Update #2

The doctor called a little after 1. She said yes indeed I am pregnant. However, my hCG levels are low. In fact they are not even high enough to do an ultrasound. So she wants me to come back in on Friday morning to do another blood draw to send to the lab. When she said congratulations to me, I just started crying. I told her I just didn't think this sounded good. She told me to keep my chin up. She said I could have gotten pregnant later than I expected. Looking back, I am not sure that is really possible. I don't really remember having marital relations with DH in April. He started back to work really heavy with irrigation, etc. That means there is no time for that sort of thing, or he is too tired. But I understand her trying to take some of the worry off of me- and there may be a slight chance that I may have ovulated late. I guess I will have to wait until Friday.

For those of you who do not know much about the hormone levels during pregnancy, here is some info:

hCG can first be detected by a normal blood test about 11 days after conception and about 12 - 14 days by a urine test. In general the hCG level will double every 72 hours.

An hCG level of less than 5mIU/ml is considered negative for pregnancy, and anything above 25mIU/ml is considered positive for pregnancy

A transvaginal ultrasound should be able to see at least a gestational sac once the hCG levels have reached between 1,000 - 2,000mIU/ml. Because levels can differentiate so much and conception dating can be wrong, a diagnosis should not be made by ultrasound findings until the level has reached at least 2,000

A single hCG reading is not enough information for most diagnoses. When there is a question regarding the health of the pregnancy, multiple testings of hCG done a couple of days apart give a more accurate look at assessing the situation

A low hCG level can mean any number of things and should be re-tested within 48-72 hours to see how the level is changing. A low hCG level could indicate:
· Miscalculation of pregnancy dating
· Possible miscarriage or blighted ovum
· Ectopic pregnancy

With what we discussed in her office, if the second blood test comes back low, then they will do an ultrasound. If that comes back bad, then I have the choice of taking some meds to cause my uterus to contract and expelling the non-viable pregnancy, or I can have a D & C procedure. From my friend Stephanie's recent experience (she took the meds and still had to have a D & C), I think I would opt for the D & C. Well, I am going to get off this thing. Please keep Wayne and I in your thoughts and prayers.