need clearer answers

[wantonetoo]

I have been an infertility patient for several long years now. Long story short...we did two IVFs and got pregnant on the second. We lost the baby at 7 weeks. We were waiting for my period to start to set up the protocol to do our last frozen embryo transfer but it never came. To our shock, a test showed we were pregnant. We were beside ourselves with excitement until we found out that my Beta levels are rising but slowly and definitely not doubling. I have had three ultrasounds. They show a nice egg sac but the technician said it is too early to tell anything else. LMP was 12-25. I am filled with absolute dread and have read everything I can find about possible cause and I am terrified about a blighted ovum. The problem is that our IVF doc is out of town and we have had the ultrasounds done here locally. That doc just smiles and says everything looks okay. I only get to talk to the infertility doc's nurse who is always very reserved and reminds us not to get our hopes up too high. They can not even really agree on how far along I am. One counts from LMP and one counts from suspected ovulation date. I do not even know when I ovulated because I never even thought we stood a chance of conceiving naturally so I did not try to track it. It is all so confusing. My question are...when should we definitely see a fetal heartbeat?..how is the timing really calculated?...what are the possible other reasons for a low hcg?...would the beta level be increasing if it was a blighted ovum?...would I have other symptoms?...anything I can do to stop my mind from spinning wildly?
I know I haave lots of questions so thanks for your time.

[wantonetoo]

Thanks for the support. I have another US on Februaury 14th. A lively little heartbeat would be a lovely gift. The waiting is just too hard.

[lhughes]

Are they doing a vaginal ultrasound?  When do you return to see your fertility doc?  Are they monitoring your progesterone levels?  What time frame are we talking here?

You should see a sac at 5 weeks, *most* folks can detect a heartbeat around 6 weeks from LMP or 2-3 weeks past ovulation but sometimes it takes longer for that.  On a vaginal ultrasound (which is definitely better), you should start seeing a formation around 6-7 weeks LMP with a heartbeat.  But as Tanker Chic says, some pregnancies aren't textbook.

I hope you are lucky and have a keeper!

[Tanker Chic]

unfortunately these things aren't always text book... sometimes you just have to wait and see how it turns out.. I know it is hard..

Best of luck to you..