Betas

[cromwell]

Hi I have a question about beta numbers.  I have to endure a long and tortuous wait until an u/s.

At first I thought I was having a chemical pregnancy.  My retrieval date was Nov. 14 and transfer was the 17th.

1st beta was 36
2nd was 40 something (at which point I stopped prometrium and baby aspirin
3rd was 80 +
4th was 250 + ( surprise and RE said that first may have been leftover trigger or some such thing)

They are scheduling an ultrasound for next week but those numbers sound really bad to me.  Should I not get too excited?

[andykk]

you are right on all ends....they wouldn't freeze the embies if they weren't a good quality, because they have a hard time defrosting, although their procedures for that are getting better all of the time, too. we had 5 defrosted and ended up w/ one that survived (not trying to disappoint you...anything can happen!) and we have 3 blasts frozen, but apparently those don't defrost very well, even thought they are the better embies (don't understand that!) and i understand you not wanting to use a donor if her eggs don't end up being very good, too. they should REALLY screen the donor so she should have good eggs, but i have had friends who use donors, and don't end up w/ the best...just depends on the cycle...just like us...frustrating, I know...a lot of expense with no for sure pay off. i know that whatever you do it will be good, though!!! really...:O)  we didn't do icsi or assisted hatching w/ our donor, and w/ my eggs we didn't either...so can't help you out with that protocol (sorry!)
keep me posted! xxoo

[cromwell]

I hope your cycle straightens up!  This is such a frustrating journey. So, let me know what you think about this then.  My RE did a straight folllistim protocol, which upset me at first because ultimately only 5 follicles were recruited.  Then, he got all 5 out, all 5 were fertilized and two ended up being frozen, three transferred (3dt).  They do not freeze unless they are good quality.  Thus, my husband and I are thinking that the eggs didn't do too bad, right?  There were not a bunch, but he didn't use a protocol to recruit a bunch either.  I didn't know if just because the others made it to freeze that they wouldn't end up being "bad" eggs as they went on and developed???  Or do we just assume they are fine with those numbers?  We DID do ICSI and assisted hatching (got the bill for that just recently.)  Let me know what you think if you get a chance.  Eventually I do want to discuss the donor thing but I am worried if I can't get pregnant with my own good ones, someone else's good ones won't necessarily work either, you know?  Thanks again.

[andykk]

have you heard anything else? Are there any other clinics in your area for you to work with. Seems like they should be trying harder to get you pregnant! Our clinic goes to all ends...hence the b/d every two days to monitor my betas, even though they weren't progressing as they should. then the u/s today, although the doc was sure we wouldn't see anything since my #'s weren't above 2000 (which he said is when you are most likely to see something on an u/s). but not an ectopic, which is something else that could be happening due to the number game my body is playing...so we are down to two options...either the baby was playing catch up and slow to get started and will be fine OR a misscarriage, that is just taking longer to occur! SO the waiting game (my nerves are about fried!!) Would love to talk to you about donor. Let me know if you want me to write it on this or send you an email or chat in person. It really has been the best choice for us considering what we saw when we had retrieved my eggs on two prior IVF cycles.
Hope you are feeling ok and getting some peace of mind (yeah, right!!!???) and know really...things WILL work out (I keep telling myself that, too!) xxoo

[cromwell]

Tina, thank you for responding.  I have just been in this place several times before and really hate to get my hopes up.  The very first positive beta I had, back when we first started trying, I had all this pullling and stretching feeling in my lower abdomen.  I had the same sensation up until the day before yesterday and now just a lot of cramping.  I hope you are right.  The beta was slow and low, it seemed like, in comparison to a lot of women on here.  Thanks again.

[tina1111]

I don't want to give false hope by any means, but if I am reading the info correctly, your beta went from 80 to 250 in 48hrs? If that is the case, that is more than doubling, which is good.

One possibility for the slow start is: More than one embryo implanted then one stopped growing. At 1st both would produce Hcg then one stopped and the levels on one dropped while the surviving embryo's Hcg increased. It would give the count an kind of "non-rising" appearance for a short time. It's known as the "vanishing twin". Not terribly uncommon. I hope this is the case for you.

Cramping is very common during early pg. I thought for sure I was losing my baby with all the cramping and it was fine. Wishing you the best :)

[cromwell]

Andykk, I read on another post that you and your husband used a donor?  I would be perfectly happy to do that, too.  What worries me is that my eggs appear to still be in good shape from everything we have done thus far.  It is the carrying that seems to do me in.  I never get very good info although the doctor says I can spend the money getting more results and still not treat it any differently.  Anyway, it would be great to hear about your experiences with a donor.  

[cromwell]

I got the impression from the nurse at the clinic that the two betas (second and third) were pretty low and not good numbers.  The first two were taken 48 hrs, the third 72 hrs and then the last was 48hrs. I assumed the cycle was done and they really didn't correct me.  Unfortunately with my cramps increasing a bunch and that tugging feeling disappearing, I feel like it is pretty much over.  Now I will never know if stopping the progesterone did it or it just wasn't a viable pregnancy.  I got pregnant once when we first started trying and it ended quickly (I was 37).  Then twice more this year, once with an IUI cycle (althought the RE missed my ovulation --we "covered" it naturally) then back in September on a break.  This last one was my first IVF cycle.  Pretty discouraging to get pregnant but never stay pregnant more than a week or two (Now I am 39).  Any thoughts would be welcome.  

[andykk]

i agree w/ diane...why did you stop your meds? my doc had me keep going until we see for sure what is going on w/ an u/s tomorrow. your numbers have increased just like mine did, and by my last one... up to 1045...anything is possible still...

[Diane1003]

Why did you stop the baby aspirin and prometrium?  that's the same combo I'm on.  200mg oral prometrium/daily.

[andykk]

i just posted all my beta numbers a little bit ago on ..."what is going on?" as the title...my betas have been anything but predictable!!!

[tina1111]

It all depends on when they were done. They can take a while to implant after transfer, so you can't use the transfer date as a # starting point. I think one of the women here had implant 6 or 7 days after transfer.  Seeing the #'s double or nearly double every 48-72hrs is a good sign.

[scienceteacher79]

How far apart are your betas? 1 day, 2 days? a week? Should double every 48 hours or so.... But that is just an estimate.