The first weeks of pregnancy are especially exciting for women who planned to conceive and carefully prepared for it. Doubts that the long-awaited event has occurred prevail even after a delay in menstruation and a positive result of a rapid test. What other signs can be used to confirm the fact of conception? A blood test for human chorionic gonadotropin will help with this. It is he who acts as the main marker of the birth of a new life.

What is hCG, what is the role of this hormone in the female body?

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is produced by chorion tissue immediately after implantation of the embryo into the uterine cavity (approximately 12 days after conception). When there is no pregnancy, the level of this hormone is close to zero. After conception occurs, it increases to tens of thousands of units, reaching a limit by the 10th week, and then decreases slightly.

The role of hCG in the early stages of pregnancy is very high. It supports the work of the corpus luteum - a temporary endocrine gland that produces progesterone, increases the number of chorionic villi, and provides their nutrition. With its increase, gradual adaptation to pregnancy occurs, hormonal levels and important body functions undergo restructuring.

Adaptation to pregnancy under the influence of hCG consists of an increase in the production of hormones from the adrenal cortex. They suppress the immune response towards the fetus on the part of the mother’s body, because for it the fetus is to some extent foreign. The production of hCG depends on how successfully the implantation process is going. If the fertilized egg is healthy, it produces the required amount of gonadotropin and gestation proceeds normally.

Diagnostic tests to determine hCG levels

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2-3 days after implantation, an increase in hCG is observed in the blood; after 3-5 days, the hormone begins to be released along with the urine. If there are indirect signs of pregnancy (delayed cycles, breast swelling, changes in taste habits), it is recommended to perform a rapid test. The probability of his error is 5%.

A blood test for hCG will provide more accurate information. Biomaterial can be donated upon a doctor’s referral or independently at a paid clinic. To do this, blood is taken from a vein on an empty stomach in the morning. The answer will be ready on the same day or the next day. Based on the results of the analysis, the fact of conception is judged.

How does hCG concentration change during pregnancy?

The interpretation of the test results should be entrusted to a doctor. However, it is important to know that if the reading is less than 5 mU/ml, intrauterine pregnancy is excluded, and the reason for the delay in the cycle is different.

When hCG increases to values ​​above 5 mU/ml, you can prepare for motherhood. In any case, it is important to undergo an examination by a doctor who will confirm the fact of conception, register and monitor human chorionic gonadotropin levels in the first weeks.

What hCG result is considered normal? The permissible hormone levels by week are shown in the table:

The table indicators are not an absolute dogma; after IVF they are always slightly higher. Each expectant mother has her own optimal limits, so to assess the dynamics of the increase in the hormone, the doctor evaluates the previous and new tests. When reporting from the last day of menstruation to the 4th week of obstetric pregnancy, the level of gonadotropin doubles every two days.

The rate of doubling of a parameter can be calculated using the formula “2.2+-0.8 days”. Hormone levels can increase faster, doubling every 1.5 days, or more slowly, doubling every 3 days. Having reached its limit by 9-11 weeks, it stops growing and then slows down. Subsequently, it decreases slightly to levels of 6-7 weeks and remains this way until childbirth. After the baby is born, the hCG level gradually drops, and by the 4th week of the child’s life it does not normally exceed 5 mU/ml.

Reasons for the slow growth of hCG, its slowdown or decrease in the early stages

Deviations from standard indicators can be considered signs of pathology. It is important for the doctor to understand why this happened and urgently eliminate the anomaly. If hCG slowly grows in the blood of a pregnant woman in the early stages, the physical development of the embryo is likely to be delayed. This happens because the formation of the placenta slows down and the blood flow between the expectant mother and the child is disrupted. The embryo does not receive enough oxygen and nutrients, which leads to intrauterine hypoxia.

A low hCG level, a sudden drop in its level in the first weeks of gestation, is a serious symptom that may indicate:

• placental insufficiency;
• ectopic implantation;
• fading pregnancy;
• slowing down the physical development of the embryo;
• the threat of failure;
• chromosomal abnormalities;
• rejection of the fertilized egg before the cycle is delayed;
• detachment and non-implantation of an embryo transferred using IVF.

A low increase in gonadotropin may indicate placental insufficiency, fetal hypoxia, and intrauterine death. The rate increases slowly in the later stages, if the pregnancy is post-term, this situation is monitored by doctors.

Only a doctor can draw conclusions about what is considered normal and pathological. Often the analysis has to be retaken to exclude a laboratory error. If there are no suspicious signs, it is recommended to repeat the analysis in a week, and then perform an ultrasound.

Ectopic pregnancy after natural fertilization or IVF poses a particular danger to women's health. At first, the woman notices the same signs as during normal conception. However, after a while they are accompanied by pathological symptoms - pain in the lower abdomen, bloody spotting. A blood test in this case does not show an increase in hCG, although a delay in menstruation is observed. It is important to diagnose this condition in time and remove the embryo using laparoscopy. Otherwise, rupture of the fallopian tube (the place where the fertilized egg usually begins to grow), peritonitis, and sepsis are possible.

Treatment tactics

In 15% of cases, a slow increase in gonadotropin levels in the early stages is a natural phenomenon observed in the absence of pathology. In any case, having discovered deviations in the increase in the pregnancy hormone, the doctor takes the patient under special control and prescribes additional examinations.

Bearing with an insufficient increase in hCG is complicated, since pregnancy is most often associated with certain pathologies and proceeds poorly. However, it is often possible to preserve and carry a healthy child. Much depends on the reason for the decrease in hCG levels:

• if a drop in hCG is associated with an ectopic pregnancy, emergency surgery is indicated to save the patient’s life (more details in the article:);
• in case of a frozen pregnancy, a diagnostic curettage is performed, the cause of the pathology is subsequently determined, hormonal correction is carried out and careful preparation for a new pregnancy is carried out;
• when there is a threat of spontaneous abortion, retention in a hospital is indicated, where important therapeutic measures are carried out.

Treatment in a hospital involves monitoring hCG levels over time, as well as taking other tests that provide the doctor with additional information about the patient’s health status. Special medications containing gonadotropin taken from the urine of pregnant women (Pregnil, Horagon, Ecostimulin) often help to increase the concentration of the pregnancy hormone. Usually injections of drugs are given in dosages of 1500, 2000, 5000 IU. The dose is selected individually, while the patient’s condition is monitored. If treatment measures are taken in a timely manner, the chances of carrying a baby increase.

HCG level during early pregnancy: low, high. What does a decrease in level indicate?

What else does low hCG mean? Not excluded. This means the following: fertilization took place, but for some reason the body recognized the fetus as unviable and rejected it even before the missed period. A woman most often does not even suspect that a new life has matured in her. True, in some women in this case, menstruation changes its character somewhat (due to the start and failure of implantation):

• discharge becomes abundant;
• there is pain in the lower abdomen;
• The discharge lasts a little longer than usual.

There is no need to regret the termination of such a pregnancy: the body was able to recognize the defects of the unborn fetus that were incompatible with life and eliminated everything without consequences for the life and health of the mother.

Decrease in hCG in early pregnancy

An unfavorable sign is a decrease in hCG levels before the 11th week. HCG drops in early pregnancy for reasons:

• beginning miscarriage;
• disturbances in the blood supply to the fetus.

If hCG is more than half the normal level, this is a reason to observe the woman for a week. If there are signs of spontaneous abortion, the woman is admitted to the hospital for preservation.

Elevated hCG during early pregnancy

It would seem that increased hCG during early pregnancy is good. The fetus has successfully established itself, the hormone is actively released, increases rapidly - everything is fine. Indeed, most often the body can increase the level of the hormone during pregnancy with twins or triplets. In this case, when a multiple pregnancy is confirmed by ultrasound, the woman can rejoice - the increase is physiological.

But large hCG also occurs under other circumstances:

• development of tumors (including malignant);
• Down syndrome in a developing fetus;
• other developmental anomalies - in particular, neural tube defects;
• hydatidiform mole.

What level of hCG is considered really high - in each specific situation you need to ask your doctor. It is unacceptable to diagnose yourself.

It is imperative to monitor hCG over time, since this hormone is a marker of a normal, progressive pregnancy. If you want to make sure that everything is in order, get tested periodically until the 11th week, and then you will have much less reason to worry. And if the mother is calm, everything will be fine with the child too.

Current video

For what reason does hCG rise slowly? This is a frequently asked question among women who are preparing to become mothers for the first time. Human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, is a hormone produced by a woman’s embryonic organ during pregnancy; it is one of the leading indicators of its presence and successful course. Until 7-11 weeks, its growth occurs rapidly, then it slows down. In the first 3 months, human chorionic gonadotropin causes the production of progesterone and estrogen - hormones necessary for the successful development of pregnancy.

Establishing gonadotropin levels during pregnancy

Analysis of the level of human chorionic gonadotropin content makes it possible to determine the presence of pregnancy at a period when an ultrasound examination cannot yet give results. Stimulation of the production of progesterone and estrogen by human chorionic gonadotropin continues until the woman’s embryonic organ (placenta) begins to produce and form hormonal levels on its own. HCG is made up of an alpha unit and a beta unit. Of these, the beta unit is unique in its composition, which makes it possible to use it in tests to determine pregnancy. Analysis of the amount of beta-gonadotropin in the blood makes it possible to determine the presence of pregnancy after 14 days.

A drop in the amount of human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood during pregnancy or a decrease in its growth rate indicates spontaneous miscarriage or development of the fetus outside the uterus.

The presence of elevated gonadotropin levels in men, as well as non-pregnant women, serves as an alarming signal. At best, this is an incorrect analysis; at worst, it is the beginning of the development of cancer tumors in the body.

HCG hormone tests

To determine the presence of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood, a woman needs to have her urine and blood tested. The analysis is done in the morning and on an empty stomach. When scheduling an analysis at another time, you must remember that at least 5 hours must pass between meals and the procedure.

In terms of reliability, a blood test comes first; the most inaccurate method is a test to determine pregnancy, although it is popular among women. Why is a hormone test prescribed? Gynecologists do this in order to:

• diagnose early pregnancy;
• monitor the development of pregnancy;
• exclude the development of the fetus outside the uterus;
• identify pathologies in child development;
• detect fetal freezing in time;
• establish the risk of miscarriage;
• diagnose malignant tumors.

To diagnose testicular tumors, such an analysis is also prescribed for men.

Often, the gynecologist asks for repeated blood tests with an interval of one week in the same laboratory. This is done to accurately determine pregnancy or eliminate errors in the analysis. When the level of gonadotropin increases by 1.5-2 times, we can say that the woman is pregnant. If its level does not increase or decreases, then there is no pregnancy. You need to know that the norms and accuracy of determining the level of human chorionic gonadotropin are different in all laboratories.

For men, as well as pregnant women, the gonadotropin content ranges from 0 to 5 mU/ml (international units per 1 ml).

During the normal course of pregnancy, the gonadotropin content is directly dependent on its duration; from conception to the last weeks of pregnancy it increases from 25 mU/ml to 78,000 mU/ml. During the first trimester, the level of hCG increases several thousand times, then the sharp increase in the number of hormones stops and occurs slowly. Changes in gonadotropin levels are purely individual for each woman; there are no strict limits. During the period of bearing a baby, there is an increase or decrease in the level of hCG.

The content of gonadotropin in the blood increases too quickly in the case of:

• incorrect determination of the period (the period is longer than expected);
• multiple pregnancy;
• hydatidiform mole.

HCG rises too slowly if:

• there was an error in determining the deadline (the deadline is shorter than expected);
• delay in fetal development;
• the fetus develops outside the uterus;
• fetal freezing occurred;
• there is a risk of miscarriage.

Is it possible for incorrect results?

The possibility of obtaining incorrect results when testing blood for human chorionic gonadotropin is not excluded. Such conclusions are called false positive or false negative.

The first case, in which there is no pregnancy, but the result is positive, is very rare.

An incorrect negative result (the test does not confirm the presence of pregnancy) is possible if the rules are violated when donating blood, if the gestational age is incorrectly determined, with late ovulation and in exceptional circumstances - ectopic pregnancy.

If you suspect an erroneous result in both cases, the gynecologist recommends taking the tests again.

In addition, the content of gonadotropin in the blood is affected by drugs used to treat infertility and containing this hormone (Choragon, Pregnil). Before taking tests, it is necessary to warn laboratory workers about taking such drugs. Other drugs do not affect the level of hCG in the blood.

Changes in hCG levels during pathological pregnancy

The increase in the amount of gonadotropin in the blood during an ectopic pregnancy does not occur as steadily as during a normal pregnancy. In the first week, while the egg develops outside the uterus (ovary or fallopian tube), its level rises. But already from the second month there is a decrease in the amount of the hormone. By comparing test results with the norm, it is possible to diagnose the pathological nature of pregnancy. As a rule, deviations from normal indicators are noticeable already from the middle of the third month.

There are cases when the fetus stops developing in the uterus and dies. This is a frozen pregnancy. At a very early stage, the heartbeat is not yet audible and cannot be detected on ultrasound. It is possible to detect pathology only by the level of gonadotropin in the blood. In most cases, freezing occurs in the first 3 months. During a frozen pregnancy, the uterus continues to grow, but the level of gonadotropin does not increase, but gradually decreases.

Pathologies also include pregnancy with two or more fetuses. The reason for this phenomenon may be:

• heredity (there was a similar case in the family of one of the parents);
• maturation of several follicles or one, but containing several eggs;
• taking hormonal medications;
• conception at a late age;
• in vitro fertilization.

The level of gonadotropin when carrying two or more embryos is necessarily higher than during a normally developing pregnancy with one fetus.

Typically, hCG levels for a multiple pregnancy are at least 2 times higher than the level of human chorionic gonadotropin for a single pregnancy.

Age-related changes in a woman’s body, caused by the cessation of the menstrual cycle, also lead to a slow increase in human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood. For women during menopause, a level of 14 mU/ml is considered normal.

After an abortion or loss of a child due to miscarriage, gonadotropin levels remain slightly higher than normal for several days. After 1.5 months it approaches normal.

girls! Why is hCG growing slowly? What can be done to help the baby? Has anyone had any lucky cases where hCG grew slowly, but the baby was fine? My thoughts are confused and I am very nervous. 😫

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Comments

- @anjelika2015, what is your dynamics? In general, the situation with hCG can be very individual. At first, my good friend’s hCG began to drop, she thought that she had lost the child, they sent her for a control ultrasound, and there was a heartbeat. As it turned out, hCG grew very slowly. She gave birth to a healthy daughter at 35 weeks. If, apart from the slow increase in hCG, everything else is normal, then support injections of hCG are usually prescribed.

- @luckat it’s growing a little bit at a time, at first it seemed to me that it was good. Now it’s growing a little bit. An ultrasound confirmed intrauterine pregnancy. Tomorrow ultrasound for heart. Progesterone, TSH, T4 are normal for the blood, I drink Clexane, I drink Duphaston, Folio and Omega. I still don’t know how I can help😥

How long is the delay and what is the dynamics of hCG?

- @anjelika2015, how many weeks are you pregnant? And if possible, write down the numbers

- @mamaalashki hCG is growing, but a little bit at a time. actual 5th week has started.

- @luckat Week 5 has begun. 8.07-3005, 15.07-8048, 16.07-9303; 18.07-10681.

- @anjelika2015 my mother saved her pregnancy with Clexane, also counting from a small period and almost until birth with these injections, my sister is already 6 years old)))

- @emotional_state I have been injecting Klesan since the beginning of pregnancy.

- @anjelika2015, at this stage they won’t see the heart yet, at about 7 weeks they can hear the heart. But don’t worry about hCG, the main thing is that it grows

You can give an hCG injection for support, but only if you are sure that the pregnancy is intrauterine.

- @mango7 yes there was an ultrasound, they confirmed intrauterine pregnancy.

- @anjelika2015, did you do ultrasound dynamics? Is PY growing? Is the yolk sac up to date? If everything is normal and everything is growing, then inject hCG, it won’t get worse.

- @mango7 ultrasound tomorrow, everything will be clearer.

- @anjelika2015, good luck!!!

- @anjelika2015, are you 5 weeks from the date of transfer? But the egg itself is older, so +2 weeks somewhere. Then the heartbeat should be heard.

The fifth or sixth obstetric, depending on when your period was. Focus only on the obstetric period. What does the reproductive specialist say?

- @mango7 ultrasound tomorrow, my doctor is on vacation.

- @anjelika2015, ultrasound with a reproductive specialist? Why not contact yours at all? I had a phone number.

- @mango7 yes, she has some kind of super device there to see everything.

- @anjelika2015, you urgently need to see a doctor with a growth graph, show him, let him decide how to help, an injection or what🙏🏻or let him say that this is the norm!

- @olga75777 I’m going for an ultrasound tomorrow

Give hCG injections

- @babyboom01 wrote to the doctor, I’m waiting for an answer, as luck would have it, she’s on vacation. Have an ultrasound tomorrow. what dosage is needed?

- @anjelika2015 oh, I can’t tell you... they calculate everything according to deadlines, you’re better off going to the doctors!😐🙏

HCG 500 injections were prescribed for detachment and duf 3 times a day for 7 weeks

- @zvezda098 was this prescribed to you after the ultrasound?

- @anjelika2015 according to the ultrasound there was a detachment and tone, the doctor prescribed papaverine at night, she told me not to drink noshpu

- @zvezda098 I have no tone, I also had an ultrasound last week. My hCG is not rising well.

- @anjelika2015 injections can also be prescribed in this case to help gain a foothold. Have you taken progesterone before?

- @zvezda098 yes, my hormones were all normal. Now I drink Duphaston and Folio.

Detachment can occur from a lack of progic, so I prescribed it. Before pregnancy, I took a progym test and was at the lower limit of normal, so I’ve been on dufe since January in phase 2 of the cycle.

- @anjelika2015 are you after Eco? talk to a fertility specialist to switch to vaginal progesterone: utrozhestan, projesan, etc. it is more effective in eco-pregnancies. but in general, you receive good support; do not make any prescriptions for yourself without a doctor and an ultrasound scan. Believe in your baby, everything will be fine, after the transfer I didn’t test hCG in dynamics at all, only once at 11 dpp.

- @devochki yes, I really believe in my baby and today I heard his heart on the ultrasound, I almost went crazy with joy 🙏

When a woman’s period is late, the first thing she thinks about is pregnancy.

An analysis of a blood sample for the content of human chorionic gonadotropin helps to accurately determine whether conception has occurred or not.

However, pregnancy does not always develop normally. Therefore, it is very important to clear all doubts. However, ultrasound is not always able to recognize the fertilized egg in the uterine cavity.

It happens that the egg is simply not visible - a common situation in the early stages, or an intrauterine pregnancy is mistakenly diagnosed, and the fetus is actually absent.

Such diagnoses can be confirmed or refuted by a blood test for hCG. How does the course of pregnancy affect the concentration of the hormone and is it possible to promptly detect a disruption in the process based on its changes?

Immediately after conception, hCG begins to be produced.

The hormone consists of 2 subunits - proteins α and β. Alpha-hCG is in demand for the production of other hormones and is present in minimal quantities in the body of every person.

If the process proceeds correctly, a significant amount of protein is produced already on the 5-7th day. The maximum value, up to 200 mIU/ml, is reached by the end of the first trimester.

Human chorionic gonadotropin plays an important role in ovulation and the subsequent production of corpus luteum. Thanks to the hormone, an increase occurs after fertilization and stimulation until the placenta takes over its production.

The tasks of hCG include maintaining immunity and creating conditions that prevent the mother’s body from rejecting the embryo.

In addition, the hormone stimulates the functionality of cells that produce testosterone, which ensures the normal formation of the male reproductive system.

How does the concentration of hCG change?

However, you should not rely only on determining the hormone indicator, since its scatter is significant. That is why it is recommended to use 2 methods in diagnosis.

Ultrasound does not always show an ectopic pregnancy, but it confirms the absence of a normal one.

The combination of a negative ultrasound result with a slow increase in the concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin makes it possible to timely identify pathology and take measures to reduce the risk of fallopian tube rupture.

What reasons can lead to a decreased reading of hCG growth?

Low hCG levels can result in more than just ectopic pregnancy. The reasons causing slow growth of the hormone include:

• Irregularity of the menstrual cycle.

The inability to accurately determine the date of fertilization often leads to incorrect diagnosis of timing. As observation progresses, the error is corrected.

• Threat of spontaneous miscarriage.

The threat of interruption or placental abruption provokes a decrease in the indicator by 50% below normal.

• Frozen pregnancy.

Accompanied by cessation of hCG production. Therefore, its level gradually decreases.

• Placental chronic insufficiency.

It develops due to the lack of normal blood supply to the fetus and causes hCG deficiency.

• Early analysis.

The concentration of the substance has not yet reached the required limit.

In any case, a decrease in hormone levels is an indication for a thorough examination. To ensure the healthy development of the fetus and reduce the risk of rupture of the fallopian tube, it is recommended not to neglect the appointments of the obstetrician and undergo examinations on time.