Really need some input to calm me down..?
ByI have been on such an emotional roller coaster the last 7 days. Wednesday (3/3) through Friday (3/5) I had brown mucus and period cramps so bad I swore my period was going to start. Last Saturday (3/6) I found out I was pregnant with a HPT. Very happy. Brown mucus suddenly stops. Later that day, my husband and I painted our bedroom and while I was bending over scrubbing the wall I felt a very sharp pain a tid bit left of my uterus. It was so bad I had to hold onto the dresser. The pain stopped by Sunday and on Tuesday I started to have brown mucus again. It’s still continuing. It’s also in very small amounts (only after I use the restroom.) On Monday, my cramps stopped all together. Some other symptoms I have like urinating frequently, sore breasts, excessive hunger, and one episode of morning sickness earlier this week have all been continuing.
My last period was 2/5 so that makes me about 4-5 weeks along. I saw my doctor on Wednesday as well and apparently my HCG level was 700 and she thinks I have either conceived later than we think or had an early miscarriage. My ultrasound that day showed nothing but very thick uterine lining. I just had more blood taken today to see if it doubled but I have to wait until Monday to find out. This is torture. I’m absolutely devestated if I have miscarried or caused this by bending over scrubbing like I did a week ago. Is it possible that I did cause one or is 700 HCG actually ok at this time?
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4 Comments
April 26th, 2010 at 5:46 am
Wow, how scary. At 4-5 weeks it’d be too early to tell by u/s and one HCG reading by itself doesn’t tell you much. Its when you have a second HCG that is higher than the first when it actually means something. Hoping for the best for you on monday when you get your results.
April 26th, 2010 at 5:53 am
I hate to say it, but it does sound like a miscarriage. Please don’t blame yourself though! There is no way that scrubbing a wall caused you to miscarry! If you did miscarry, it was because the fetus wasn’t viable, not because you did something wrong! I will keep my fingers crossed that everything works out for you, but please try not to stress (I know, easier said than done!). Remember that if you are pregnant, stress is your enemy! I know Monday is a long time, but just try to relax, and hold on for a couple more days. Best wishes!
April 26th, 2010 at 6:42 am
Hi there,
First off, I want to reassure you about something.
The recommendation for women not to exert themselves too much in pregnancy is mainly so she doesn’t hurt her own self, because her body is so fragile during pregnancy. Bones, muscles, ligaments, tissues–everything is softening and/or stretching to make room for the little bundle within, and that means a woman is more likely to injure herself while exerting herself too much while pregnant. As the pregnancy progresses, the woman will naturally want to be more cautious because she is aware of this process.
A pregnant woman is allowed to perform actions which she normally performs, as long as they are not TOO vigorous, and some things–like riding a bike–are advised against because a heavily-pregnant woman will have trouble balancing.
The unborn baby, on the other hand, is safe and sound in the womb. So, simply put, you have NOT hurt your unborn baby. Your child is very safe in your womb, especially when that tiny. Although the first trimester is the most vulnerable period for the unborn child, there is really nothing you can do during your normal day–apart from tremendous, tremendous self-harm–that can hurt your baby. Your child is quite protected in there. Be at peace about this. You cannot hurt your baby unless you deliberately mean to and do something awful to cause it, and this is certainly not your case. Do not feel guilty about this. I understand, though; I would be questioning myself like crazy, too.
If you have indeed miscarried, I am so very, very sorry. Your baby ought to have a name even in that case. Give yourself all the time necessary to grieve. I HOPE this is not the case, though! I hope everything is okay. Do you believe in God? Do you know the “Serenity Prayer”? It is quite short and very beautiful, and you should say it when you are most in need of a little extra boost of courage:
God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.
The lives of you and your baby are in His hands. It’s hard, but this is the time to begin learning to give up control as best you can, because it’s something we have to learn all through the lives of our children. Some of us live a very long time while many others are taken from this life very early on, but we are all equally precious and all have a purpose in this life no matter how long we are alive for, so believe in that. If you have miscarried, I suggest that you not just think, “Well, it was nature’s way of getting rid of an unhealthy baby.” God allows ill children to be conceived/born for a reason, and this child has already affected your life for the better, I’m sure. Cling to that.
An ultrasound this early? That is very unusual. Give it time. Your baby is still very, very little.
I’m sorry if nothing I’ve said helps, but I do hope that you will not torture yourself about this anymore. You did not do any harm to your baby by scrubbing or bending.
April 26th, 2010 at 7:08 am
HCG of 700 at 4 – 5 weeks is within the range of normal. There is such a big margin of ‘normal’ when it comes to HCG levels, that it’s hard to say by just one ‘reading’. Also remember, that a normal pregnancy may have low HCG levels, and neither you (nor your doctor) should attach too much meaning to this one reading just yet. If the levels rise (it doesn’t even have to double) ever 48 hours then you are still pregnant. An ultrasound at 4/5 weeks won’t show you much either. Was the ultrasound vaginal (internal) or abdominal? If it was an abdominal ultrasound, odds are you won’t even see a gestational sac, let alone a baby or a heartbeat.
Brown mucus by itself can mean anything. It could even be a little old blood mixing in with regular vaginal discharge, and can be considered normal this early into a pregnancy.
You still have symptoms, you are not cramping heavily with red blood so if I were you I’d take all those things as good signs.
Remember, some mild period-like cramping (with the absence of RED blood) is very normal this early in pregnancy. It’s your uterus stretching out. The sharp pain you’ve felt, can be anything from a little round ligament pain, to a cyst on your ovary, to (I hate saying this) an ectopic pregnancy. Although, I’ve had that with both my pregnancies, and with both it turned out the be a corpus luteum cyst (just what you want, since it releases progesterone to sustain the pregnancy).
Whatever happens, remember that no normal activity (like paining, running, riding a bike, etc.) causes you to miscarry. It’s usually genetic – meaning there was something wrong with the baby. So if you do have a miscarriage, you shouldn’t blame yourself.
Hang in there, and good luck. So far, though scary, nothing you’ve said sounds like an impending miscarriage. If you still have pregnancy symptoms, you’re still okay. Take it easy this weekend, and rest as much as you can. Monday will be here soon.