sue68 & udbe2,
Superb answers & awesome way to handle this question!!
I'm so glad I found this group!
To everyone here:
YOU ROCK!
Hello,
5 weeks could be too early to get an accurate read which is why your doctor said to come back in a couple of weeks. Go for the transvaginal u/s to confirm whether the pregnancy is viable. Is your wife cramping ? Is there blood ? If she is miscarrying there isn't anything you can do. It is important to realize that most pregnancies that end in miscarriage were not normal. Early m/c is usually a sign that a genetic or developmental problem happened very early in the pregnancy. It is no one's fault. Miscarriage is very common - my doctor said that 25% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. I'm so sorry if this is what is happening to you and your wife. Lean on each other for comfort - she will feel much physical and emotional pain. You sound like a caring husband - may you both be blessed with parenthood soon.
Brown spotting is old and dried blood with nothing to worry about. You just don't want to see bright red with a heavy flow which not always indicates miscarriage but most of the time will point to a miscarriage. Have your wife continue to have hcg and p4 test drawn to monitor levels. I'm surprised her doctor hasn't recommended the test just to see what is going on. I can't give you an expert advice however after going through 7 miscarriages I can honestly say that most women will experience some bleeding in their first trimester and that brown blood is not a bad sign of a pending miscarriage unless it starts to get heavy and bright red.
Good luck and hope everything turns out great for you guys.