A.J.
it is my understanding that after a certain number of weeks, your HCG levels drop anyway. I could be dead-wrong, but I seem to remember hearing or reading that somewhere (I will try to look it up and post my findings)
regardless, I have battled depression since I was about 11 yrs old and I had 2 healthy pregnancies! depression during pregnancy is bad b/c sometimes a depressed woman will not eat enough or will eat too much of the wrong thing, or will not exercise enough, or not sleep enough, etc. and stress is definitely bad while pregnant (well, anytime, really!) b/c it CAN affect your physical health. that said, if you feel your depression is bad enough to interfere with your pregnancy, you should ask your dr. for a prescription for Wellbutrin. I took it during my 2nd pregnancy and was told that it is the safest anti-depressant to take during pregnancy/breastfeeding b/c it's so mild. there are still risks, but like I said, if the depression is that bad, the risk of NOT taking medication might be higher than taking it! that should also help with your stress level. also, I would suggest that you start walking daily. start with just up and down the street, then work your way up to around the block, then work up to whatever goal you would like to achieve. I would shoot for a brisk 30 min. walk at least 5 times a week. exercise helps tremendously with depression b/c it releases natural endorphins ("happy" hormones LOL) and it's a natural stress-reliever! and light exercise is good for you during pregnancy anyway!
lastly, find something (anything!) that will help you relax. whether it's a bubble bath with some candles, a hobby like scrapbooking, reading, or even something silly like coloring =) if it de-stresses you and helps you to relax, you will feel so much better on a daily basis!
it's true that sex is a great mood-lifter! and connecting with your husband during pregnancy is important, too. I would suggest him tagging along on some of your walks so you can talk and just be together. make sure he knows that pregnancy can make it harder to get aroused, so he might have to work a little harder, but if you communicate with each other, it should work itself out =)
I wish you all the best, and try NOT to worry about losing the baby! 99% of the time, miscarriage is NOT the mother's fault!
PS here is what I found about hormone levels:
"The hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (better known as hCG) is produced during pregnancy. It is made by cells that form the placenta, which nourishes the egg after it has been fertilized and becomes attached to the uterine wall. Levels can first be detected by a blood test about 11 days after conception and about 12 - 14 days after conception by a urine test. In general the hCG levels will double every 72 hours. The level will reach its peak in the first 8 - 11 weeks of pregnancy and then will decline and level off for the remainder of the pregnancy."
to read more about this, go to http://www.americanpregnancy.org/duringpregnancy/hcglevel...
hope this helps!!!