slow rising hcg but fetal heartbeat seen

[suzy0919]

hcg levels 760 4 days later 1596 7 days later 3750 saw fetal heart 2 days later 180bpm should I worry because hcg is not rising like it should? I am afraid of miscarriage. Any good news out there. Doctor wants another sono in 2 weeks I have had no bleeding my pregnancy symptoms are mild

[ChristineMP]

How far along were you and was the heartbeat normal rate and rhythm? Was it by transabdominal or transvaginal ultrasound??

I don't mean to imply that once a heartbeat is seen, it is clear sailing, only that once a NORMAL heartbeat is seen, the odds of miscarriage are less.

I am so sorry for your losses.

[xrayz]

I have seen a heartbeat the last 2 pregnancies and lost both of them a few weeks later.

[ChristineMP]

I read somewhere that once a normal heartbeat is seen by trans-abdominal ultrasound, the chances of carrying to term are like 95% :) I hope this helps.

[adgal]

Sorry, meant to say..first set was within average times.  Second set a bit on the slow side, but nothing to be concerned about considering you have a healthy heartbeat.  Congrats again!!

[adgal]

hCG levels                               Doubling Time
Under 1200 mIU/ml                       31-72 hours
Between 1200 to 6000 mIU/ml        72-96 hours
Over 6000 mIU/ml                      more than 96 hours

hCG levels rise during the first 6 to 10 weeks of pregnancy then decline slowly during the second and third trimesters.


Found this chart showing average doubling times in early pregnancy.  Keep in mind this is an average, and times can vary with a still viable healthy pregnancy

I ran your doubling times for you.  From 760 to 1596 was 89 hours.  From 1596 to 3750 was 136 hours.  Well within average times.

[adgal]

Actually, your levels are rising just fine.  It's a huge misconception that the levels continue to double every 48 hours or so throughout pregnancy.  As they get higher, doubling time slows significantly, eventually leveling out all together.  At this stage, don't even worry about your levels. U/S is a far more reliable method of determining viability. Having seen the heartbeat is a really big deal and your risk of miscarriage has now dropped significantly.  Congrats...sounds like all is well!!

Oh, and I should mention...once my levels hit around 1000, doubling time was something like 85 hours or something like that. My perfectly healthy son was born last Jan.