Bleeding or Period?

[TrishD47]

Heres the deal.
When it comes to my period. I am VERY regular.. and by regular i mean i can count it down to the hour as to when I am going to get my period and i have a 28 day cycle. My last period was January 15th, 2010. So should have got my period on February 12th. When it didn't come I instantly took two pregnancy tests which both came back negative. - Now scared that something more might be wrong with me, i went to the dr's She sent me for blood work to test my HCG level which came back at 20. Thats it just 20! So she called me to say that "its signs of a very early pregnancy" - About a week later this past Saturday morning, I went to the washroom after what i felt were period cramps. And when i wiped there was blood. LOOKING VERY SIMILAR TO MY PERIOD. Immediately went to the ER and the dr there tested my blood HCG levels again which came back 17. He said that this wasn't a viable pregnancy.
But here's the deal. The bleeding isn't filling up any pads.. at all.. It just stays there until i have to go to the washroom. When i wipe its there, small amounts but still dark and very red. - That subsided about a day or two after then it became pink and now brown.
The only pregnancy symptom i really ever had was sore breasts. Very tender to the touch and a little bit of nausea.
Now the DR at the ER said that i would have been 6 weeks pregnant. (which would be techinally right according to my last period) but obviously i ovulated later then expected.

So my questions are... How much bleeding is enough to be considered a miscarraige?
And Is is possible for your HCG levels to drop just by a bit and it still be considered a miscarriage?
Anyone have a similiar episode and still have some success?
Going to see DR today!

[cocacolapanda]

I was told that some places when they do the test they could get one number but with the same blood another place could get a different number.  That's what someone said on a different board a little while back.  

If you start bleeding again, look for a clump, it should be somewhat clear or flesh color (I think, from what other's described).  In general look at what comes out, and let the dr know.  They may want to do a scan after to make sure everything came out.  Brown is old blood, so when the red stuff comes, that's the newer stuff.  I believe when the baby passes (if it will), it will most likely be mixed in with the red blood.

[TrishD47]

Hey Thanks for your response!

It didn't really look like blood clots it more or less just looked like my period. Just day one did though. I just felt that crampy grosse feeling you get before you know your getting your period and then when i went to the washroom and wiped there was blood. Dark visiably red blood and more like mucusy red blood. When i went to the Dr's yesterday she said it was quite possible that its just my uterus trying to open up and prepare for the pregnancy (if there is one) and told me that since i was just at the ER Saturday that I am suppose to wait until next week to go get more blood done, but if in the meantime i start bleeding again that i should just take it as a miscarriage? Slightly confusing. She also told me that if i was having a miscarraige that i would have bled a heck of a lot more then i did and she said it would have been for days even weeks and for me it was just when i was wiping on day one. and then just some brown discharge thereafter up until and including today. So i dont know what to think!


What do you mean exactly that your numbers come back from different places?

[cocacolapanda]

I was told that your numbers can come back different from each place, however they should double every 2-3 days.  

Did the bleeding seem like blood clots?  Do you have any history of blood clotting issues?  If so you may want to talk to your dr, it's possible that a blood clot is/did cause issues with the pregnancy and might be prevented by taking baby asprin.

I didn't have a natural miscarriage, I had a missed miscarriage and needed a D&C.  From what I've heard usually when you have a miscarriage it's at least as much blood as a regular period, if not a little more.

I'm not sure about the levels, Some women don't follow the general rule and have low hCG levels all pregnancy and deliver a healthy baby, other's have super high levels and have only one baby.  The hCG is just a general guideline from what I've heard.  Most HPT's don't detect until you are about 25-50.

If your concerned you didn't bleed enough for a miscarriage, call your dr and let them know you hardly bleed and wondered if they could do some tests to see if you passed everything.  It's possible that if you are miscarrying that you still have some to pass.  Some women bleed on and off for several weeks before they pass everything.