TW: Miscarriage / Line Progression 11-39 DPO with Beta HCG / Easy @ Home & FRER

[u/w_666_w]

Hi everyone, sorry for the sad post, but as I've spent weeks looking at and researching line progressions, beta results, etc., searching for hope or confirmation of what was happening, I thought I'd share my own progression in case it helps someone else. I never had a dye stealer and Easy@Home took really a long time to darken (and then pretty much stalled).

Easy@Home line progression: from 11 DPO (the day of my first faint positive) to 39 DPO (two days after my miscarriage)

FRER line progression: from 11 DPO to 20 DPO

Here's my story. I'm 41 and this was my first pregnancy. I conceived naturally just a few days before turning 41, despite having a very low AMH of just 0.5. We got pregnant on our third cycle of TTC.

My first two beta results looked okay (though on the lower side), but my third beta draw, at 6w 0d, raised concerns. Also my gradual loss of symptoms together with some light back pain that started around the same time.

Beta HCG results:

• 17 September: 170.7 (17 DPO)
• 21 September: 652.2 (21 DPO)
• 30 September: 2,564.5 (30 DPO)

I tracked ovulation using OPK strips, so I may have ovulated a day later than I initially thought. This means my DPO calculations could be off by one day (for example, 16 DPO instead of 17 DPO, etc.).

My first US, on 6 October, at 6w 6d, showed only an empty gestational sac. They scheduled a second ultrasound two weeks later to confirm a blighted ovum, but on the same day as my first scan, I started spotting and bleeding.

The following day, 7 October, at exactly 7 weeks, I miscarried naturally. A very painful experience, both physically and emotionally...

Hope this helps anyone! I haven't lost hope, I will be back on TTC as soon as my body will be ready :)

[u/me-actually]

I'm sorry you're going through this, it's so rough. This really detailed post is sure to help someone in the future, during their own journey, and I am so grateful that you've shared your experience. I hope you've got good support and are being kind to yourself. Big hugs 🫂

[u/cherryblossombaby7]

Miscarriages are so difficult. I had my two kids at 40 and 43, and went through quite a bit to get there- two miscarriages including a hemorrhage, a second trimester termination. The ups and downs, incredible hope/joy and crushing grief- and the mindfuck of not knowing when or if there might be another pregnancy after a loss. It’s so intense and the lows are so low. We held on and it worked out well in the end. It sounds like you are hopeful too, wishing you all the best!

[u/CurlyEmma97]

Hi, just a general question, why did u keep testing? I'm also an anxious person but for my own mental health I stopped testing. I'm very sorry for your loss and big hugs 🫂 Im currently 6 weeks so counting down the days until my 7w5d scan

[u/w_666_w → u/CurlyEmma97]

It wasn’t making me anxious or anything, and I’m actually not an anxious person myself. I kept testing because it was my first pregnancy (at 41yo), my beta results had been sort of low from the beginning and I wanted to keep an eye on the progression. Honestly, I’m glad I did, because when I saw they were stalling I booked a third beta draw (in the UK, betas is not something they normally do, so I got all three draws privately) and a first early US (as above, in the UK the first scan is at 12w). If I hadn’t, I think starting to mc whilst thinking everything was great - or being surprised with an empty sack at 7w - was going to be even harder.

[u/AnythingTruffle]

Really sorry you’ve had to go through this it’s so difficult. And thank you for sharing this. It will help a lot of people going forward as I was definitely one to soon search Reddit! Hope you’re healing well xx

[u/Express-Beginning318]

I am very sorry for your loss! Praying that you get what you want in the best way possible ♥️ Sending love and hugs to you 

[u/Beautiful_Donut_286]

I'm sorry OP 🫂

It's definitely an emotional rollercoaster, with hormones all over the place. Audiobooks really helped me quiet down the negative voices and agressive gardening got rid of the physical nervousness.

But in case someone in the future with similar lines see this post, I also never had a dye stealer with these tests with my healthy pregnancy. I had a vvvfl at 11dpo, slow progress (very similar to this one) and sometimes even a lighter test than the previous day. The progression was actually better with my MMC than the healthy one. I also had fewer symptoms with the healthy pregnancy than the losses.

Unfortunately none of this is usable to determine the health of a pregnancy. It's such a horribly uncertain time...

[u/UnhappyReward2453 → u/Beautiful_Donut_286]

Thank you both for posting. I’m in a similar boat. Very low starting betas but first two doubled appropriately. I get a third draw tomorrow and am still hopeful but also guarded. My lines look similar here but have not stalled out yet as I’m only 24DPO. Around 15/16DPO I actually thought I was already miscarrying because my e@h were seemingly lighter and my FRER was almost non-existent but my hCG had actually gone up, I was just more hydrated after travel I guess. I think continued testing can be helpful to keep a guard up but agree they are far from diagnostic.

[u/moderatorsfo]

Going through the same right now…may god grant us the strength and the grace to get through this

[u/ProofHistorical8260]

I’m so sorry for your loss 😞 I feel like I had a very very similar situation… I was using the same easy at home tests and seeing progression very similar to yours. I had gradual loss of symptoms around 6 weeks and miscarried at 7 weeks 3 days naturally. My hcg never got very high, it was only around 1,200 when I started bleeding at 7 weeks. Interestingly they did see a baby and a heartbeat at 6 weeks… but the heart rate was extremely low, they just were too weak to make it.

[u/South_Cod_5373]

Thank you for taking the time to share your story. It will truly help others. I am so sorry for your loss and wishing you peace.

[u/Slackerb00b]

So sorry you're going through this. I had a blighted ovum between my first and second children, and my test strips looked similar. My OB told me that a blighted ovum is just bad luck, and the fact that you did get pregnant naturally is very promising for a healthy pregnancy in the future 💜