And The Number Is...

The beta today was 138, which tells us... well, it tells us nothing, really. I guess it confirms that 1500 First Response pregnancy tests can't be wrong. And, at 12dp5dt, I don't think that number looks a whole lot like twins.

Beyond that, who knows.

I find myself strangely unsettled by this result. You would think that by now, by pregnancy number nine (nine! good grief!) I would know that there is no such thing as a declarative beta. Blood tests never say, "Congratulations and everything is going to be absolutely fine, I promise." And yet I still feel vaguely gloomy. Of course, poor Patrick has the influenza and I have not slept in two days, so that might be contributing to my general sense of underwhelmedness.

Steve and I had a bet on whether the RE would call himself or if we would just hear from his nurse. I argued that it must be the nicest part of the job, calling people and telling them they are pregnant. Steve said a cost-efficient chimp could do it and lo and behold, he was right!

Well, it wasn't a chimp, it was a robot, but close enough.

The call went like this:

"Hi. This is Q34T calling from Dr. Levy's office. Your beta hcg was 138. We would like you to repeat this same test on Friday. Do you have any questions?"

"Why yes," I said, "do you remember when you lost your passion for this job?"

But she had already hung up.

So, you know, 138.

Um, yay?

Comments

[A]

I'm going to YAY it now! Yay!!!!

A

[Angela]

I second that! YAY!!!!

[Linda]

Yes, yay. Very, very yay.

And my 14 day post 3 day transfer beta was 160 something and you see what that got me. The nurses at the office said there's no predicting twins from betas. Gotta wait for that lovely dildo cam.

[Christine]

Big yay. Or yay-yay, if it is twins.

[Coralie]

Woo hoo!

Best wishes and CONGRATS!

[mellie]

Dil-do cam! Dil-do cam!

Ok. That was weird. Fingers and toes crossed-

[Ninotchka]

I say definite yay!

[Cecily]

Cautious optimism here. Small, quiet cheering going on.

[JenniferD.]

Yay from me too!!!!! :0)

[Soper]

Don't you wish you could just go back to those heady days of two bright pink lines=baby.

How simple it all seemed: pee on stick, pregnant, yay!

I wish I could scour the beta number charts out of my brain, forget the exact size a fetus is supposed measure at X weeks and when the heart should have been beating, and just go back to the innocence of yay! Two pink lines!

So my wish for you this time is that after Friday's beta you will have a perfect u/s, and be told this a normal pregnancy and to go home and relax.

And that you will have the ability to do so.

[Toni]

I am optimistic. You know that this one doesn't have the weird gene...very promising.

And I wouldn't rule out twins yet....:)

[Laura K.]

It's a nice, solid number to start out at - so I'm going to throw a YAY your way!

Laura K.

[Jessica]

I've never been infertile (never tried to get pregnant, so who knows) ... so I qualify as naive and innocent and get to say YAY!!! and Congratulations!!! confident that a pink wiggly sleep-depriving baby will be here in nine months.

We innocents have a free pass. :)

[Dead Bug]

Though Q34T may not have been glowing with excitement for you, I sure am.

Um, yay!

--Bugs

[Sheridan]

A yay from me too. A happy yay. A cautious yay. A quietly optimistic yay that this might be the beginning of some really good news for you.

[Lisa S (& Riley, Bella, & Adelyn)]

Come on, there could be TWO SETS of identical twins in there! Stop living and breahing by numbers - you are pregnant and I am just thrilled for you!

A resounding YAY is in order!

[Kate]

Congrats are in order! 138 sounds like a perfectly lovely number for 12dp5dt.

[Joy]

Okay, so take into account that I am a theologian and NOT a mathematician...but, I've done the beta algebraic equation dance more than one time on my sweaty little fingers.

So, I imagine the number goes something like this: day five--wooeee, back in Mom's uterus, let's party. Day six--gee, it's kind of cozy in here and not too shabby. Day seven--so, whatcha think? Maybe we ought to rent a spot here. Day eight--let's move in [hcg squatter's mark begins at 5] Day nine--wooo, this moving in stuff is hard work. Day ten--we're just getting the boxes unpacked now [hcg 10] Day eleven--what was that? the landlady looking for deposit money already [first hpt faintly positive]. Day twelve--okay, so we like the view here [hcg 25]. Day thirteen--here comes the landlady again with that stick, let's cough up our first month's rent [hcg 30 and producing nice pink lines that can be seen by even elderly people]. Day fourteen--let's send out the 'we've moved' announcement cards to Shady Grove [hcg 50]. Day 15--What? you're not paying your half of the rent? you're outta here. Day 16--things are certainly shaping up now that I have this place to myself[hcg 100]. Day 17--early morning draw produces hcg of 138 which is entirely in line with the blissful move-in of one solid, over-achieving embie.

So, I'm happy for you and for your number!
Joy

[Christine K]

Yay!!! I like that number. And you know, nine is the magic number! I'm on pg number 9 for baby #2 (was following in your m/c footsteps and was on my way to IVF/PGD just like you when I oopsed into another pg on my own that seems to be sticking - I can say that now at nearly 19 weeks right?). My trainer at the gym took nine pg to get two kids too. Clearly, it's enough people to be statistically significant right?

I'm crossing everything that this one takes and you can eventually get to relax and enjoy this.

[BrendaS]

Big gigantic cha chas kinda YAY!!!!

[Jen/VintageUterus]

138??? That kicks ASS sister!!
YAY!!

[Catherine]

Julia,I am fresh from doing a week long food providing outreach ministry thing in the Ocala National Forest for homeless hippies - still have the dirt under my fingernails to prove it- but had to rush to see what was going on with you.Yay indeed! On to soak in a hot bath.Hugs,Catherine

[VHMPrincess]

cautious YAY going your way! (only cautious because you are) - hope you guys are all feeling better soon!

[Kinneret]

YAY!! Great news! 138 at 12dp5dt sounds loverly! Very happy for you.

[Bella]

A great start! Keep it up, Julia's babe(s)!

[Shamhat]

I'm surprised about the phone call. I'm a nurse in a fertility clinic, and we sort-of have a rule that whoever drew the blood makes the call, positive or negative, to keep us from poaching the good news calls (or putting off the bad news ones). The doctors almost never have the honor, because we see the results while they're seeing patients, and it wouldn't be right to keep the information from the client until the doctor isn't busy.

Anyway, I hope you're celebrating with a well-deserved tall, frosty glass of milk.

[diana]

Congrats!! Just curious, we've been trying for two years and never been pregnant - so what's a "normal beta" for where you are?

[ValleyGal]

Yay!

Lets hope it keeps rising appropriately and ends later this year with a sibling (or two) for Patrick!!!

[Mollie]

I know nothing of these numbers, but I know how hard it can be to get excited when you've been up two days straight with a sick kid.

Hope this first trimester !!whizzes!! by, so you can get down to the happy business of being way, way, WAY up the pole.

[Amy]

GO GIRL!

[oliviadrab]

138 is a damn fine start at 12dp5dt. Damn fine. Looking forward to your next.

[Tertia]

congrats, and may i offer to service your husband while you are incapicitated.

[Libby]

I don't know much about hcg levels but it think 138 is worthy of at leat one YAY! I hope that it continues to rise and that all is smooth sailing from here on out.

All the best,

[Annie]

Total YAY! My first number was 55 at 12DPT and that girlie is now sitting here watching Elmo, so that's a great and PERFECT first number. Perfect, do you hear?

You're so pregnant!

[Natalie]

YOU ARE PREGNANT! Cautiously, quietly, maybe even nervously pregnant, but pregnant nonetheless! I know a baby is the goal, not pregnancy, but hey sister, this is the biggest step, so I just want to get in line to say, no scream, CONGRATULATIONS!!!

[Lori]

YAY! 138! Pregnant! YAY!

[Lisa]

Yay, most assuredly yay!

[Christine K]

So why can't you go have one every day? I keep checking back thinking there will be another update, but apparently they won't do hourly betas just to keep me happy huh? Stupid protocols!!! I suppose they'll only do u/s on their schedule too.

Hating this wait....

[CJ]

Hurray! Yay!
Congrats- stick some super glue up that thing to make it permanent why don't you!!! ;0)

[Rae]

Hi Julia

Congratulations

Have you seen the abstract of this article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8034081&dopt=Abstract
re the predictive value of one BhCG number? Hoping it will be encouraging to you

Rae

[evelin]

Hey, Dr. Levy was MY doctor at Shady Grove! OK, I admit, this is my first time to your blog, but my husband has read it a few times and directed me here.

I (mostly) loved my nurses there, but there was one ...

138 is a great number, good luck. I also did PGD at SGF ... Long story won't hijack your blog.

CONGRATS on the great numbers, Looking forward to some great doubling.

[Menita]

Ummmmm...............YAY!

[Sheridan]

It's not quite Friday there, but it is here - so best of luck - will be updating continuously to see how you go.

[karla]

Cautiously whispering ******yay******

[JK]

Yippee!

I'm placing my bets on twins for you. :-)

I'm so thrilled!

J

[Jenny]

you have 9 kids?!? wow. i would go nuts! and blood tests suck! and they hurt.

[JenAtHome]

I'm a member of the nine pregnancies/two kids club too. Maybe that's statistically significant? Anyway, Yay! 138 sounds pretty good to me.

[Tonya]

I can only refresh my screen so much, sister. I'm crossing everything that you are in the midst of a good news kinda day. I hate those unsettling feelings of all is not well, but if I remember correctly less than a week ago you were 100% sure that you were not even pregnant. So, you've been wrong before, dear- I'm a hopin' that your gloominess was just pre-"morning" sickness.

[Lynn]

I got an even better one from Q34T at Shady Groove. I was awaiting my Beta results and she calls all chipper and brightly says, "Well, you're all set!"
"All set? Really?"
"Yes, you can go ahead and start your new cycle!"
Big silence. "Umm, I waiting for the results from THIS cycle."
Awkward silence. Shuffling of papers. "Oh ... ah, yes, your beta was negative." Chipper tone returns. "So you can go ahead and start a new cycle now!"
Someone has to train these droids.

But I am so glad the beta information she had to relay to you was in the positive category -- not so many words for her to remember. Congrats! Praying for twins.