Claire
Human chorionic gonadotropin more commonly known as hCG is a hormone present in your body when you are pregnant. It’s secreted by the placenta once an embryo has embedded itself into your uterine lining. When you take a pregnancy test, it is hCG that is detected!
You secrete it in your urine during pregnancy, but don’t test too early! For the test to be able to detect the hormone, it has to have reached certain levels in the body. Once it’s time for your period to start, that’s the ideal time to test.
- hCG levels start very low and if you test too early you might get a false negative pregnancy test (that’s when you are pregnant but the test says you aren’t).
- The levels of this hormone vary WILDLY between women and between pregnancies. For example, it’s normal to have a range of approximately 1,000-50,000 miU/mL when you are 6 weeks pregnant!
- When you are getting your levels checked what really matters is that the number is doubling every 48-72 hours. If it’s not, your pregnancy might not be viable. 😢 You will need an ultrasound to confirm this as a miscarriage cannot be diagnosed by using hCG levels only.
- The doubling only happens at the beginning of pregnancy. After the first trimester, levels start to plateau.
- It hasn’t been 100% proven, but it’s thought likely that hCG is the culprit of morning sickness and nausea in pregnancy. Women with really high levels of hCG usually have worse morning sickness.
- Very high levels of this hormone can also mean that you are pregnant with multiples! Because the levels can vary between women, this is not always the case and you’ll need an ultrasound to find out for sure.
- Not all women need their hCG checked in pregnancy. Usually, it’s done if women have a history of miscarriage or other issues like ectopic or molar pregnancy.
Did you get your hCG levels checked in pregnancy?
Originally posted 2021-04-19 13:29:29.
I had hcg test at 4 weeks 2 days and it was 171….. 2 days later it was 252, do you think this could be a failing pregnancy? x
Hey I was wondering if taking a pregnancy test 4 weeks after sex would it be accurate?
What if your hcg levels are still high at 20 weeks?
9dpo ,planning to test on the day AF should be or NOT 💛 I just want to carry to full term and be happy, I already MC Almost to years ago this month I celebrate my would of been Baby’s Birthday 6+27+2019💛 😑😔😣🙄🕊️🤕🤬😴😇 Keeping Faith While #TTC2
Wish I saw this post earlier. I was told my hcg was very high at 7 weeks and it could be multiples. I was cool with that but then read about molar pregnancies also. I had an early ultrasound due to a missed miscarriage last summer and all was perfect thank God. However I couldn’t take a proper breath until after my NIPT test as I was so frightened something was not right due to my super high hcg levels. It was 104,000 and half way between normal values as far as I was concerned but GPs can really set the worry into overdrive with their use of words. Especially as I was already so worried because of what happened last year. Thankfully as is progressing very well at 13 weeks but still feeling super sick in the evenings x
I got it checked in my last pregnancy that I unfortunatly lost. I am tring to concive ever since and I am so scared that the next positive test will be a faint line like the last time and that I will interpretate it as a bad singe -.-
Pregnant with twins was diagnosed with Hyperemesis gravidarum had that up to week 17 and let me tell you that was no fun 🤢🤢 thank god that pasted
Mine didn’t double, it was growing very slowly. The idiot doctor who I saw first casually stated that the pregnancy is probably ‘not viable’ while smirking. Well, my baby is now 2 years old and perfectly healthy 🙂 just saying this in case any new mums are in the same situation with this hormone
My hCG was high in my first pregnancy but was told not to worry about it. At 13 weeks I found out I had a molar pregnancy and my hCG was super high, I had to have a D&C. A few months later my hCG was still high, And I was told I had cancer from the molar pregnancy 😔. I don’t have cancer anymore and five months after chemo I found out I was pregnant with my baby girl but I still miss my first baby deeply and mourn our loss every day 🌸🌈
I had my levels checked at 7 weeks and it was exactly 143,598 so yeah, horrible morning sickness.
Yep! My first pregnancy I asked to get them checked because I was super paranoid about miscarriage, and unfortunately my fears came true when I miscarried at 8 weeks. My second pregnancy they were checked once a week for the first few weeks and I now have my sweet 8 month old💙
In the mean time it’s causing me 🤢🤮🤮🤮
My levels didn’t double for a while and they told me I was probably miscarrying, 8 months later 10lb 6oz boy.
This is such GOLD! I have been trying to conceive so knowing when to test is vital! I took one 4 days ago, when my period would have started. Got my first negative which was actually heartbreaking 🙁 this info is gonna help so much! Retesting in about 3 days— we are really hoping for a positive. wish me love and good energy please!!! 💕🥺💕
Any one had experince white particles in pragnancey?
I see white perticles in my urine and i asked to my gp that why its happening she said its normal but im worried why its happening 🙁
I did after going to ER for A LOT of bleeding around 11-12 weeks. Ended up being a subchorionic hemorrhage and baby is now 5 months 🖤 🤪
Having had a singleton and fraternal twins I can confirm the higher levels of hCH make you vomit more 🤢 Twice as much in my case. Thanks for that kids!
I had mine tested after IVF! My clinic did 9 days after transfer which is the equivalent of 14 days past ovulation or 4 weeks pregnant. Then again 2 days later to check doubling time and once more a week after that.