5th Positive Pregnancy

For my video diaries see here 

This is my cycle based on 28 days. We are all different and have different cycles so your dates will be different to mine.

I don’t try and hide that I’m pregnant in the early days because the family need to know, not because it’s exciting, but because of my emotions and mood if the pregnancy does not continue.

I say “don’t get excited it’s a faint line”, meaning it could be no line within a short period of time. This is my 5th pregnancy with my partner but only one daughter. We are always hopeful.

I am pregnant though yippee, at 40 still ovulating and releasing eggs – good news. I had my last positive but ended in a chemical pregnancy in May see here.

This month JULY I ovulated around day 9/10 which is normal for my cycle. I started to suspect I was pregnant by day 20 when my sense of smell was heightened and I felt incredibly tired. I also noticed my taste was heightened and some foods tasted funny.

Day 22 – convinced I was pregnant I thought I would use up some spare pregnancy strips. It was negative.

Day 23 – negative (Onestop)

Day 24 – negative (Onestop)

Day 25 – very faint almost not there line (Onestop)

Day 26 – faint again but there to a trained eye (Onestop)

Day 27 – faint but more clearer still a trained eye (Onestop)

Day 28 – First response positive line but still faint but stronger than the other tests I have done in the past. Current daughter was a faint first choice.

Day 29 – new tests arrived but a faint line. (Onestep)

For me a faint line brings bad news. But I am only 1 day past my period, this is a time some people may not even consider they are pregnant. However for me and my body it usually means don’t get excited.

But the problem by testing so early and using different brand of tests, the levels of hcg sensitivity can be different.

When you ovulate and the egg is fertilised, it travels down the Fallopian tube and implants into the wall of the uterus. Hormones are released one of them hcg which increases and gives you the positive test. From my experiences  by now my levels should be stronger and the test line darker. But different tests detect different levels. The more hormone present the stronger the line.

First Response detects hcg levels from 6 mIU/ml which means it can detect early pregnancy days before your due period.

The ones I ordered from Amazon are:

OneStop – 10 mIU/ml

Onestep- 25 mIU/ml

Which means today the Onestep (which just arrived this afternoon) is hardly a line (25 mIU/ml) which had instilled a fear of a chemical pregnancy approaching but the first brand (Onestop) detected 10 mIU/ml and the line gradually built day by day until I ran out. I won’t know until my next arrival of the brand Onestop that will arrive on Tuesday. In the meantime I will test with the Onestep. It’s so expensive being this impatient. It is also horrible waiting and not knowing as it can take time for the positive test to become a negative as the hcg decreases if the pregnancy is no longer. You can also bleed in early pregnancy so I feel anxious about it.

I suppose it’s not valid testing using different brands. But I still can’t help but feel that the hcg won’t increase. Its a tricky one. I knew last time I was going to loose the pregnancy. My sister asked me how I felt because I tend to know my body, but I’m not sure this time, I’m just hopeful this time remains. My gums and teeth don’t hurt today and I don’t feel as weary as I did. Boobs are not sore, its like all my symptoms have just stopped.

It’s difficult for me to let nature take its own course as I am impatient and like to know. But because of all my testing and needing the reassurance it’s left me feeling unsure. I really should stop testing but tomorrow morning 1st wee I will be testing guaranteed. Ultimately though, nature does take its own course, something I can’t control.

I have also used ovulation sticks as a backup. In the pregnancy world it’s something some people do. Although it says do not use them as pregnancy tests, they have never failed me and are really good at detecting the hcg early but I use them alongside pregnancy tests. I am not saying rely on these as they are not made for that but it is common to read stories of people doing this and I am one of those people.

So for now I have to wait. I did my first video today to try and get me used to the social platform. Another one of my goals. It’s related to this post so I will post it at the top of this page to watch if you want to. It’s around 10 minutes but for the right watcher it is hopefully useful information although everyone is individual so my calculations are my own so please know your own body and cycle.

See the follow up post here.