# Why do I need to know my HCG levels after a miscarriage?



## HappyFox05 (Apr 11, 2007)

I googled this & can't come up with a good answer. I won't be seeing an OB til later today & thought I'd find an answer here quicker.  With our first miscarriage, the doc did a pelvic exam and an internal ultrasound, and that was it. These folks want to check my HCG levels, "to make sure they're going down". Uh, well, they ARE going to go down, aren't they?(Over time.) I'm no longer pregnant - that's what happens.

Mostly, I'm trying to find out if this is a "test for testing's sake" or if there's an actual health reason. DH is stupid-busy at work & it's hard on us for him to have to stop everything there to take the kids.

Thanks,

B.


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## apmama07 (Nov 22, 2009)

Hummm I'm really not sure but wanted to say I'm so sorry for your losses. My current OB is not a good reference because she's been awful in many ways, but she did say they didn't need to bother to follow me all the way down to <5 since after two draws the levels were clearly plummeting, but still in the 2000s on Monday. But I know a lot of others who were followed for weeks after earlier losses than mine.







I'm really curious too now that you mention it. Do the levels staying up show possible retained placenta? I can't think of any other reason they'd be interested....Have you asked your doc what his/her reasoning is? How far along were you?


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## HappyFox05 (Apr 11, 2007)

Sunday, the day I miscarried, was 12 weeks. The "higher levels = possible retained placenta" was the only valid reason I could find on the web. My level on Monday was 975. We just moved here & don't have a doctor. I guess I'll just have to wait til I see them to ask, since it's impossible to get them on the phone.

If they want to keep following this and my body doesn't give me reason to worry, I'll probably just blow them off.

Thanks Megan.

B.


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## mom-to-jj (Sep 8, 2008)

After my first m/c, my OB wanted to follow my levels down to <5 to make sure there was no tissue left over in there. I got sick of all the pokes when I got down to 17 and cancelled my next draw and just never went back. After this m/c, my new OB didn't say anything about watching my hCG. I just bought a bunch of cheap pg test strips online and kept taking them until I got a negative. I'm comfortable with that, and it cost less than multiple blood draws!


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## cappuccinosmom (Dec 28, 2003)

Mine were followed because of a molar pregnancy.

My guess, it's probably a CYA thing, if your pregnancy wasn't molar. If they don't follow you, and something goes wrong, you could sue. Another unnecessary procedure brought to you by liability insurance and a litigious society.


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## MarineWife (May 1, 2004)

I never had my hCG levels followed during or after a miscarriage. I think the reason for it is to try to be more certain that all of the tissue has been passed. I don't think it's necessary, though. If any tissue is retained and becomes infected, that's very easy to recognize and it's treated virtually the same way that retained, uninfected tissue would be. I guess the only reason then would be to maybe prevent possible infection if not falling or even rising hCG levels indicates retained tissue.


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## HappyFox05 (Apr 11, 2007)

I'm becoming more & more tempted to blow this thing off. I like the cheap pregnancy test idea. Stupid Army medicine.


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## MarineWife (May 1, 2004)

Well, if it's the military then you at least know it's not for liability issues since military docs can't be sued.


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## theboysmama (Sep 21, 2005)

i also follow mine with hpt's from $tree and that seems to work, my dr suggested it after Emeric and I told I already planned to do that.

I had a 12 wk loss and the placenta was complete. I never passed anything after the first wk after the m/c but it took 10 wks to get a neg hpt. I still don't know why it took so long. I did go in that time for a blood draw (around 8wks) bcs I was still get pos hpt's. They were able to tell me how low it was adn I saw that it was going down. If you get a neg hpt w/in 4 wks of the loss then that is normal. If it goes over 4 wks then you have the option to check it out.

so sorry for your loss.


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## finnegansmom (Jul 15, 2007)

there can be tissue or placenta leftover after a natural or surgical miscarriage and that can keep hcg from reaching 0 and can also cause infection over time.

so it's good to know that they do reach 0 but I don't think that US or blood work is necessary.

I had a D&E at 13 weeks last Feb and was supposed to followup 4 weeks later but I started charting and took a $ tree test every day.

My temps showed I ovulated around 18 days post D&E and I got my first total negative a few days after ovulation.

The BFPs were super faint so I knew there wasn't much left. The HCG left my body really really quickly.

I never went back for a followup, but did make sure nothing was off (no fever, weird discharge, smell, etc).

I'm sorry you're going through this.


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## HappyFox05 (Apr 11, 2007)

$ Tree sells tests? Cool!

Thanks everyone.


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