Re: Early Miscarriage and HCG Level

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• In reply to: Lea: "Early Miscarriage and HCG Level"

HCG is produced by the pregnancy, so HRT is not a consideration. All pregnancies start out with a HCG of 0, and go up from there. Normal pregnancies continue in a upward fashion, increasing about 2/3 every 48 hours, as the pregnancy grows larger. If there is something wrong with the pregnancy, the value will not rise in this normal fashion, and, in the event of a miscarriage, will begin to drop back towards 0 sooner or later.

> Is it normal to only bleed heavy for 6 hours or so when miscarrying?

A miscarriage rarely lasts much longer than the 6 hours you describe, though it can. This is somewhat related to the volume of tissue inside the uterus. Since you were so early, the volume of tissue to be expelled was correspondingly low.

>My follow-up appointment with my doctor isn't for four weeks. Since I
>was 'barely' pregnant (no embryo yet), why do I have to wait three
>months to try again and six weeks to have intercourse?

You need to avoid intercourse until your cervix is closed, which is unlikely to be longer than a week or two. The best guide is to avoid intercourse until you stop bleeding. The 3 months delay in trying to become pregnant is to allow your body to return to normal (easily accomplished in a few weeks), and more importantly, to allow you time to complete the grieving process (less easily accomplished).

>My husband and I are emotionally fine. We knew that we had high risks
>of ectopic pregnancy but this was in the uterus. Because of my cramping
>symptoms, we had prepared ourselves that something might be amiss early
>on. So, the miscarriage was not as big a shock as it might have been
>had things been like my earlier pregnancies.
>
>Any insight that you can provide is much appreciated.

--
William D. McIntosh, MD, FACOG
Clarksville, TN

This is for educational purposes only.  It is not intended
 to replace consultation and examination by your physician
 or other health care provider.

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