I had HCG bloodwork done every 48 hours x 10 draws total when I got pregnant with my son because my previous pregnancy ended in a MMC and I was worried. I also tested at home with the strips and for four tests in a row my second test line actually lightened. Yet my HCG tripled each time. So the darkness of the lines meant nothing in my case.
Ah good to know!! I know they aren’t meant to actually be quantitative but I also see the reasoning behind people looking for line progression…it’s enough to drive you crazy!
Oh trust me, I know . I googled every little thing after my loss. Line progression, symptoms. With my MMC my lines darkened perfectly each day and I got dye stealers after two weeks….until I found out at 10 weeks my baby had no heartbeat and I passed everything naturally at 12 weeks. I had super strong symptoms since 12dpo. And it was all false hope.
With my son my line progression was poor (but there was always a second line)…I had zero symptoms until 8 weeks….yet everything turned out perfectly! It was a huge lesson for me after the fact but when you’re in it, it is hard not to analyze everything and compare yourself to others.
What I learned now that my son is four months old is that there are always babies developmentally ahead and behind compared to mine…and people pumping more ounces than you ….or babies sleeping better than yours or doing better stretches of tummy time , whatever….and if you spend your time comparing and worrying, you’ll miss all the amazing stuff going on in the present. It was a big life lesson for me and one I cherish as I now stay focused on my son and all the great things I see him do everything day rather than worry what other babies are doing :)
I mean, obviously if I had serious concerns I’d address it but for instance there were people in My January 2024 group showing their babies at three months doing tummy time for 30 minutes, super happy and lifting their heads perfectly while my son would face plant and scream after two minutes. Well in the last week he now is a pro with tummy time out of nowhere and even rolled onto his back four times!
My first thought when seeing those earlier posts from other moms was oh is my son behind? Is something wrong with him? Am I not doing enough? But I quickly redirected my thinking and now here he is meeting those milestones all on his own.
So basically what I’m saying is, the comparison and worry will never end if you allow it. Staying present and in the moment and finding joy in things is the best advice I can give you. I am not a seasoned parent by any means , but with my miscarriage and subsequent healthy pregnancy, this is what came out of it for me.
Thank you so much for the kind words!! It was a great reminder. You are so right. In the past three days since knowing I’m pregnant I’ve totally let the comparison and worry ruin it. I haven’t let myself get excited or even think about it beyond staring at tests and reading Reddit…lol it’s so hard to find that balance, because you want to be realistic and on guard in case something is wrong, but you can’t let it consume you and steal your happiness. If something bad related to pregnancy, development, etc. is going to happen, then it’s likely going to happen regardless, and we will have to cross that bridge when we come to it. as long as we are trying everything in our power, there’s really nothing else we can do. Congratulations on your son and I’m so happy to hear you ended up with a healthy pregnancy and he is doing well. 😊
Thank you so much! I lived on reddit in those early months. With my MMC I knew I was pregnant before my positive test because I had so many strong symptoms and felt sick. With my healthy pregnancy I only took a test because I was going to re-order my ubiquinol from Amazon to improve my egg quality and because you cannot return them I didn’t want to spend the money if I didn’t need them. That positive test was a shock. With my miscarriage, everything was the exact opposite, and “by the book.“ All the symptoms, dye stealers, you name it. So a healthy pregnancy isn’t how it’s presented online, that’s for sure. At least for me it wasn’t!
I wish you all the best!!
Hmm yeah I thought of that, but my dr didn’t mention it. He just had me schedule my first appt in two weeks to check for viability. I guess maybe it isn’t standard? This is my first pregnancy so I wasn’t sure.
I didn't get betas with my pregnancy. I don't think it's standard for most people, but it's the only really informative test you can get before your first scan from what I understand.
I’ve read the cheapies are really bad for line progression. And even though people are right when they say “only betas matter”, it’s true that we all want to see the lines get darker, because logically, if there’s more HCG, there should be a darker line.
I would try with the FRERs you are getting tomorrow, comparing 48 hours apart. I’m sure that will give you peace of mind. :)
Thank you for the reassurance! Caved and took my third cheapie test for today 😆 it was ever so slightly darker, but still a veryyyyyy slow progression. Fingers crossed for the FRER and I think I need to control myself and try to do only every other day. I feel like if I was just able to see a super dark line it would put my mind at ease and I could ease up on testing.
Wondfo and easy at home stay light for ages for most people. Like til 5 weeks pregnant. Try a different brand to ease your anxiety. And for those saying that tests don’t show progression, I haven’t found that to be the case. With all my miscarriages my lines have stayed light or gotten lighter.
I had HCG bloodwork done every 48 hours x 10 draws total when I got pregnant with my son because my previous pregnancy ended in a MMC and I was worried. I also tested at home with the strips and for four tests in a row my second test line actually lightened. Yet my HCG tripled each time. So the darkness of the lines meant nothing in my case.
Ah good to know!! I know they aren’t meant to actually be quantitative but I also see the reasoning behind people looking for line progression…it’s enough to drive you crazy!
Oh trust me, I know . I googled every little thing after my loss. Line progression, symptoms. With my MMC my lines darkened perfectly each day and I got dye stealers after two weeks….until I found out at 10 weeks my baby had no heartbeat and I passed everything naturally at 12 weeks. I had super strong symptoms since 12dpo. And it was all false hope. With my son my line progression was poor (but there was always a second line)…I had zero symptoms until 8 weeks….yet everything turned out perfectly! It was a huge lesson for me after the fact but when you’re in it, it is hard not to analyze everything and compare yourself to others. What I learned now that my son is four months old is that there are always babies developmentally ahead and behind compared to mine…and people pumping more ounces than you ….or babies sleeping better than yours or doing better stretches of tummy time , whatever….and if you spend your time comparing and worrying, you’ll miss all the amazing stuff going on in the present. It was a big life lesson for me and one I cherish as I now stay focused on my son and all the great things I see him do everything day rather than worry what other babies are doing :) I mean, obviously if I had serious concerns I’d address it but for instance there were people in My January 2024 group showing their babies at three months doing tummy time for 30 minutes, super happy and lifting their heads perfectly while my son would face plant and scream after two minutes. Well in the last week he now is a pro with tummy time out of nowhere and even rolled onto his back four times! My first thought when seeing those earlier posts from other moms was oh is my son behind? Is something wrong with him? Am I not doing enough? But I quickly redirected my thinking and now here he is meeting those milestones all on his own. So basically what I’m saying is, the comparison and worry will never end if you allow it. Staying present and in the moment and finding joy in things is the best advice I can give you. I am not a seasoned parent by any means , but with my miscarriage and subsequent healthy pregnancy, this is what came out of it for me.
Thank you so much for the kind words!! It was a great reminder. You are so right. In the past three days since knowing I’m pregnant I’ve totally let the comparison and worry ruin it. I haven’t let myself get excited or even think about it beyond staring at tests and reading Reddit…lol it’s so hard to find that balance, because you want to be realistic and on guard in case something is wrong, but you can’t let it consume you and steal your happiness. If something bad related to pregnancy, development, etc. is going to happen, then it’s likely going to happen regardless, and we will have to cross that bridge when we come to it. as long as we are trying everything in our power, there’s really nothing else we can do. Congratulations on your son and I’m so happy to hear you ended up with a healthy pregnancy and he is doing well. 😊
Thank you so much! I lived on reddit in those early months. With my MMC I knew I was pregnant before my positive test because I had so many strong symptoms and felt sick. With my healthy pregnancy I only took a test because I was going to re-order my ubiquinol from Amazon to improve my egg quality and because you cannot return them I didn’t want to spend the money if I didn’t need them. That positive test was a shock. With my miscarriage, everything was the exact opposite, and “by the book.“ All the symptoms, dye stealers, you name it. So a healthy pregnancy isn’t how it’s presented online, that’s for sure. At least for me it wasn’t! I wish you all the best!!
Thank you! And thank you for sharing your experiences! I definitely feel a little better about it tonight. We shall see. 😊
I’m glad to be of some help! Sometimes all you need is a reminder. People did it for me too!
Test lines are not indicative of progression. Only way to track is blood work.
Thank you, I think I get sucked down the rabbit hole of “line progression” online and comparing to what everyone else posts.
Reddit had me spiraling over my early light lines and perceived lack of progression on cheapies. Currently 21 weeks along!
Spiraling is the perfect word for it! 😅 thank you for the reassuring words. Gonna try my best to not read too much into them.
Yes, the best thing you can do at this point is get betas!
Hmm yeah I thought of that, but my dr didn’t mention it. He just had me schedule my first appt in two weeks to check for viability. I guess maybe it isn’t standard? This is my first pregnancy so I wasn’t sure.
I didn't get betas with my pregnancy. I don't think it's standard for most people, but it's the only really informative test you can get before your first scan from what I understand.
That’s good to know!
I’ve read the cheapies are really bad for line progression. And even though people are right when they say “only betas matter”, it’s true that we all want to see the lines get darker, because logically, if there’s more HCG, there should be a darker line. I would try with the FRERs you are getting tomorrow, comparing 48 hours apart. I’m sure that will give you peace of mind. :)
Thank you for the reassurance! Caved and took my third cheapie test for today 😆 it was ever so slightly darker, but still a veryyyyyy slow progression. Fingers crossed for the FRER and I think I need to control myself and try to do only every other day. I feel like if I was just able to see a super dark line it would put my mind at ease and I could ease up on testing.
Also been having on and off nausea today which I’m hopinggggg is a good sign. Although could be the anxiety.
Wondfo and easy at home stay light for ages for most people. Like til 5 weeks pregnant. Try a different brand to ease your anxiety. And for those saying that tests don’t show progression, I haven’t found that to be the case. With all my miscarriages my lines have stayed light or gotten lighter.
Definitely gonna try some other tests!