Which hormone indicates pregnancy

Pregnancy hormones: progesterone, oestrogen and the mood swings | Pregnancy articles & support

If your body and your mind feel all over the place right now, the main culprit is your pregnancy hormones. Here’s what you need to know.

If you’ve been wondering why pregnancy has sent you into daily crying fits or rages, then we have one word for you: hormones. Yet as well as affecting your mood, these super-powerful hormones can also affect:

growth and development
metabolism
sexual function
reproduction.

(MedlinePlus, 2016)

Yep, when you’re pregnant, hormones play a massive role (Kumar and Magon, 2012). They can influence things like the way you now sob at an episode of EastEnders. They also explain why everyone says you are ‘glowing’ and why your nails have grown properly for the first time since you were eleven.

They also help your growing baby develop and make a difference physically, with certain hormones relaxing your ligaments ready for labour. That might mean you find yourself getting more injuries or niggles in the body when you exercise while you’re pregnant too (Healthline, 2017).

Hormones may also have you leaping on your partner at certain points in your pregnancy, and horrified by the idea of sex at others.

Progesterone, oestrogen and other hormones in pregnancy

The most important hormones at play when you’re pregnant are as follows.

Oestrogen

Oestrogen is produced in early pregnancy to support your baby until the placenta takes over. Oestrogen helps the development of your baby’s organs and the correct function of the placenta. Yet it may also cause nausea and make ligaments softer, putting pressure on your lower back and pelvis (NHS, 2018).

Later in pregnancy, oestrogen helps to prepare your body for breastfeeding (if you choose to do so). It also enables your uterus to respond to oxytocin in labour (Society for Endocrinology, 2018).

Progesterone

Progesterone is produced in early pregnancy to support your baby until the placenta takes over. Progesterone causes an increase in blood flow to the womb. It might also be the one responsible for that pesky heartburn as well as vomiting, reflux, gas and constipation (Society for Endocrinology, 2018).

Later on it can help with your baby’s development. It’ll prevent you from producing milk until your baby’s born and will strengthen your pelvic floor muscles ready for labour (Society for Endocrinology, 2018).

Oxytocin

Oxytocin eases the pain during labour, and encourages the cervix to open as well as helping with your lochia (bleeding after birth). Oxytocin also plays a major role in milk production and bonding (Society for Endocrinology, 2018).

Prolactin

Similar to oxytocin, prolactin helps with bonding (Society for Endocrinology, 2018).

Relaxin

This is the hormone that makes your ligaments softer and means you need to adjust certain types of exercise so you don’t get an injury. Relaxin helps in labour, as it softens and lengthens the cervix as well as your pelvic area (Society for Endocrinology, 2018).

Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)

HCG is released into your bloodstream when you get pregnant to support you and your baby. It’s often an indicator of pregnancy in over-the-counter tests as well (Society for Endocrinology, 2018).

Human placental lactogen (hPL)

The hormone hPL helps your baby to get the nutrients they need while you’re pregnant (Society for Endocrinology, 2018).

Prostaglandins

Prostaglandins help to get the cervix ready for labour (Society for Endocrinology, 2018).

Hormones and emotions during pregnancy

While it can be a happy time in many ways, you’re likely to feel emotionally vulnerable and down at times during your pregnancy. No matter how excited you are that you’re having a baby.

If you think you’re feeling down or anxious a lot, speak to your GP, midwife and someone close to you (Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 2015). Feeling this way during pregnancy can also increase the chances of postnatal depression later down the line, so it’s good to flag it now.

This page was last reviewed in July 2018.

Further information

Our support line offers practical and emotional support with feeding your baby and general enquiries for parents, members and volunteers: 0300 330 0700.

We also offer antenatal courses which are a great way to find out more about birth, labour and life with a new baby.

Pregnancy test: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

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A pregnancy test measures a hormone in the body called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). HCG is a hormone produced during pregnancy. It appears in the blood and urine of pregnant women as early as 10 days after conception.

A pregnancy test is done using blood or urine. There are 2 types of blood tests:

Qualitative, which measures whether the HCG hormone is present
Quantitative, which measures how much HCG is present

The blood test is done by drawing a single tube of blood and sending it to a laboratory. You may wait anywhere from a few hours to more than a day to get the results.

The urine HCG test is most often performed by placing a drop of urine on a prepared chemical strip. It takes 1 to 2 minutes for a result.

For the urine test, you urinate into a cup.

For the blood test, the health care provider uses a needle and syringe to draw blood from your vein into a tube. Any discomfort you might feel from the blood draw will only last a few seconds.

For the urine test, you urinate into a cup.

For the blood test, the provider uses a needle and syringe to draw blood from your vein into a tube. Any discomfort you might feel from the blood draw will only last a few seconds.

This test is done to:

Determine if you are pregnant
Diagnose abnormal conditions that can raise HCG levels
Watch the development of the pregnancy during the first 2 months (quantitative test only)

HCG level rises rapidly during the first trimester of pregnancy and then slightly declines.

HCG level should almost double every 48 hours in the beginning of a pregnancy. HCG level that does not rise appropriately may indicate a problem with your pregnancy. Problems related to an abnormal rising HCG level include miscarriage and ectopic (tubal) pregnancy.

An extremely high level of HCG may suggest a molar pregnancy or more than one fetus, for example, twins.

Your provider will discuss the meaning of your HCG level with you.

Urine pregnancy tests will only be positive when you have enough HCG in your blood. Most over-the-counter home pregnancy tests will not show that you are pregnant until your expected menstrual cycle is late. Testing before this will often give an inaccurate result. The HCG level is higher if your urine is more concentrated. A good time to test is when you first get up in the morning.

If you think you are pregnant, repeat the pregnancy test at home or at your provider's office.

Pregnancy test

Jeelani R, Bluth MH. Reproductive function and pregnancy. In: McPherson RA, Pincus MR, eds. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 23rd ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2017:chap 25.

Warner EA, Herold AH. Interpreting laboratory tests. In: Rakel RE, Rakel DP, eds. Textbook of Family Medicine. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2016:chap 14.

Updated by: LaQuita Martinez, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Emory Johns Creek Hospital, Alpharetta, GA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

Blood test for pregnancy in the early stages - why you need and how to donate blood

Blood test for pregnancy is a procedure that is necessary to identify existing pathologies. It also allows you to determine the very presence of pregnancy, since it detects the presence in the blood of a woman of a hormone called "chorionic gonadotropin" (hCG).

In a situation where conception has not occurred, this substance is not produced in the patient's body, since its appearance is associated with the formation of the chorion. This is the tissue that occurs between the endometrium and the zygote after the attachment of a fertilized egg to the wall of the uterus.

Reasons for testing

A blood test can show pregnancy as early as six days after a successful conception. Whereas a standard pregnancy test in some cases can give incorrect results. Therefore, tests during pregnancy are prescribed to determine such conditions as:

Establishment of the actual fact of conception
Assessment of hormonal background for failures
Tracking abnormal pregnancy types:

Frozen - in this case, at a certain stage, the embryo stops its development
Ectopic - in this situation, the zygote is not attached to the wall of the uterus, but in the fallopian tube

Also, a blood test shows the presence of infections, other types of body dysfunctions and diseases such as:

Cytomegalovirus
Diphtheria
Tetanus
Herpes
Chlamydia
Hepatitis
Ureaplasmosis
HIV
Mycoplasmosis
Syphilis
Leptospirosis
Chlamydia

Any of these diseases is a danger not only to the body of the woman herself, but also to her unborn child. Therefore, if there are deviations in the results of the blood test, the doctor sends the patient for an additional examination.

Changes in hCG during pregnancy

After the physical onset of conception, the level of hCG in the female body begins to rise, and every two to three days its concentration almost doubles. It reaches its highest level at 8-11 weeks, and then it begins to gradually decrease.

The first analysis can be taken on the 6th day of the expected delay, but the result will be more accurate on the 11-12th day. Therefore, doctors recommend undergoing a blood test two to three times (every two days later).

Monitoring the level of hCG allows you to monitor the dynamics of pregnancy, the appearance of pathologies, etc.:

In ectopic pregnancy, the level of the hormone practically does not increase
If the development of the embryo has stopped, then the level of hCG drops from the moment of its death

Usually the result of the analysis is compared with a special table. In the first or second weeks, the concentration of hCG can range from 25 to 700 units, at the peak of the value it can reach 18,000–240,000 units, and at the end of the gestational age - 2,179-60,000 units.

After establishing the fact of conception, the doctor refers the patient to other blood tests:

General
Biochemical
For clotting
For hepatitis and HIV
For TORCH infections
For genetic pathologies
For Rh factor and blood group (if not previously determined)
For the content of hormones produced by the thyroid gland
Antiphospholipid syndrome
For STDs

Causes of deviation from the norm of the hormone hCG

Normally, after the onset of pregnancy, the level of human chorionic gonadotropin should gradually increase. If it decreases, then the doctor may assume the presence of such problems as:

In the early stages:

Fetal death
Probability of spontaneous termination of pregnancy
Missing embryo in ovum

Late term:

Placental abruption

In some cases, a low level of hCG may be associated with an incorrectly calculated gestational age. Therefore, in order to determine the exact cause of low hormone levels, early pregnancy tests are usually performed, as well as several types of other examinations.

Causes of an increase in hCG levels

In the results of blood tests, the level of hCG can be seriously higher than normal for the following reasons:

Presence of toxicosis
More than one fetus
Occurrence of hydatidiform mole
Presence of genetic problems
Complication due to diabetes mellitus

The level of human chorionic gonadotropin can be increased not only due to pregnancy, but also due to some abnormalities:

Extremely high hCG levels due to hormonal drugs
The presence of a malignant neoplasm in various organs (kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, uterus, lungs, etc.)
Preservation of an unstable hormonal background as a result of an abortion

In rare cases, in the presence of serious hormonal disorders, men can also be found to have elevated levels of hCG.

Preparation for procedure

The following preparations are required before taking hCG tests for pregnant women:

Fasting for 7-8 hours before the procedure
Limiting the intake of any liquid a few hours before the examination

Also tell your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Statistics show that the highest concentration of hCG in the blood is observed in the first half of the day, so the doctor usually prescribes such an analysis in the morning.

If the recommendations are not followed, the study may show an unreliable result, so additional procedures will have to be carried out.

How blood sampling is performed

Blood tests for pregnant women are taken from a vein in the area located on the inside of the arm at the elbow. The procedure is as follows:

The patient sits on a couch or chair and exposes her left or right arm
Medic applying a tourniquet above the elbow
After that, the woman performs several clenching of the palm into a fist
The doctor lubricates the area of the future puncture with a disinfectant
He then inserts the needle into the vein and fills the syringe (about 10 ml of blood is needed for the test)
After that, the tourniquet is removed, and a cotton swab is applied to the puncture area, which the patient must hold with her arm bent at the elbow (this helps to stop the release of fluid from the wound)

After these manipulations, the blood in the test tube is sent to the laboratory for analysis. The results of the analysis can be transferred directly to the attending physician, or issued to the patient. A woman can independently compare these indicators with the values in the tables, but it is recommended to entrust this process to professionals.

Advantages of the procedure at MEDSI

Highly qualified doctors work in the clinics, who not only develop comprehensive examination and treatment programs, but also help to properly prepare for childbirth in case of pregnancy
Special consultation mechanisms have been established for prospective parents
Clinics have their own laboratory for receiving and checking tests, which allows you to get an accurate result in the shortest possible time
For examinations and therapy, modern devices from leading manufacturers from countries such as Japan, USA, Germany, etc. are used.
Originator drugs (not generics) are used

To make an appointment, call 8 (495) 7-800-500 or contact one of the many registries located in Moscow, the region and regions of the Russian Federation.

Do not delay treatment, see a doctor now:

Pregnancy test
Gynecological appointment
Planning and management of pregnancy
Reproductive health

what shows the norm during pregnancy, how and when to take, transcript

June 2, 2020

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Contents

What is HCG?

The role of the hormone in the diagnosis of pregnancy

When should I donate blood for hCG?

How to prepare for the analysis?

HCG test interpretation

How accurate is the hCG test?

An hCG blood test is one of the most important tools for monitoring a developing pregnancy.

What is HCG?

An hCG blood test is a reliable way to determine pregnancy in the early stages. HCG is a protein consisting of two units. Alpha particles of the hormone are similar to biologically active substances secreted by the pituitary gland. Beta particles are unique. The mass of the CG molecule is approximately 46 kDa. During pregnancy, glycoprotein is synthesized in the placenta. The biological properties of CG are in many ways similar to the properties of other hormones: luteinizing and follicle-stimulating. In some malignant diseases, hCG begins to produce tumor cells. In a non-pregnant woman and a healthy man, the hormone is practically absent in blood tests.

In obstetrics and gynecology, the test for b hCG, along with ultrasound, is used to monitor pregnancy throughout the entire period. Deviations in the readings of the analysis are the basis for further examination and require the consultation of a geneticist. An artificial increase in the level of hCG is used in the IVF process. As a result of injections of hCG in women, the maturation and release of the egg is stimulated, the production of estrogen and progesterone increases. In men, the introduction of exogenous hCG activates the growth of the number of spermatozoa.

It is proved that the substance also has the properties of corticotropic hormone. HCG has an effect on the adrenal glands, stimulating the synthesis of steroids in their cortex. Thus, he is involved in preparing the body of a pregnant woman for the upcoming physiological stress. Since the fetus is perceived as foreign by the mother's body, some immunosuppressive influence of hormones, including hCG, is required for its normal development.

HCG promotes the maturation of placental tissues. Thanks to him and other hormones, its functional activity increases and the number of chorionic villi increases.

Without the hormone, the normal development of the embryo is not possible. HCG ensures the production of estrogens and progesterone, and also maintains their balance in the body of the expectant mother. Therefore, any pregnancy support program always contains regular tests for hCG levels.

Urinalysis for hCG (beta particles)

Compared to blood, expectant mother's urine contains less of the hormone. Therefore, determining the concentration of a substance in the urine can diagnose pregnancy only from a period of 8-10 days. Like a laboratory study, pharmacy tests are also based on the determination of hCG in the urine. Home tests have a lower threshold of sensitivity than laboratory tests, and, accordingly, a lower degree of reliability. Their positive result requires a visit to an obstetrician-gynecologist to confirm a normal pregnancy.

Free hCG assay (beta-hCG subunit)

The range of application of this test is quite wide. In oncology, it is in demand as a marker of malignant tumors. Measurement of the number of independent particles of hCG in the blood is informative in relation to testicular cancer in men. In addition, this indicator is important in the diagnosis of trophoblastic tumors in women. It is included in 1 and 2 pregnancy screenings. The study helps to assess the risk of such congenital fetal pathologies as Down syndrome and Edwards syndrome.

The role of the hormone in the diagnosis of pregnancy

An analysis of the amount of total hCG occupies a special place in confirming pregnancy in the early stages. This is due to the fact that the hormone begins to be actively released already a few days after the attachment of the fetal egg to the wall of the uterus. With the normal development of the embryo, the level of the substance doubles every 1.5-2 days. By the tenth week, the amount of hCG in a woman's tests can reach maximum values - up to 225,000 mU / ml.

Simultaneously with the blood for total hCG, other examinations are prescribed for the pregnant woman. So the patient should visit the ultrasound scanning room at least three times. Within nine months, several studies may be required. Comprehensive screenings of the 1st and 2nd trimesters also include an hCG test.

When to donate blood for hCG

A blood test for the hormone is given as needed. The hCG test is prescribed for the first time directly during the diagnosis of pregnancy itself. The second is as part of screening with ultrasound and other tests. Screening is designed to identify a risk group for congenital fetal pathologies among pregnant women.

Approximate dates of studies on hCG:

confirmation of pregnancy - from the 6th day after conception;
first - from 11 to 13 weeks;
second from 19 to 23 weeks;
3rd trimester screening is done after 28 weeks of gestation.

How to prepare for a blood test

Preparing for an hCG test involves a number of standard requirements for hormone testing. The analysis is given on an empty stomach, after an overnight fast in the morning or afternoon. You should come to the treatment room in good health. In order for the results of the hCG test to be as reliable as possible, it is recommended in 2-3 days: