[Mellza]

I got my first bfp a week ago today. The lines have got darker, but not much.

Monday I went in to the Dr to confirm, the urine test was a weak positive, so we proceeded w/ a blood test.
HCG was 15. Repeat blood test scheduled for tomorrow. I took another hpt this morning, and again no darker lines.

W/ an HCG of 15, when should I expect to miscarry? Days, weeks?

Does it hurt? Will I need a stronger pain reliever than advil?

How much bleeding occurs? I'm a student, and my greatest fear is having a leak in class.

And is it something I need to be home for?

What kind of "contents" should I expect? I assume clots mostly, but I'm concerned about being traumatized.

Not sure how far along I am... I'm either 5 weeks and 5 days, or 4 weeks and 1 day. Either case, an HCG of 15 is not promising...

I realize that some people have gone on to have a pregnancy with these levels, but without seeing darker test lines I realize the chance is small and so I'm preparing for what is to come and I've made my peace with that...

Any advice would be helpful...

[*MomofO&Nat*]

Hi Melly,
I am so sorry you are going through this. Of course none of us can predict what will happen. However, I can tell you that my HCG was 46 early on (at 11dpo) and I still m/c in September even though the levels had risen a lot by then. It does seem at 5 weeks like your levels should be higher than they are by now. I think everyone that has had a m/c will tell you something different. I hope this info isn't too hard to hear right now. Mine was at 9 weeks but the baby was only developed to 5 weeks. It started as light red blood day 1, developed to heavy red blood and clots with no pain day 2. By the third day, AF type cramps came on hard, developing into really painful cramps almost feeling like contractions for about 5 hours followed by expelling the sac/tissue. Then, I had no pain immediately after this came out and just bleeding for a week after. I had been prescribed codeine and I still was in a lot of pain so you may want to get a prescription pain killer from your OB if you do start to m/c. If I didn't have the codeine, I think I would have been in really bad pain. I would definitely plan to be home if it is anything like what I went through. I could barely get off the couch when the contractions hit. It was also very emotional, and I was crying a lot so I am sure you would not want to be in class going through that. I hope this helps, but I really hope you don't have to experience this and that everything works out. Keep us posted, and feel free to ask more ?s if I didn't answer everything. My son is screaming so hard to focus and write. Hugs!

[Mellza]

Wow, so you actually expel a sac? Is this similar to ruptured membranes? So its like a watery liquid? Im sorry if you don't want to discuss it, I completely understand. I just think knowing what I should prepare for will help me brace for impact.

[erinangele]

I am so sorry you are going through this. Will you have your levels checked again in a couple days? I hope you are just not as far along as you thought.

Like mentioned before, everyone's experience is different. I m/c last week at 5 1/2 weeks. I did not have any cramping at all. Just bleeding. It was similar to af, and lasted about 5 days, although im still spotting a bit. It was a little thicker consistency than af.

[.Jessica.]

I just had a m/c in on oct.5 I too was nine weeks, mine was almost word for word just like kelsues except for after I passed the sac/baby the pain stopped completely I didnt need any pain killers not even tylenol. I too bled for a week after. The tissue that came out with mine was the whole sac completely intact...I popped the sac to see the baby. Hope this helps and I am very sorry for what you are going through. It is really hard emotionally and physically. Hopefully you can rest and take it easy. Best of luck

[momof6lopez]

Im so sorry for your loss and can relate as well. With a pregnancy of 5wks or less, it will seem like a heavy af. There most likely was not a sac for a hcg of only 15, so you will not probably expell any "material of conception" that is visible. These are considered "chemical pregnancy's" (sorry, I hate that word) and they usually resemble a normal to heavy AF.

For physical reasons, you should not have any problems going to school. Just make sure you are not soaking a pad more than every 20 minutes. Emotionally, it may be difficult to concentrate on anything, so when it starts to happen, you may feel the need to have some time at home where you are more comfortable.

Im so sorry for this to happen to you and your lo. I pray for a quick recovery and your cylces should go back to normal once your levels hit 0, which could be a 1week or so when you start bleeding.

[Kary♥RN]

MelLy I am so sorry for your loss.. HUGS... I just had my third M/C in Sept at 5 weeks... It will be just like a heavy period... you might see a small tissue piece (I think I saw some tisue like the size of a small pea '(it was a little grey/w blood looking clot)... You might have some clotting. You might have some cramping.. a little more than your AF.. but most of the time this early.. it will not hurt, physically. Emotionally yea. HUGS... We welcome you to the board. And will be here for what ever you need HUGS!

[krystal g]

First of all, I hope you are wrong and you don't have to go through it. But...I will share my experiences.

My first was 11w4d but it was missed m/c with the baby only developing to about 6 1/2 weeks. It started with spotting, then light bleeding and cramping to excruciating cramps/contractions and I bled A LOT. I had many, many fist sized clots and had to go to the ER. It finally stopped after about 4 hours and I had not passed the tissue yet so I opted for a d&c which was done immediately under general anesthesia. Recovery from that was not too bad...just about 5 days of bleeding no real pain. But overall, it was very traumatic.

My second m/c was at 4 weeks and I had one clot and about an hour of bleeding with mild cramps. No worse than mild AF. Then I spotted for one day followed by heavy AF for 3 days and that was it.

If you are only 5 weeks, it probably will not be too bad as far as cramping and bleeding go...but everyone is different. Just make sure to follow up with your Dr. Sometimes m/c does not immediately happen and it may take weeks to m/c. If you don't pass the tissue after a couple of weeks you may have to seek other options to induce a m/c.

I'm sorry that you have to worry about this. HUGS.

[Mellza]

Thanks to everyone for sharing your experience. I had NO idea a miscarriage was so traumatic. I have a new found respect for those who experience it... wow...

So my next question is: How long will it take for the miscarriage to start w/ an HCG of 15? Or does that vary?

I'm expecting it at any time, and stocked up on extra large pads today.

oh and yes, my levels are going to be re-tested tomorrow morning.

[momof6lopez]

With a level of 15, I would guess you could start bleeding within the next week. We had someone here that had a 15 and took about 1wk to start bleeding.

I had a chemical like that about 7yrs ago and the hcg was 12, and I started bleeding within 24hrs. It depends on your body and everyone is different. Important step to follow up with is the next blood draw, you will be able to determine much more by seeing a drop or rise. If it rises, we pray that it doubles. If it decreases, it should go fast. Im so sorry.......

[SkyBaby]

I lost my baby when I was supposed to be 6 or 7 weeks but the baby was most likely only developed to 4 or 5 weeks. I had no cramps, but bled and bled. I passed a walnut shell sized placenta/sac a couple hours after I started bleeding. The sac was already ripped and tattered looking. I did pass several other penny-quarter sized clots/tissue then continued bleeding bright red blood for a few more days then stopped. I got my first period 5 weeks after and that's about how long the last 2 cycles were. I think I'm still really irregular though and my miscarriage was back at the end of July.

[Mellza]

thank you all so much. this has been more helpful then all the research i've done in two days...

[*MomofO&Nat*]

Melly,
To answer your previous question, I passed a sac that was greyish pink and about the size of a small tennis ball. It was a fully intact hunk of tissue and I felt the moment it slid down to come out, it was like this big dropping feeling. I haven't been through labor since I had an emergency C-section, but I imagine it is something like the feeling of after the baby's head passes through, like this huge relief of pressure. And like Krystal said, the pain was awful and intense, I was doubled over and then instantly it stopped as soon as the baby came out in the toilet. I think it was full blown contractions, but I had never felt them so I didn't know until it was too late to get more meds. I hope your experience is less painful. I am sorry if it scares you to hear this, but I wish I had known so I could have prepared myself. My OB said 'it is like a heavy period' which it so frickin' wasn't! She failed to mention the intense contractions. Ugh.

[missy123]

The ladies above have pretty much said it all. I just wanted to say I am so sorry for your loss and we are here for you. We understand how hard this is. ((Hugs))

[starrsgirl]

I'm so glad you found this board. These ladies really helped me keep it all together. I hope, for your sake, that maybe you aren't that far along and it may just feel like a heavy/crampy period. My first loss was like that...I would say it was only a tiny bit worse than a "bad" period. Also, physically, for me, the recovery was very quick and my period returned to normal the next month.

Big Hugs to you. We are all here for you.

[iVari]

I am so sorry that you are having to deal with this Being informed will be a good help to you. If you do start to m/c try to monitor how heavy the bleeding is, like mentioned above if you soak through a few pads quickly you should see your Dr as soon as you can. In most cases your body will try to handle the m/c on it's own. It is a very scary experience and one that no woman should have to endure.
(((HUGS)))

[abi]

I'm so sorry!!! Like the other girls have said...everyone is different.
I miscarried at 8 1/2 weeks. I passed a lot of palm sized/fist sized clots. My pain felt like labour and I had very intense bleeding and cramping for a few days. However...when I first started spotting it was much more gradual, and shortly after I started the bad bleeding and clots, I passed a lot of greyish tissue and a small sac with fluid inside it. It took 5 weeks for my levels to go back to normal...2 weeks after I miscarried, my levels were 345, and two weeks later they were 34. AF returned for me 5 weeks after. I took a couple of tylenol when the cramping was really bad, but mostly just rested and used a hot water bottle for the cramping. My bleeding lasted for a week and a half or so.
My sister in law miscarried at 5 weeks and she had cramping more than usual and a few tiny clots, but she described the bleeding to be much like a regular period.
*hugs* Again, I'm so sorry for your loss.

[Celena]

I think everyone has shared allot of good info...

if you are 4wks1d then hcg of 15 would be "low" and for nearly 6wks ya I would expect that it's a pending miscarriage.

You'll have some clots and bleeding, some mild cramps.

With my 1st loss this summer I was about 7wks, it was a natural loss... I had fleshy tissue, large clots and heavy bleeding along with cramps. I had been spotting for 2wks.

My 2nd loss this summer I had a "mini" labor is all I could explain it as and that was a little over 5wks with allot of waves of intense cramps, clots, some clearish thick slimey stuff and bleeding. But this situation is different as a Dr. made a mistake and gave me methotrexate saying I had an ectopic from the loss I had just had naturally the month before... it was really a new pregnancy and I was just a medical anomaly. So he basically killed my new babe and I ended up getting a 2nd opinion, which confirmed new pg but the enevitable was that I was going to loose the babe so they had me take cytotec.

[Trish36]

Melly I'm sorry again for your loss. I have had 2 chemical pregnancies at 5 weeks in the past few months and also a missed m/c at 12 weeks. A chemical pregnancy is toally different, as your baby hasn't had any time to form yet or even have a sack. You will probably get your AF in a few days with your levels being that low. My level was 8 hcg and I got AF the next day. It may be a little bit heavier than a regular AF and you may get a few small clots, but it will not be as traumatic or painful as having a m/c when you are further along. I know it is something you are probably worrying about. Emotionally it will obviously be just as bad and it will take time for you to heal, so it's up to you whether you want to stay home or go to school. HUGS!!!!!

[L-SBB]

I don't have any advice to share since my m/c ended with a D&C but just wanted to give you HUGS....sorry you're going through this but glad you found this board - lots of support here if you need it.