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HCG by days of conception. HCG by day after fertilization

In order to diagnose pregnancy at an early stage, you can take a blood test for hCG. This method is considered one of the most accurate. Human chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone that begins to be produced in a woman’s body immediately after the implantation of a fertilized egg into the wall of the uterus.

Diagnosis of an increase in the level of hCG in biological fluids allows us to talk about pregnancy. In rare cases, hormone levels may increase for other reasons. This is a sign of serious disturbances in the functioning of the body and requires immediate medical diagnosis and subsequent treatment.

First of all, human chorionic gonadotropin can be determined in the blood. Within a few days after conception, the concentration of the hormone in this biological fluid begins to increase.

Implantation of the embryo into the wall of the uterus occurs within a few days after conception. Thus, a blood test for hCG can be carried out already 5-7 days after intimacy. If pregnancy has occurred, the analysis will definitely show this.

You can donate blood for hCG at a antenatal clinic, family planning center or in a special laboratory. The result of the analysis will be known very soon. It should be noted that this type of diagnostics is paid. A free test can be done only if you have a referral from a gynecologist.

Diagnosis of pregnancy at home

The level of human chorionic gonadotropin in the urine after successful fertilization increases at a much slower rate than in the blood. In order for pregnancy to be diagnosed using test strips, which are sold in every pharmacy, it is necessary to carry out the analysis no earlier than 2 weeks after sexual contact.

Considering that ovulation usually occurs in the middle of the cycle, pregnancy can be diagnosed using a standard test from the first day of missed menstruation.

The test can be done earlier. In many cases, pregnancy can be determined within 7-10 days after conception. It is worth remembering that in this case the probability of obtaining a false negative result is too high. If only one line appears on the test, you need to wait for the start of your missed period and do the express test again.

The level of hCG in body fluids will increase daily. If a woman doubts a negative test result, she can repeat it every 2-3 days.

If your period is late, the test strip gives an ambiguous result, and the ultrasound does not yet show whether conception has occurred, then an hCG test will help clarify the situation. He will confirm or deny fertilization and tell you the due date. The hCG level by day from conception must be kept under control throughout the pregnancy. Why do this and what will it report?

Pregnancy hormone: why is it important and why chart its growth?

Human chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone produced by cells of the embryonic germinal membrane. If fertilization of the egg occurs and it attaches to the uterine mucosa, then its quantity begins to actively increase. There are 2 variants of this compound - alpha and beta. The second substance is unique; it is found in the blood exclusively during pregnancy. And it is beta-hCG that allows a woman to preserve the fetus in the earliest stages, when the immune system regards it as a foreign object and tries to do everything to get rid of it. Human chorionic hormone suppresses this reaction and makes fetal development possible.

A blood test for hCG concentration is of great diagnostic value, because pharmacy test strips react to both alpha and beta components, and only the second fraction of the hormone has informative value. Often, gynecologists advise the patient to undergo this test twice with an interval of 2 days. If the second analysis shows that the rapid growth of the hormone continues, then the fact of pregnancy will be considered proven. Within a few days, the hCG content increases 1.5-2 times. If, upon re-diagnosis, it is discovered that the hCG level is maintained at a stably low level or even decreases, it means that conception has not occurred.

Thus, if hCG is detected in the blood, this is a sign of pregnancy. The diagnostic accuracy of the method is 98%! The analysis will allow you to find out about your interesting situation already on the 8th day, while tests give reliable results only from the 5th week.

HCG norms by day from conception to birth

Typically (in 95% of women), hCG begins to rise in the blood from 7-10 days after conception, and reaches its maximum at 11-12 weeks. That is, the hormone will increase until about 13 weeks, then its level will begin to decrease and stabilize by mid-pregnancy. Before giving birth, the amount of the hormone will drop a little more.

The result of a blood test for hCG is assessed as follows:

  • in non-pregnant women its content is about 5 mIU/ml;
  • in pregnant women - over 20 mIU/ml;

What does it mean if the result is within the specified limits (for example, 14 mIU/ml)? In this case, you will have to conduct a test later to track the dynamics of hCG growth.

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To check whether fertilization has occurred, whether there is an ectopic pregnancy and how viable the embryo is, you can use a table that shows hCG norms by day from conception. But you should be careful, since after embryo transfer the concentration of this hormone is higher by day than in the case of normal conception, and counting it from ovulation will be incorrect. If on the 14th day after the transfer the hormone content is below 25 mU/ml, then fertilization has not occurred, and a level above the average norm is observed in multiple pregnancies.

In the first weeks after conception, the hormone grows very actively, its amount doubles every couple of days. The highest hCG concentration by day from conception is observed between 60 and 90 days (10-12 weeks). It can range from 50 to 100 mIU/ml. If a woman is having her first birth, then hCG can reach 100-200 mIU/ml. Then the increase will stop, and the amount of the hormone will begin to fall. By about 140 days, from 1-3 to 20 mIU/ml will be detected, and then hCG will not change almost until the baby is born.

In the normal course of pregnancy, hCG appears in the urine on days after conception (as well as in the blood) on days 5-7. By this time, its concentration in urine will be 50 (or more) mIU/ml. It will reach its highest level in urine (200 mIU/ml) in the 1st trimester.

Plotting a graph of increasing hCG will allow you to obtain a reliable picture of the course of pregnancy and respond in a timely manner to emerging pathologies.

What does it mean if the hCG level is below or above normal?

The hCG level by days from conception may be too high for the following reasons:

  • multiple births;
  • toxicosis;
  • hydatidiform mole (hCG level 50-100 mIU/ml) or impaired development of the placenta;
  • the presence of mutations in the embryo;
  • pathological degeneration of the embryonic placenta;
  • benign or malignant tumor that is formed from blastula cells;
  • if other pathological symptoms are present, this may be evidence of gestosis or diabetes in the expectant mother.

Too low growth in indicators will indicate the following problems:

  • non-viable embryo, which threatens miscarriage or premature birth;
  • ectopic pregnancy;
  • incorrect calculation of the deadline;
  • placental insufficiency.

These are dangerous pathologies, so it is very important to detect them in a timely manner, which once again emphasizes the importance and necessity of the test. But remember: sometimes, based on its results, the doctor may suspect chromosomal mutations in the baby, although the baby will be absolutely healthy. Therefore, on the basis of one test, final conclusions about the course of pregnancy and fetal development are never made!

Why do errors happen, what is the reason for false tests?

You need to know that even in a non-pregnant woman, a small amount of hCG (no more than 15 mIU/ml) is always present in the body. But the growth of this hormone can only occur due to conception or such factors:

  • if a woman is undergoing treatment for infertility and is given injections of this hormone in order for ovulation to occur;
  • after embryo transfer during artificial insemination;
  • due to the development of cancer.

The test can be not only false positive, but also false negative. This happens in such cases:

  • if testing was carried out before the hormone levels reached the lower threshold of sensitivity;
  • if a woman is expecting a girl, then a higher increase in hCG is observed. If she is pregnant with a boy, the test will become positive a little later;
  • with ectopic pregnancy.

If hCG increases but there is no pregnancy?

Exceeding the accepted hCG norm in a non-pregnant woman, unfortunately, most often is a signal of a malignant tumor of the genital organs, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. High hormone levels are also observed in the following diseases and conditions:

  • artificial termination of pregnancy (if you do a test immediately after an abortion, it will give a positive result);
  • miscarriage. If, after a spontaneous abortion, hCG continues to rise, it means that there are tissues of the fetal membrane remaining in the uterus, and they are producing the hormone.

HCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin. HCG is a rather specific hormone, and it is released during the period of gestation by the placenta. In this way, the unborn baby informs the mother’s body about its appearance. This hormone is required for the synthesis of another hormone - progesterone. If pregnancy does not occur, then hCG is not produced.

Hormone levels increase every day until the thirteenth week. If conception occurs artificially, the level of this hormone is constantly monitored. When a week has passed after the fertilization of the egg, it turns into a blastocyte. From this formation the fetus and placenta will subsequently develop. When the blastocyst attaches to the mucosa, biologically active hCG is produced. Thanks to this hormone, the formation of the primary placenta begins.

HCG affects the body in such a way that the ovaries begin to actively synthesize progesterone. With the advent of progesterone, ovulation stops, since by this time the mother’s body is adjusting to pregnancy. From the sixteenth week, the placenta becomes the main source of progesterone. Therefore, hCG loses its leading role in the further development of pregnancy. If human chorionic gonadotropin is detected in the blood during the study, we can say with confidence that the woman is pregnant.

Does hCG indicate the obstetric period or from conception? As you know, the obstetric period lags behind the period of conception by about two weeks. HCG indicates the period from the moment of conception. This hormone appears in the blood already on the seventh day after fertilization. Familiar strips can detect the presence of pregnancy starting from the fifth week. The level of hCG in the urine, where the strip is always immersed, will be several times lower than in the blood. If a woman has undergone IVF, a pregnancy test is performed on the fourteenth day after the transfer. The development of the embryo is judged by how the level of the hormone increases in the blood.

If several embryos have implanted inside the uterus at once, the hCG level will be very high. A high level of the hormone can also occur if embryonic mutations have occurred or degeneration of the embryonic part of the placenta has begun. If the analysis reveals, on the contrary, a very low level, this will mean that the embryo may die at any time. A low rate can also occur with an ectopic pregnancy. Therefore, in the very early stages of pregnancy, this analysis is very important, as it helps to identify pathology. If necessary, hCG levels are monitored regularly.

Norms

To detect deviations, you can use a special table. The hCG table for weeks of pregnancy may differ from different sources; doctors usually take the average value. The hCG rate during pregnancy gradually changes over the weeks from conception. In the first weeks of gestation, the normal hCG value doubles every other day. In non-pregnant women, the level of the hormone in the blood does not exceed 5 IU/l.

In pregnant women, this result is eight times higher. If the result of the hormone content in a woman’s blood falls between these two values, then the analysis must be repeated after some time. If the daily hCG level is normal, medical intervention during pregnancy is not required.

The highest levels of the hormone are observed from the tenth to the twelfth week. In days from 69 to 90 days. You can verify this by looking at the table. The hormone level rises to 50,000-100,000 IU/l. There is no further increase in values. At the twelfth week, the hormone in the blood begins to decrease. By day 140, these numbers drop to 1000-20000 IU/l. And then the level of the hormone remains unchanged until the birth of the child.

If you study the table values ​​in more detail, then at 2 weeks from conception the hormone level will be 25 – 156 IU/l. When does hCG show pregnancy after conception? HCG at 3 weeks from conception is 2000 honey/ml and this is an accurate sign of pregnancy. If a woman undergoes an ultrasound at this stage, pregnancy can only be detected by indirect signs.

Pathologies

The results of the hCG analysis are especially important when artificially introducing an embryo. If this indicator on the fourteenth day from the moment of the procedure does not exceed 25 IU/l. there is no pregnancy, but the embryo did not implant.

But hormone levels can also increase in situations not related to pregnancy. For example, in the presence of cancerous tumors in the body. When pregnancy occurs, future parents are concerned about a very important question, namely, will they have a boy or a girl?

The sex of the unborn child can be determined by the level of the hormone. HCG levels will rise to higher levels if a woman is pregnant with a girl. According to doctors, a pregnancy test when expecting a boy gives a positive result much later. If the expectant mother has a hard time with early pregnancy, which is accompanied by severe toxicosis, then the level of the hormone may also increase.

A high level of the hormone may indicate the onset of a hydatidiform mole, which is a disorder of the development of the placenta. In this case, the hormone level rises to 500,000-1,000,000 IU/l.

In addition, high levels of the hormone occur with the development of diabetes in the expectant mother. Genetic abnormalities in the fetus are also accompanied by an increase in hCG. This is why the hCG test is prescribed by geneticists. Thus, they identify abnormalities in chromosomes.

This test is highly likely to identify infants with Down syndrome. But the final diagnosis is established not only by analyzing the hormone content. Additionally, the expectant mother undergoes an ultrasound, and another blood test is prescribed for hormones. It is immediately worth noting that the test may show possible deviations, but in fact a completely healthy child is born. Therefore, the woman additionally receives amniotic fluid. It is this analysis that makes it possible to accurately identify deviations from the norm in the chromosome set.

All women planning a pregnancy know how exciting the two weeks after ovulation can be. They are especially difficult for ladies who have been planning to get pregnant for a long time and for some reason their attempts have not yet been successful. Literally every day they look for the earliest symptoms and signs of a possible long-awaited pregnancy, almost a day after ovulation they begin to buy pharmacy tests in order to get at least a ghostly hope for a second stripe. We will talk about when tests should “strip” in this article.


How does the second stripe appear?

All pregnancy tests, regardless of manufacturer and cost, work the same. A special reagent applied to the strip is colored only when a sufficient amount of a hormone is detected in a woman’s urine, which is a faithful companion to bearing a child - human chorionic gonadotropin, which in various medical documents is abbreviated as FSHA, GPHa, LHA, TSHA, hCG or HCG.



This substance is often present in the analyzes of non-pregnant women, and even men, but in very small quantities. If a cherished event takes place and a child is conceived, HCG begins to be produced more actively. It is produced by chorion cells. Gonadotropin is necessary for the female body in order for pregnancy to develop.

Under its influence, the corpus luteum formed after ovulation does not disappear, as happens in the absence of pregnancy before menstruation, but remains for the first few months. It takes on the function of the main endocrine organ for the developing embryo.


Under the influence of human chorionic gonadotropin hormone The woman’s immunity weakens somewhat, which increases the chances of the embryo surviving. Otherwise, the mother’s strong and well-trained immunity would simply reject the baby, because he is half foreign, since he contains the father’s genetic material.

The production of hCG in a woman’s body gives the start command for the active production of progesterone, without which preserving and bearing a child will be impossible, as well as the female sex hormone estrogen, which is also extremely important during pregnancy.

Hormone level increases rapidly, starting from the moment of implantation. Within a few hours after meeting the sperm, the fertilized egg begins its journey into the uterine cavity. She has to pass through the fallopian tube, descend into the uterine space and gain a foothold in the wall of the main reproductive female organ.

This moment is called implantation. Sometimes a woman can guess about it herself - by slight tugging sensations in the lower abdomen, by a drop of spotting on a panty liner. Implantation is usually done 6-10 days after fertilization. Most often - on the eighth day.

From this moment, the chorion triggers the production of gonadotopin, and the amount of the hormone gradually increases, almost doubling every 48 hours. This does not mean that the substance can immediately be found in the woman’s blood or urine.

A certain time must pass for the amount of HCG to exceed the sensitivity thresholds of tests from the pharmacy and laboratory reagents.

Enter the first day of your last menstrual period

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How does the hormone level increase?

In women before pregnancy, the level of the hormone in the body does not exceed values ​​in the range from 0 to 5 mU/ml. And the substance is not detected in urine at all. If conception has taken place, then for the first time the hormone level will exceed the “non-pregnant” threshold only on the second or third day after implantation. It must be said that all women produce the hormone with different intensity, and therefore There is no need to demand mathematical accuracy from laboratory assistants.

By the way, these morally difficult days are called by ladies dreaming of motherhood with the abbreviation DPO, which means “day after ovulation.” Ovulation, of course, is also not fixed for everyone, but in the vast majority of cases it falls on the 14-15th day of the cycle - at its very middle with a menstrual cycle duration of 28 days. Thus, 2 DPO is two days after ovulation or the 17th day of the cycle, and 5 DPO is the 20th day from the start of the menstrual cycle and only the fifth day after expected ovulation.



If it happens that the second phase of the female cycle lasts 14 days, then The first day of delay is considered to be 14 DPO or 29 days of the cycle. Many women, waiting for good news, begin testing too early and are very worried about the lack of the treasured second line. How many days after conception you can safely do a hCG test becomes clear if you know how the quantitative indicator of the hormonal substance in the blood changes.

Table of average quantitative values ​​of HCG in the blood during pregnancy:

Time since ovulation

Average HCG concentration

Lowest HCG value

Highest HCG value

15 DPO (start of delay)

28 DPO (two weeks late)

Test sensitivity

The gonadotrope produced from the moment of attachment of the fertilized egg first enters the blood, and only then part of it is excreted in the urine. Therefore, at the initial stage, even before the delay occurs, only a biochemical blood test can show the “piquant situation”.

The tests, which are available at any pharmacy or store, also differ in their sensitivity, in their ability to “catch” traces of the hormone in the secreted liquid. The minimum is 30 units, the maximum is 10. Most often on pharmacy shelves you can find test strips with an average sensitivity of 20-25 mU/ml. They are able to respond with a control strip to an increase in human chorionic gonadotrope only 14-15 days after conception. That is why they are recommended to be carried out in the first days of the actual delay, so that the results are not in doubt.

If ovulation occurred on time and implantation was not delayed, then the analysis will give informative first results at least 10-11 days after fertilization.


Of course, it happens that the test begins to show a weak second line even earlier, but this becomes possible only in women with hCG production at the maximum level or above the average norm. There is only one conclusion from all of the above - if about as early as possible, you should go to the nearest clinic to donate blood for hCG determination.

If “time is of the essence,” then a woman should be patient, not be nervous and wait for the delay in order to conduct a simple and understandable home test, which with a high degree of probability will be able to answer the main question 2 weeks from conception.

Growth by week

Human chorionic gonadotropin does not always increase at the same rate as in the first days of pregnancy. At first, it doubles every 48 hours, as soon as the concentration of the substance in the blood exceeds 1200 mU/ml, the growth of the hormone will slow down somewhat - it will begin to increase every 72 hours. When the concentration reaches 6000 mU/ml, growth will become even slower - the quantitative indicator will change once every 96 hours.

The amount of pregnancy hormone reaches its maximum by 10-11 weeks of pregnancy, after which it begins to decline at a quiet pace. When the pregnancy is multiple and the expectant mother is carrying two or three children, the level of the hormone in her blood and urine will be two or three times higher than normal (the chorion of each baby produces its own “hormonal accompaniment”, hence the inflated numbers).


Possible problems

In trying to understand hCG values, many women are faced with a lot of questions and problems, the answers to which are not so easy to find. Among the wealth of information on the Internet, there are few specific indications of the reasons for certain ambiguities associated with the “pregnancy hormone”. We tried to put together and answer the most common questions related to the definition of an “interesting position” at the very initial stage.


How to do the analysis correctly?

Before visiting the treatment room or laboratory, it is advisable to avoid eating fatty foods 12 hours before. The study is carried out using a biochemical method, so the abundance of fat may affect its effectiveness. Blood from a vein is donated on an empty stomach. The result can be obtained within a few hours or within a day, it all depends on the work of a particular laboratory.

Before performing a home test, you should prepare a clean, dry container to collect urine. No dietary restrictions are required. It is best to do a test on morning urine, since it is considered the most concentrated. However, many pregnant women refer to the fact that brighter and clearer second stripes appeared in their evening urine. It all depends not so much on the time of day, but on the time elapsed between urinations. Before testing, make sure that at least 5 hours have passed since your last trip to the toilet.


Before testing, make sure that at least 5 hours have passed since your last trip to the toilet.

The result does not fit any existing table

This really happens often, and this is not a reason to worry at all. The fact is that different laboratories use different reagents and auxiliary technologies for conducting biochemical blood tests. Hence the difference in the final indicators. When picking up the finished analysis, do not forget to ask to see the hCG standards for this particular laboratory, so that you have something to compare your results with. The best thing to do is to have a face-to-face appointment with an obstetrician-gynecologist., who can correctly decipher the data from the laboratory.



Level reduced

The level of the substance produced by chorion may be lower than normal in women who have experienced late ovulation. The lady herself believes that 14 days have already passed since ovulation and is waiting for at least 105 mU/ml in the conclusion of the laboratory assistant. But the result turns out to be 64 or 80. The woman falls into a stupor and begins to look for the causes of the “problems.” In fact, she doesn’t even realize that her ovulation was “late” by a couple of days, which resulted in later implantation of the blastocyte into the uterine wall.

The value of chorionic hormone may be reduced in women with a threat of spontaneous abortion. On the one hand, the threat reduces the level of production of such an important hormone, and on the other hand, the threat increases against the background of hCG deficiency. Doctors will help in this situation, because they can offer the woman supportive hormonal therapy, which will restore the balance of necessary substances and give the baby a chance.


Level above normal

The level of the hormonal substance produced by the chorion may be elevated when early ovulation occurs. This is also quite possible, and then the embryonic period will in fact differ from what the woman herself assumes by several days. Thus, the blood test will show higher results than expected, and this will be quite justified, because implantation occurred earlier.

Increased hormonal levels may occur if a woman becomes pregnant with twins or triplets. But only ultrasound diagnostics can answer this question and not earlier than 6-7 weeks of pregnancy, when it will be possible to see the number of embryos on the scanner monitor. In the meantime, a woman will need to repeat the blood test several times to get a dynamic picture - the increase in hormone concentration during multiple pregnancy will be uniform, although increased according to all standards.


The test is negative, but the blood test is positive

In this case, there is most likely a pregnancy. It’s just that its duration is still so short that the concentration of the hormone in the urine (and it is half the concentration in the blood) is not captured by the reagents of the strip (less than 15-20 mU/ml). You should repeat a simple urine test at home after a few days.


Home test is positive, but blood test is negative

Most likely, there is no pregnancy. The test may turn out to be simply defective, and this phenomenon is common. It may be carried out with an error. Sometimes a woman who really wants a child mistakes the so-called “ghost” stripe – a weak and barely visible second stripe of grayish color – as a positive result. This optical phenomenon in most cases is an indication of the place where the reagent is applied, which turns slightly gray after the strip dries. The “ghost” cannot talk about pregnancy.


If it is confirmed in laboratory conditions that the level of the hormone in the blood does not indicate the onset of an “interesting situation”, then you should trust a more accurate method - the laboratory one.

The test was positive, and then became negative

Women who do not bother measuring hormone levels in the second phase of their cycle sometimes experience delays of several days. After which the period comes, although more abundant than usual. Nobody pays attention to this. A woman who does her best to monitor her condition before the delay, including taking tests before it, in this situation may receive a very strange result - positive, indicating several days of pregnancy, but after a week the tests may give negative results.

If the blood at 11 DPO showed the presence of pregnancy, and menstruation, although late, still came, Most likely, the fertilized egg was rejected from the uterine wall. This can happen for various reasons. Most often, the root of the problem is genetic defects and anomalies, irreparable errors of nature during fertilization. Such an embryo is not able to grow at a normal pace and is rejected.


Why are they sent for analysis?

Sometimes a doctor gives a referral for a blood test to determine the level of hCG. He does not always do this and not for everyone. This usually happens at an appointment where a woman comes with complaints of late menstruation. It is almost impossible to establish the fact of pregnancy after 10 days of delay by any other means., and therefore the doctor can send the lady home and ask her to come back later or issue a referral to the laboratory.

He will do this if he needs to know for sure now whether pregnancy has occurred. This may be required if an in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure was performed, if the woman previously had miscarriages and missed pregnancies in the very early stages of gestation, if she recently suffered an ectopic pregnancy or had an abortion.

Speedy surgical intervention to save the woman's life. Norms by week

Human chorionic gonadotropin is also referred to as the “pregnancy maintenance hormone.” It acts as a stimulator for the production of the hormone progesterone and cannot continue to exist without pregnancy. The hCG level increases day by day until the 13th week after conception. A test for it is done throughout the entire period to determine the successful transfer of the embryo during artificial insemination.

About a week after fertilization of the egg, a blastocyst is formed in the mother's womb - a sphere with liquid, the outer shell of which consists of dozens of cells. It is necessary for the formation of tissue from which the baby and placenta subsequently develop, and exists until it enters the uterus.

Upon contact with the endometrium (mucous membrane), biologically active hCG is produced. As a result of the interaction of the blastocyst with chorionic gonadotropin, primary chorionic villi are formed - the early part of the placenta.

HCG stimulates the corpus luteum in the ovary to secrete another hormone, progesterone, which builds the endometrium and signals via feedback to the pituitary gland that ovulation is no longer needed and informs the mother’s body of pregnancy. This typically occurs around six days after ovulation or embryo transfer.

Starting around the 16th week from conception, the placenta itself is able to make enough progesterone, so the importance of the corpus luteum and hCG decreases.

What information does it contain?

Detection of human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood is a sign that you are pregnant; a doctor can test for it about seven days after conception.

In contrast, conventional tests provide reliable results only from the 5th week. After embryo transfer during IVF (artificial insemination), the test is done on the 14th day.

The level of hormone concentration can be very high due to multiple births, embryonic mutations or degeneration of the embryonic part of the placenta.

A very low increase in values ​​may indicate a non-viable embryo or an ectopic pregnancy. Therefore, at the initial stage the test is of great importance and is sometimes carried out several times.

To check the norm, a special table is used, which you can see below. Be careful - after embryo transfer, the hCG level by day is higher than during normal conception, and it cannot be counted from ovulation.

https://youtu.be/O71wh43mQKo

HCG consists of two subunits:

  • alpha subunits;
  • beta subunits (known as beta-hCG).

A common test at the pharmacy contains antibodies that react to beta-hCG levels. Such tests have different sensitivity, the most sensitive can detect a suspected pregnancy about ten days after conception.

The hormone can be detected in the blood about eight days after fertilization. Ask your gynecologist for a referral for testing.

Blood test results:

  • non-pregnant - 5 international units per liter (IU/l);
  • pregnant women - more than 20 IU/l (depending on the test).

If the result fluctuates between these values, test again later if ovulation does not occur.

Levels during pregnancy

In the first weeks, the concentration of hCG increases. The value doubles approximately every two to three days.

HCG levels in the blood are highest between 10 and 12 weeks after conception, or approximately between 60 and 90 days. The value increases to 50,000-100,000 IU/l of blood.

Then growth stops and constantly falls, and somewhere on the 140th day it shows 1000-20000 IU/l, until it becomes constant until the birth of the child.

The following table presents normal values ​​during pregnancy. In women giving birth for the first time, levels rarely but sometimes rise to a maximum of 100,000 to 200,000 international units per liter (IU/L).

Weeks after menstrual cycle HCG value in IU/l
3-4 9-130
4-5 75-2600
5-6 850-20800
6-7 4000-100200
7-12 11500-289000
12-16 18300-137000
16-29 (= 2nd trimester) 1400-53000
29-41(= 3rd trimester) 940-60000

Table of normal hormone levels after several days of ovulation:

If on the 14th day after embryo transfer the amount of the hormone is less than 25, pregnancy has not occurred, and a level above average may indicate several fetuses.

Possible deviations from the norm

False positive result

HCG is constantly present in the body in small quantities, but its level may increase only due to conception or:

False negative result

You can get this effect in the following cases:

  1. The test was performed before the hormone levels increased to the sensitivity level.
  2. HCG levels are higher when a woman is having a girl. So the pregnancy test for a boy later becomes positive.
  3. May be due to ectopic pregnancy.

Reduced levels

If the level is too low or growth is slow, there may be several reasons:

  • incorrect calculation of term (gestational age);
  • ectopic pregnancy;
  • placental insufficiency;
  • threat of premature birth or miscarriage.

Increased levels

Increased growth of human chorionic gonadotropin is observed due to multiple fetuses (eg, twins), toxicosis, but also with benign or malignant diseases of the blastocyst.

These include:

  • hydatidiform mole, placental development disorder (from 500,000 to 1,000,000 IU/l hCG);
  • malignant tumors that develop from cells of the blastula wall (choriocarcinoma);
  • combinations with other indicators may indicate gestosis, diabetes in the mother or genetic pathology in the unborn fetus.

HCG in first trimester screening

The so-called first screening is a test that takes place from 11 to 14 weeks after conception or embryo transfer. Screening is used to identify abnormal chromosomes.

As part of the screening, the level of hCG in the mother's blood is measured. Chromosomes carry genetic information and may change structurally or be in abnormal numbers. In such cases we talk about chromosomal aberrations (mutations). Based on this data, the doctor calculates the statistical probability of having a child with trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) or some other genetic defect. The beta-hCG value in children with this syndrome is usually significantly higher than in others.

Statistical tests are based on the results of two blood tests, an ultrasound, and a calculation of the gestational age from conception or last ovulation.

The test result can sometimes indicate chromosomal mutations, although the child is completely healthy. One test can never give a reliable result!

If you are in doubt, and the risk of abnormalities increases significantly, an analysis of the amniotic fluid of the expectant mother is considered. Amniocentesis provides a reliable result, but is accompanied by certain risks.

conclusions

The hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is responsible for maintaining pregnancy and begins to increase after conception. It stimulates the production of progesterone in the corpus luteum and fulfills its role as its supplier for up to 4 months. Its injections are also used to induce ovulation in case of infertility.

At the beginning of pregnancy, the hormone performs various diagnostic functions, and its monitoring is very useful to check for abnormalities and is necessary after embryo transfer through artificial insemination.