MIscarriage and then pregnancy

[mcook]

I had a miscarriage on May 16th. I was only 5 weeks along. I bled for a week and then stopped. I went to the doctor last week just to make sure everything was okay and to get an annual check-up. She did a PAP and everything was fine. She wanted to make sure that I had passed everything during my m/c so she did a urine test. She said that if it cam e back positive she would do blood tests, but it didn't come back positive. This was last wednesday. I have been having light cramps for the last week and thought that I was getting ready to start my period, but I haven't yet. (I haven't had one since my m/c). I took an early pregnancy test today and it came back positive. Does this mean that I am pregnant or could it still be detecting hcg left over from my m/c? And if I am pregnant, would the PAP smear and exam have hurt it?

[JoyRenee]

Everyone is different! And it depends on how high your HCG levels got.

It typically takes 6 weeks for the HCG to reach 0. First Response can pickup HCG levels as low as 12-13 MIU.

It took me 8 weeks to get a period after my miscarriages.

[mcook]

If I was only 5 weeks along, how long would it take my hcg levels to go all the way down so that pregnancy tests would be accurate? It been almost 40 days since my miscarriage, shouldn't my period have come along by now?

[JoyRenee]

You are definitely most likely still picking up HCG from the previous pregnancy. The early tests that you can take at home are a LOT more sensitive than the ones in the doctor's office. She should've done a quantative HCG test, not a urine test, to make sure your levels were returning to 0. Your levels could be upwards of 100 and their tests in the office wouldn't pick it up.