The Masterpiece Mom

Home » Misc » What does pregnancy ranges mean

What does pregnancy ranges mean


hCG Levels | The American Pregnancy Association

HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) is often called the pregnancy hormone because it is made by cells formed in 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.

Typically, 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.

  1. As you get further along in pregnancy and the hCG level gets higher, the time it takes to double can increase to about every 96 hours.
  2. Caution must be used in making too much of hCG numbers. A normal pregnancy may have low hCG levels and result in a perfectly healthy baby. The results from an ultrasound after 5 -6 weeks gestation are much more accurate than using hCG numbers.
  3. An hCG level of less than 5 mIU/mL is considered negative for pregnancy, and anything above 25 mIU/mL is considered positive for pregnancy.
  4. An hCG level between 6 and 24 mIU/mL is considered a grey area, and you’ll likely need to be retested to see if your levels rise to confirm a pregnancy.
  5. The hCG hormone is measured in milli-international units per milliliter (mIU/mL).
  6. A transvaginal ultrasound should be able to show at least a gestational sac once the hCG levels have reached between 1,000 – 2,000 mIU/mL. Because levels can differentiate so much and conception dating can be wrong, a diagnosis should not be made by ultrasound findings until the hCG level has reached at least 2,000 mIU/mL.
  7. A single reading is not enough information for most diagnoses. When there is a question regarding the health of the pregnancy, multiple testings of hCG done a couple of days apart give a more accurate assessment of the situation.
  8. The hCG levels should not be used to date a pregnancy since these numbers can vary so widely.
  9. There are two common types of hCG tests. A qualitative test detects if hCG is present in the blood. A quantitative test (or beta) measures the amount of hCG actually present in the blood.

Guideline to hCG levels in weeks during pregnancy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* These numbers are just a guideline – every woman’s level of hCG can rise differently. It is not necessarily the level that matters, but rather the change in the level.

What Does a Low hCG Level Mean?

A low hCG level can mean any number of things and should be rechecked within 48-72 hours to see how the level is changing. A low level can indicate:

  • Miscalculation of pregnancy dating
  • Possible miscarriage or blighted ovum
  • Ectopic pregnancy

Is a High hCG Level a Bad Thing?

A high level of hCG can also mean a number of things and should be rechecked within 48-72 hours to evaluate changes in the level.  A high level can indicate:

  • Miscalculation of pregnancy dating
  • Molar pregnancy
  • Multiple pregnancies

Should I Check My hCG level Regularly?

It’s not common for doctors to routinely check your hCG levels unless you are showing signs of a potential problem.
A health care provider may recheck your levels if you are bleeding, experiencing severe cramping, or have a history of miscarriage.

What Can I Expect After a Pregnancy Loss?

Most women can expect their levels to return to a non-pregnant range about 4 – 6 weeks after a pregnancy loss has occurred.
This can differentiate by how the loss occurred (spontaneous miscarriage, D & C procedure, abortion, natural delivery) and how high the levels were at the time of the loss.
Healthcare providers usually will continue to test hCG levels after a pregnancy loss to ensure they return back to <5.0.

What Can Interfere With My hCG Levels?

If you get a positive test result, you are most likely pregnant. False positives are extremely rare. However, there are some conditions that may cause a false positive, such as certain types of cancer and early miscarriage. Some antibodies may also interfere with test results.

Medications that contain hCG may interfere with hCG levels, as well.

These medications are often used infertility treatments, and your health care provider should advise you on how they may affect a test.

All other medications such as antibiotics, pain relievers, contraception or other hormone medications should not have any effect on a test that measures hCG.

 

Want to Know More?
  • Pregnancy Calculator
  • Calculating Gestation Age
  • Concerns Regarding Early Fetal Development

Compiled using information from the following sources:

1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration

www.fda.gov

2. Bashir, I; Ihenetu, K; Miller, J.J.; Gim, M.; Lippmann, S. A Positive Pregnancy Test in the Post-Menopausal Psychiatric Patient — What to Think? Psychiatry (Edgemont). Feb. 2006.

hCG levels | Pregnancy Birth and Baby

hCG levels | Pregnancy Birth and Baby beginning of content

3-minute read

Listen

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone normally produced by the placenta. If you are pregnant, you can detect it in your urine. Blood tests measuring hCG levels can also be used to check how well your pregnancy is progressing.

Confirming pregnancy

After you conceive (when the sperm fertilises the egg), the developing placenta begins to produce and release hCG.

It takes about 2 weeks for your hCG levels to be high enough to be detected in your urine using a home pregnancy test.

A positive home test result is almost certainly correct, but a negative result is less reliable.

If you do a pregnancy test on the first day after your missed period, and it’s negative, wait about a week. If you still think you might be pregnant, do the test again or see your doctor.

hCG blood levels by week

If your doctor needs more information about your hCG levels, they may order a blood test. Low levels of hCG may be detected in your blood around 8 to 11 days after conception. hCG levels are highest towards the end of the first trimester, then gradually decline over the rest of your pregnancy.

The average levels of hCG in a pregnant woman’s blood are:

  • 3 weeks: 6 – 70 IU/L
  • 4 weeks: 10 - 750 IU/L
  • 5 weeks: 200 - 7,100 IU/L
  • 6 weeks: 160 - 32,000 IU/L
  • 7 weeks: 3,700 - 160,000 IU/L
  • 8 weeks: 32,000 - 150,000 IU/L
  • 9 weeks: 64,000 - 150,000 IU/L
  • 10 weeks: 47,000 - 190,000 IU/L
  • 12 weeks: 28,000 - 210,000 IU/L
  • 14 weeks: 14,000 - 63,000 IU/L
  • 15 weeks: 12,000 - 71,000 IU/L
  • 16 weeks: 9,000 - 56,000 IU/L
  • 16 - 29 weeks (second trimester): 1,400 - 53,000 IUL
  • 29 - 41 weeks (third trimester): 940 - 60,000 IU/L

The amount of hCG in your blood can give some information about your pregnancy and the health of your baby.

  • Higher than expected levels: you may have multiple pregnancies (for example, twins and triplets) or an abnormal growth in the uterus
  • Your hCG levels are falling: you may be having a loss of pregnancy (miscarriage) or risk of miscarriage
  • Levels that are rising more slowly than expected: you may have an ectopic pregnancy – where the fertilised egg implants in the fallopian tube

hCG levels and multiple pregnancies

One of the ways of diagnosing a multiple pregnancy is by your hCG levels. A high level may indicate you are carrying multiple babies, but it can also be caused by other factors. You will need an ultrasound to confirm that it’s twins or more.

Levels of hCG in your blood don’t provide a diagnosis of anything. They can only suggest that there are issues to look into.

If you have any concerns about your hCG levels, or wish to know more, speak to your doctor or maternity healthcare professional. You can also call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby to speak to a maternal child health nurse on 1800 882 436.

Sources:
NSW Government Health Pathology (hCG factsheet), Lab Tests Online (Human chorionic gonadotropin), UNSW Embryology (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin), Elsevier Patient Education (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin test), SydPath (hCG (human Chorionic Gonadotrophin)

Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.

Last reviewed: December 2020


Back To Top

Related pages

  • Due date calculator
  • Pregnancy tests
  • Early signs of pregnancy

Need more information?

Human chorionic gonadotropin - Pathology Tests Explained

Why and when to get tested for hCG