High hCG Levels and No Baby Seen? Yes, There Might Still Be Hope!

I am not a medical professional. The information I share is meant to supplement the information given you by your doctor. If you feel your doctor is not doing enough for you or not willing to listen to your concerns, I strongly encourage you to take what you've learned here and get a second opinion.

WARNING: Keep in mind, this page will prove this information wrong

A general search of Google and many ultrasound manuals say generally the same thing: If hCG levels go above 7,000 to 10,000 and nothing is visualized with the transvaginal ultrasound in the gestational sac, this is a blighted ovum (AKA anembryonic pregnancy).

One example quickly found on the web:

"At 7,200 mIU/ML, all sacs contained yolk sacs. At 10,800 mIU/ML, within all of the gestational sacs, embryos and heart activity could be imaged."
taken from Pregnancy at Risk: Current Concepts

With these levels and levels much higher there is still hope! You deserve to have no doubt before having your pregnancy ended.

At the Misdiagnosed Miscarriage, we have collected a number of stories to show that not every pregnancy can neatly fit into a textbook.

My hope with this page is that you do not rush into ending your pregnancy if there are no complications. Take this information. Discuss it with your physician. Ask for ultrasounds one week apart to verify your blighted ovum. You may very well have a blighted ovum but, if so, you deserve to have no doubts ever about that diagnosis.

Angel's Numbers
Empty Sac: 18,875 (with ultrasound)
Five Days Later: 51,266 (no ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 9 Days after empty sac ultrasound

Tao's Numbers
Only Yolk Sac seen: 12,954 (with ultrasound)
Two Days Later: 17,095 (no ultrasound) ~ D&C refused
Heartbeat Found: 13 Days after ultrasound

Anna's Numbers
First hCG Level: 17,000
Empty Sac: 4 Days later
Heartbeat Found: 18 Days later

Kelley's Numbers
Empty Sac: 16,000 (with ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 2 Days later

Goldie's Numbers
Empty Sac: 17,000 (with ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 14 Days later

ShelBelle's Numbers
Empty Sac: 19,000 (with ultrasound)
Two Days Later: 26,500 (no ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 12 Days later

Lola's Numbers
Empty Sac: 16,177 (with ultrasound done the next day)
Heartbeat Found: 11 Days after initial hCG check

Christy's Numbers
Only Yolk Sac Seen: 19,000 (with ultrasound) ~ scheduled D&C
Heartbeat Found: 3 Days later

Kel's Numbers
Empty Sac: 10,000 (with ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 7 Days later

SwollaDad's Numbers
Empty Sac: 13,000 (with ultrasound)
Two Days Later: 25,000 (diagnosed ectopic!) ~ injection to end pregnancy refused
Heartbeat Found: One week + after initial ultrasound

BelievingGod's Numbers
Empty Sac: 23,000 (with ultrasound)
Four Days Later: 33,000 (no ultrasound) ~ D&C scheduled
Heartbeat Found: 13 Days after initial ultrasound

Eprooso's Numbers
Empty Sac: 11,000 (with ultrasound) ~ D&C recommended
Three Days Later: 29,000 (no ultrasound) ~ D&C recommended
Heartbeat Found: 10 Days after initial ultrasound

Jen's Numbers
Empty Sac: 11,000 (with ultrasound)
Six Days Later: another empty sac ultrasound ~ D&C recommended
Heartbeat Found: 13 Days after initial ultrasound

Carly's Numbers
Empty Sac: 19,000 (with ultrasound)
Later that Week: Had a D&C
The Week after the D&C: Baby survived D&C (that baby was born in March 2010)

Otis86's Numbers
Only Yolk Sac Seen: 14,900 (with ultrasound) ~ D&C recommended and refused
Heartbeat Found: Several days after initial ultrasound

Lltruc's Numbers
Empty Sac: 11,000 (with ultrasound)
Two Days Later: 16,500 (no ultrasound) ~ medication to begin miscarriage refused
Heartbeat Found: 7 days after initial ultrasound
Heartbeat Found: Several days after initial ultrasound

Tania's Numbers
Empty Sac: over 9,000 (with ultrasound) ~ D&C refused
Three Days Later: 36,000 (no ultrasound) ~ D&C refused again
Heartbeat Found: 9 days after initial ultrasound

Each individual story can be found on the Misdiagnosed Miscarriage site.

Jen's Numbers
Empty Sac: 30,000 (with ultrasound)
Four Days Later: 50,000 (no ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 12 Days after empty sac ultrasound

QuilaZen's Numbers
Empty Sac: 33,000 (with ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 10 Days after initial ultrasound

BelieveNPrayer's Numbers
Empty Sac: 32,000 (with ultrasound)
Two Days Later: 45,000 (no ultrasound)
Four Days after Initial Ultrasound: 42,000 (no ultrasound) ~ D&C recommended
Ten Days after Initial Ultrasound: 110,000 (no ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 15 Days after empty sac ultrasound

Lori's Numbers
Empty Sac: 11,000+ (with ultrasound)
Another Empty Sac: 3 Days later with hCG levels 27,000+
Heartbeat Found: 11 Days after initial ultrasound

Christa's Numbers
Empty Sac: 36,000 the day after the initial ultrasound
Heartbeat Found: 7 days after initial ultrasound ~ Doctor scheduling D&C right before baby found!

Nikki's Numbers
Empty Sac: 24,000 (with ultrasound)
Two Days Later: 42,000
Heartbeat Found: 7 Days after initial ultrasound

Elizabeth's Numbers
Empty Sac: 39,000 (with ultrasound)
Two Days Later: 60,000
Two Days Later: 60,000 (no ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 12 Days after initial ultrasound

3under2's Numbers
Empty Sac: 29,600 (with ultrasound)
Two Days Later: 33,600 (no ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 8 Days after initial ultrasound

Ally's Numbers
Empty Sac: 38,000 (with ultrasound) ~ refused D&C
Heartbeat Found: 5 Days later

Prayin4You's Numbers
Empty Sac: 25,000 (with ultrasound)
Six Days Later: 38,000 (with ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 18 Days after initial ultrasound

Sarah's Numbers
Empty Sac: 16,000 (with ultrasound)
Three Days Later: 24,800 (with ultrasound) ~ refused D&C
Seven Days after Initial Ultrasound: 34,000
Heartbeat Found: 14 Days after initial ultrasound

Sadie's Numbers
Empty Sac: 44,000 (with ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 2 Days later

Grandma's Story
Empty Sac: 43,000 (with ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 9 Days later

Steph's Story
Empty Sac: 12,000 (with ultrasound)
Three Days Later: 45,000
Second Empty Sac: 7 days after initial ultrasound ~ D&C refused
Heartbeat Found: 14 Days after initial ultrasound

Becky's Story
Empty Sac: 30,000+ (with ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 3 Days later with hCG levels 57,000

Beth's Story
Empty Sac: 41,000 (with ultrasound)
Two Days Later: 52,000 (no ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 7 Days after initial ultrasound

Autumn's Story
Empty Sac: 28,000 (with ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 13 Days after initial ultrasound

Seraphina's Numbers
Empty Sac: 23,000 (with ultrasound)
Two Days Later: 30,000 (no ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 8 Days after initial ultrasound

AspenMommy's Numbers
Empty Sac: 32,000 (with ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 2 Days after initial ultrasound

LinBran's Numbers
Only Yolk Sac Seen: 20,000 (with ultrasound) ~ D&C scheduled
Heartbeat Found: 3 Days after initial ultrasound right before scheduled D&C

Ozlem's Numbers
Empty Sac: 22,900 (with ultrasound)
Two Days Later: 32,000 (no ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 7 Days after initial ultrasound

WanttobeHopeful's Numbers
Empty Sac: 23,000 (with ultrasound)
Two Days Later: 26,000 (no ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 9 Days after initial ultrasound

Jennifer's Numbers
First Level Check: 21,000
Two Days Later: 26,000
Later that Week: empty sac ultrasound
Heartbeat Found: 11 Days after first level check

Kim's Numbers
Empty Sac: 66,000 (with ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 2 Days later with hCG levels at 90,000

Peanut's Numbers
Empty Sac: 69,000 (with ultrasound)
Five Days Later: 74,000 (no ultrasound) ~ scheduled D&C
Heartbeat Found: 7 Days after initial ultrasound

Katrina's Numbers
Empty Sac: 87,000 (with ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 7 Days later with hCG levels at 147,000

GoneToExplore's Numbers
Empty Sac: 52,000 (with ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 3 Days later

Tera's Numbers
Empty Sac: 80,000 (with ultrasound)
Two Days Later: 76,000 (no ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: approximately one week after the initial ultrasound

Ginger's Numbers
Empty Sac: 56,000 (with ultrasound)
Two Days Later: 71,000 (no ultrasound)
Five Days after Initial Ultrasound: 106,000 (no ultrasound)
Heartbeat Found: 6 Days after initial ultrasound

If you not absolutely certain that you are indeed going to miscarry and if there are no complications, you can ask to wait out a diagnosis.

If you wait out a diagnosis:

- make sure you stay monitored by your physician
- be seen if you show signs of infection
- be aware that if you are anemic and are going to miscarry, you may need surgical intervention (D&C)
- get a second opinion if you are not comfortable with your doctor's diagnosis

My Own Misdiagnosed Blighted Ovum Story
- After turning down the D&C twice, we found my baby at nearly nine weeks!
My First Misdiagnosed Miscarriage
- During my first pregnancy, we believed I was miscarrying at 12 weeks

A collection of Misdiagnosed Miscarriage stories

Bleeding during the First Trimester

What your Doctor may not know about your pregnancy after IVF

Coping With A Miscarriage

Miscarriage News and Research

hCG levels and Pregnancy FAQ

When You've Been Diagnosed with a Miscarriage

Tilted Uterus and Early Pregnancy

16 Days Past Ovulation (DPO) and hCG levels

Blighted Ovum FAQ

Infant Survival Rates during Pregnancy

Progesterone and Miscarriage

Asherman's Syndrome: Why you may want to rethink your D&C

So You've Been Told You Have A Blighted Ovum

Non-Doubling hCG Levels in the First Trimester Do Not Mean Inevitable Miscarriage!

Can Stress Lead to Miscarriage?

The First Trimester: Enlarged Yolk Sac

Getting a Second Opinion about a Miscarriage Diagnosis

Why You May Want an Ultrasound Right Before Your D&C

Is This Really an Ectopic Pregnancy?

High hCGs and No Baby?
Intravenous Iron Infusion and Me