One important hormone produced during pregnancy is human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). As the pregnancy goes on, the body produces more of it, which is crucial for preserving and promoting the early phases of fetal development. Monitoring HCG levels can reveal important details about the condition and development of a pregnancy.
Particularly after ovulation, many women are interested in learning how their HCG levels fluctuate on particular days of their cycle. These levels can be closely monitored to give you an idea of how the pregnancy is doing. You can see what to expect day by day with this article’s table, which displays the expected HCG levels starting on day 24 of the cycle.
This guide can help you confidently track your HCG levels whether you’re trying to learn more about the early stages of pregnancy or are a first-time mother.
- When to take an HCG test
- HCG growth by weeks of pregnancy
- HCG level by day (table)
- HCG during pregnancy: determining the term
- Video on the topic
- Low hCG levels during pregnancy, what to be afraid of
- Beginning of pregnancy. Progesterone 79.5 nmol\l on the 32nd day of the cycle and hCG 4010 on the 34th day is normal?
- HCG during pregnancy. How to determine the pregnancy period?
- HCG fluctuations and the norm by ultrasound -@DrOlenaB
- Low hCG and PAPP-A on biochemical screening with good NIPT. What to do?
When to take an HCG test
HCG is determined in the blood (and urine) of a pregnant woman on the 6-9th day after conception, i. e. After ovulation. If you keep a basal temperature chart, then you know that ovulation occurs approximately in the middle of the cycle. Days after ovulation are called DPO (day after ovulation) for short. At the moment of ovulation, the egg is fertilized by a sperm. But there is no hCG at this point yet. Because the small embryo is not yet connected to the mother"s body and is "in free flight" in the fallopian tubes. From here it begins to move towards the uterus. This journey lasts from 6 to 9 days. After entering the uterus, the embryo attaches to its wall (implantation occurs). And only after attachment does it begin to produce hCG. Therefore, taking an hCG test only makes sense 7-8 days after ovulation. This is the earliest period. If the cycle lasts 28 days, and ovulation occurred on the 14th day, then you can take an hCG test starting from the 22nd day of the cycle or on the 9th day after ovulation. And this is only for the very impatient. In half of the cases, on the 22nd day of the cycle, the test may not show anything at all. But this will not indicate the absence of pregnancy. It may be, the embryo has simply not yet implanted in the uterus. The most reliable days for taking hCG are approximately 11 days after conception (ovulation). To test for the hCG hormone, blood is taken from a vein. Some laboratories in the rules for taking the test indicate the condition: strictly on an empty stomach. But in reality, eating does not affect the hCG level. Pregnancy does not disappear if you had breakfast. To monitor the dynamics of hCG, you need to take the test in the same laboratory and preferably at the same time of day. And what is the dynamics of hCG and why is it important?
Monitoring the daily levels of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) can provide valuable information about the development of the first trimester of pregnancy and help to ensure that it is proceeding as planned. For those who are keeping an eye on their hCG levels at home or with a doctor, this article offers a simple-to-read table of expected levels beginning on the 24th day of the menstrual cycle. In the early stages of pregnancy, knowing these values can help reassure and lessen uncertainty.
HCG growth by weeks of pregnancy
- From 0 to 1200 mIU/ml hCG doubles on average every 48 hours.
- From 1200 to 6000 mIU/ml hCG doubles every 48-72 hours.
- After 6000 mIU/ml, hCG doubles on average every 72-96 hours.
- The maximum concentration of hCG is achieved in pregnant women at 8-10 weeks. Then hCG begins to gradually decrease and the entire second trimester of pregnancy stays at about the same level.
The hCG should double every 48 hours in the early stages of pregnancy, so you can fairly accurately calculate the gestational age.
Naturally, during the initial days, your focus is on day-specific norms rather than weekly norms.
HCG level by day (table)
Standards for HCG hormone levels differ amongst labs. As a result, there are a ton of different hCG tables available online that vary from one another.
However, hCG levels by day can generally be summed up in a single general table. Based on the observation that ovulation took place on the fourteenth day of the cycle, the computation was made.
- in the first column you see the day of the cycle (DC). This column does not play any role if you know the date of ovulation. In this case, look at the DPO (day after ovulation).
- in the second column you see the obstetric gestational age, which corresponds to this hCG level. The term is given in weeks and days.
- in the third column you will find the day after ovulation (DPO).
- the fourth and fifth columns include the average hCG level in mIU/ml, as well as the range norms
- in the last column of the table there is a note on what day the pregnancy test will be positive, as well as what results can be expected on the ultrasound.
Now, where did this table come from? We assembled it using a variety of sources:
- research on the level of hCG
- hCG norms in various laboratories and clinics
- many years of experience from our site about pregnancy planning
- secret page.
This page is what kind is it? The website BetaBase gathers hCG indicators throughout pregnancy and offers this data as a free service. This database currently includes data from over 150.000 pregnancies! To see the hCG values for singleton, twin, and even triplet pregnancies by day of DPO, click "Beta Charts."
HCG during pregnancy: determining the term
You can roughly see the obstetric period of pregnancy based on the hCG results. Please be aware that the pregnancy term is determined by ultrasound results beginning in the seventh week of pregnancy, or from the term of 6+0 weeks. At this point, hCG is no longer decisive—rather, it’s just an ancillary and useful analysis!
It is not serious to make any diagnoses or conclusions based solely on an hCG test. Retaking the analysis is required if the obtained hCG result significantly deviates from the average range in any direction. After that, examine the dynamics of the development of hCG.
You can donate blood for progesterone in addition to the hCG blood test. This will assist in quickly identifying any deficiencies in the second phase, if any exist. In this instance, in order to keep the pregnancy going, you must begin progesterone support immediately.
An ultrasound will show the fertilized egg around week six of pregnancy (obstetric period starting at 5+0). The size of the fertilized egg—rather than hCG—determines the pregnancy period if it can be seen.
Day of Cycle | Expected HCG Level (mIU/mL) |
24 | 0-5 |
25 | 0-5 |
26 | 1-10 |
27 | 2-25 |
28 | 4-50 |
29 | 10-100 |
30 | 15-150 |
31 | 20-200 |
Monitoring HCG levels day-by-day can provide important information about the development of early pregnancy. Being aware of how HCG rises on the 24th day of the cycle gives expectant mothers peace of mind and confidence during this critical period.
You can compare your own levels to the standard HCG ranges by using the table that is provided. It’s crucial to keep in mind that each pregnancy is different and that small fluctuations in HCG levels can occur.
Never hesitate to contact your healthcare provider if you have questions or concerns regarding your HCG readings. They can offer tailored guidance and guarantee that everything is moving along without hiccups.