELeighMay · August 2017

@hunt_adventure_society I'm just curious how this turned out. Did you get a solid BFP?

hunt_adventure_society · August 2017

@ELeighMay Sadly, not yet. I was still showing pregnancy hormones from the miscarriage- the following cycle I finally started showing truly negative tests, and am currently in our second full cycle (not counting that bonus one!) since the m/c. Still trying to stay made of hope!

ELeighMay · August 2017

@hunt_adventure_society I hope your BFP comes quickly!

First cycle after Missed MC?

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