HCG

What exactly is the pregnancy hormone and how is it checked?

hCG: human chorionic gonadotropin
HCG is human chorionic gonadotropin. It is also called the 'pregnancy hormone'.

It is secreted by the placenta and is measured by pregnancy tests. hCG promotes the maintenance of the corpus luteum and causes it to secrete the hormone progesterone. Progesterone enriches the uterus with a thick lining of blood vessels and capillaries so that it can sustain the growing fetus. Due to its highly negative charge hCG may also repel the immune cells of the mother, protecting the fetus during the first trimester.

What are normal hCG levels in pregnancy ?
There is a large variation in a 'normal' HCG level for any given time in pregnancy. Once the fetal heart rate is seen, most doctors will monitor the fetal heart rate rather than drawing hCG Some normal pregnancies will have quite low levels of HCG - and deliver perfect babies. There is a wide variation of normal hCG levels. An hCG that does not double every two to three days does not necessarily indicate a problem. However, if the level doesn't increase enough, the pregnancy will fail. This happens for example with a tubal pregnancy. (ectopic pregnancy)

After impantation:
If your ßhCG (a subunit of hCG) is under 5 mIU/ml (milli International Units per milli-liter), you are not pregnant.
If your ßhCG is between 5 an 25 mIU/ml you are probably pregnant.
If your ßhCG is over 25 mIU/ml you most likely pregnant.

After implantation of the embryo the level of hCG increases daily. Within the first 2-4 weeks after fertilization, hCG usually doubles every 48-72 hours. HCG levels peak at about 8-10 weeks of pregnancy and then decline, remaining at lower levels for the rest of the pregnancy.

For actual numbers please see advancedfertility.com. For a nice hCG calculator see babymed.com/pregnancy-tools/hcg/

hCG in pregnany tests
Pregnancy tests measure the levels of ßhCG (a subunit of hCG) in the blood or urine to indicate the presence or absence of an implanted embryo. The urine test can detect levels of βhCG as low as 25-100 mIU/ml. The urine should be the first urine of the morning when hCG levels are highest.

The serum test, using 2-4 mL of venous bloodvcan detect βhCG levels as low as 5 mIU/ml and allows quantitation of the βhCG concentration. The ability to quantitate the βhCG level is useful in the evaluation of ectopic pregnancy (= tubal pregnancy). If you are injected with hCG (Profasi, Pregnyl) in order to increase fertilty, the tests may not be accurate in the first 2 weeks.
Read also Pregnancy tests

hCG in fertility therapy
Because of its similarity to Luteinizing hormone (LH), hCG can also be used clinically to induce ovulation in the ovaries as well as testosterone production in the testes. As the most abundant biological source is women who are presently pregnant, some organizations collect urine from gravidae to extract hCG for use in fertility treatment

HCG level question
My HCG level is not rising as quickly as it is supposed to? What is the normal range, and how worried should I be?

Answer: HCG titers double in 3 to 4 days in a normal pregnancy. If HCG titers drop, the ball game is over and the pregnancy is non-viable. HCG titers that plateau or do not double suggest either a pregnancy that is destined to abort or an ectopic. If there is any question, I like to get a serum progesterone. Progesterone of 15 ng/ml or more is compatible with a normal intrauterine pregnancy. Under 10 suggests an abnormal pregnancy.

Once the hCG titer is 1000ng/ml or more, an intrauterine gestational sac should be seen on endovaginal sonogram. If a gestational sac is seen, this rules out ectopic. By 6 weeks from the last menstrual period, a yolk sac should be seen on vaginal sonogram and by 6-7 weeks a fetal heart beat should be seen. All these parameters can be used to assess the viability of an intrauterine pregnancy. However, one must not delay too long if an ectopic cannot be completely ruled out.

Sample hCG
is a sample listing of expected hCG levels based on time after conception:

0-1 week: 0-50 mIU/ml
1-2 weeks: 40-300 mIU/ml
3-4 weeks: 500-6,000 mIU/ml
1-2 months: 5,000-200,000 mIU/ml
2-3 months: 10,000-100,000 mIU/ml
2nd trimester: 3,000-50,000 mIU/ml
3rd trimester: 1,000-50,000 mIU/ml
Non-pregnant females: <5.0 mIU/ml
Postmenopausal females: <9.5 mIU/ml

Comments: HCG

Comments 76 to 96 of about 96.
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babynguyen2 - 345 days ago.
Ok I have taken 3 hpt in the last 2 weeks all neg. Im 8 days late. January I was 6 days late, February was a normal period and still waiting for this period to show up for march even though we are in April now. I plan on testing again in a couple of days, my DD is 8 months old and I still breastfeed. I have been have periods for the last 5 months. Could I be prego and just have low hcg levels or am I going to miss a period all together for breastfeeding even I have had periods for the last 5 months? Any advice would be great!

militarymommy06 - 349 days ago.
Found I am pregnant. Went to ER for what i thought was ruptured ovarian cyst. LMP 16 March. Blood and Urine came back positive. HCG is 31. Is this good for being about 2 weeks pregnant? I didn't think you find out this early!? Vaginal u/s didn't show anything but a thick endometrial lining.

Mossy1966 - 356 days ago.
Hi all, I am concerned and hope someone can help me out. I am 7 weeks pregnant and on Monday I did a blood test for HCG levels, then again on the Wednesday. I went to the docs today and they said that on Monday it was 12500 then on Wed it was 13000, is that a normal reading? I mean, it has only risen like 500!! Just a week ago I had an ultrasound and saw the heart beating away at 120. I have had no bleeding, no pains, all has been normal. 2 years ago I had a miscarriage and the fetus stopped growing at 6 weeks. Does this reading mean the same thing will happen? I had pain etc back then though..I feel good and am worrying that it is starting to stop growing. I am getting another blood test tomorrow(friday)

jess6009 - 367 days ago.
HELP!!!! i gave birth 16 weeks ago, i just did a home pregnancy test and i got a faint posaitve. could this just be left over hormones or am i pregnanct again??????

gamama31791 - 370 days ago.
pinkypink - I cant believe your dr would even tell you that!! Honey as long as your numbers are rising that is a really good thing. Its better when their multiplying (just like yours are doing) i've heard all the time of dr's not being to find a heartbeat- well just b/c the baby may have been hiding. 8 wks empty sac? i never heard of that. I wish you all the luck girl and I know that everything will be ok. here is a link to a site that helped me when I miscarried. Its lots of stories I think you will be impressed with about other moms. some stories when the dr says they miscarried and never did, in fact there is some where the dr was going to do a D&C and thank god they didnt b/c like i said before the baby was hiding and dr couldnt find a HB. so read up on this site and i know it will make you feel a lot better. http://www.misdiagnosedmiscarriage.com/

pinkypink - 370 days ago.
Well ladies today marks my first day in 8 weeks! Iâ€™m not sure what it going on with my lil bean, the doctors is telling me that there isnâ€™t even a bean in there! Just an empty sac. I have had plenty of blood work to check my HCG levels; my arms are so bruised my BF is calling me a druggie. LOL. But the blood work as came back with high levels, but they are just not going up fast enough. The first tests were 15,783 and 2 days later it was 22,237 then they did the vaginal ultra sound when they didnâ€™t see a heart beat. So they sent me for another test and it was 27,152 and then 34,588. It is so hard! My doctor is telling me that he would be surprised if this turned into a normal pregnancy, I have had a MC back in July â€™08 so I am at high risk to have another. I just wish this would make up its mind to go one way or the other and not stay in the middle. Sorry so much ladies, I just have a lot on my mind! Has any of you ever heard of anything like this?

chris - 376 days ago.
15 dpo my HCG was 888...is this high?

ascurlock - 382 days ago.
20 dpo my hcg was 896!

ascurlock - 385 days ago.
My hcg was 13 at 12 dpo 39 at 14 dpo 119 at 16 dpo Going up and looking good!

ascurlock - 390 days ago.
My HCG level was 13 last wednesday and I was 12 dpo. I am going in this morning to find out if they are rising! I am so nervouse!!!

kennedysmommie - 392 days ago.
whats crazy is not in my last pregnancy nor this one has anyone ever mentioned my hcg levels.I had a term baby last tiem and im 17wks 3 days now..are those of you who get to know their levels goign to a special kind of doctor?

verryterri - 392 days ago.
OK I went for HCG blood test today at Urgent care. The Dr. called and told me my HCG level is 2129 and he said that that should be consistent with 4-5 weeks? Do you agree with him?

SOON2BAMOMMiE - 433 days ago.
Aloha Ladies! I have a question... Do women ' naturally ' have hCG in them? I went to the doctors on the 4th of this month ?(Jan.) And the lab results came back with a ' < 2 '. I know this means im NOT pregnant... but here's the confusing part.. That night before I left the ER I had what I ' believe ' to be ' implantation ' bleeding. Why that u ask? Well.. from the 4th of that little spot I have YET to get my period. So could my ' < 2 ' possibly have risen enough to see on a blood test but not yet a Pregnancy test. I've tried taken preg. tests but they keep showing up negative or have what i THINK are faint lines. And yes Im ttc.

brittany l - 433 days ago.
I have never been told my hCG levels. not when i was preg with my son, and this one.. well i go to the dr firday. but ive never known what they were. that make me MAD!

gladek - 439 days ago.
As long as they are somewhere in the expected range, you can't really tell snything else from just one HCG. You need another to compare in a day or so. Congrats on your pregnancy!

Jenna - 439 days ago.
My hcg level was 2448, what does that indicate?

Amyirene74 - 443 days ago.
I called my fertility doctor and they said that they look for a 66% change or more and I am well within that range so I feel ALOT better.

Amyirene74 - 443 days ago.
I finally got my results of my third beta but now I am worried they aren't going up fast enough. I know these are within range but they still seem so low to me. The doctor seems satisfied and they set up my first ultrasound for Jan 8th when I am about 6 weeks. So am I worrying for nothing?
12 dpo: 13
14 dpo: 50 (285% change)
16 dpo: 102 (102% change)

fertilemertile - 454 days ago.
I am 5 weeks and 6 days pregnant. I went and got my blood drawn yesterday and my HcG levels were at 1862. Is that normal? It sounds low...... Please help!!

stargazer530 - 497 days ago.
wantababy - Check out this link http://www.amazingpregnancy.com/pregnancy-articles/645.html. Looks like you are right on track. Good luck!

wantababy - 498 days ago.
Ok so im really excited about my BFP. My HCG level was 127 14-16 days post ovualtion. I am looking at everyone's values and getting worried is mine too low??