QuestionDear Dr. Solberg,
I want to apologize in advance for all the questions but I am really desperate and I really appreciate your time and expertise to answer them...
I am 28 weeks pregnant today (based on LMP of 11/30/2010). I was raped (11/28 early am) with a condom on the last day of my pill pack (I took them at night between 7-9pm). I got my withdrawal bleeding three days later on November 30th which lasted until 12/4 and was regular and heavy in flow (I had skipped my period the previous month). I was relieved because I thought it meant I definitely was not pregnant. I neglected to restart my pill on December 5th. I had sex with another man throughout the next month (December, the 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th, 31st) using only the withdrawal method. I did not have an early dating ultrasound, my obgyn just said at my first appointment that my uterus felt on the 7-8 week mark (I was supossed to be 8 weeks and two days), and since that lined up with my LMP it wasn't questioned. My 18 week ultrasound (on 4/6/2011) dated the baby a few days younger at 17 wks 5 days and my 22 week ultrasound (on 5/4/2011) dated the baby at 21 wks 2 days. Those two ultrasounds give a conception date close to the 18th. I took a pregnancy test on December 29th when my period was a day late and it was negative (however I took it at night). Januray 2nd I took another test (at night) and it was positive. My hcg level on January 3rd was 302.
My main questions are:
how effective are the pill and the condom at preventing pregnancy during the pill free interval?
is withdrawal effective as a birth control method?
how long could sperm realistically live to fertalize an egg? Additionally could they have survived at all despite a condom and thick cervical mucus form the pill?
How soon after going off the pill could I have ovulated?
How accurate are ultrasounds when done in the second trimester? (does having two a month apart that line up pretty closely improve accuracy?)
An Hcg level of 302 is how many weeks approximately from conception?
Would that be a really low number for 6-7 weeks LMP?
it is possible I became pregnant because of the rape on 11/28?
Again thank you,
Valerie
AnswerThe pill and a condom are extremely effective in preventing pregnancy, including during the pill free interval. Withdrawal is not very effective in general.
Sperm can realistically live 2 days to fertilize an egg. They can survive up to 5 days, but rarely would cause a pregnancy then.
You could have ovulated anytime after the 7 day pill free interval. Most women don't ovulate for 2-4 weeks after going off the pill.
In the second trimester, an ultrasound is only accurate within 2 weeks. Having 2 that line up well helps some to be more sure.
Hcg levels are very poor at indicating weeks of pregnancy. 302 is a normal number for 6-7 weeks.
I don't believe it's possible that you became pregnant because of the rape on 11/28. You were on the pill, you got your period after that, and your dates go along with having gotten pregnant around Dec. 14.
