The Numbers Game: HcG Levels During Pregnancy

One of the first "buzzwords" I learned after passing the pregnancy test was "HcG".

According to the American Pregnancy Association, "The hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (better known as hCG) ... is made by cells that form 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. In general 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."

Essentially, HcG levels are the one foolproof way to tell that you're pregnant before any symptoms arise. 

The whole thing about levels doubling is open to interpretation. Every pregnancy is different and some women have lower or higher levels than others. If your numbers go up very slowly, it could be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy. If they go up very quickly, it could be a sign of a molar pregnancy, or that you're carrying multiples!

Nevertheless, HcG levels are only indicators and not perfect science by any means. After my miscarriage, my HcG levels were actually fluctuating a bit, rather than dropping, so finally the doctor recommended a urine test instead of blood, and my urine had no signs of HcG, leading the doctor to believe that I had some sort of "Phantom HcG" hanging out in my bloodstream. It made no sense to me then, either. 

Some doctors don't even test for HcG to begin with unless you are considered high-risk, following multiple miscarriages or other pregnancy complications. Every situation is different, so while this information is by no means the end-all-be-all, if you are getting tested for HcG, below is a chart for what levels generally look like in various stages of pregnancy. The key word is "generally." Also, you'll see there is an enormous range for each, furthering the point that this, as with most other pregnancy concerns, is also not a perfect science. It's easy to want to latch onto HcG numbers because it's one of the only concrete things you can "see" in the early weeks of pregnancy, but try to take these in stride. The numbers - and more importantly - their rate of change serve as indicators in early pregnancy, but no matter what the numbers show, you'll need more information before any sound conclusions can be drawn.

hCG levels in weeks from LMP (gestational age)* :

• 3 weeks LMP: 5 – 50 mIU/ml
• 4 weeks LMP: 5 – 426 mIU/ml
• 5 weeks LMP: 18 – 7,340 mIU/ml
• 6 weeks LMP: 1,080 – 56,500 mIU/ml
• 7 – 8 weeks LMP: 7, 650 – 229,000 mIU/ml
• 9 – 12 weeks LMP: 25,700 – 288,000 mIU/ml
• 13 – 16 weeks LMP: 13,300 – 254,000 mIU/ml
• 17 – 24 weeks LMP: 4,060 – 165,400 mIU/ml
• 25 – 40 weeks LMP: 3,640 – 117,000 mIU/ml
• Non-pregnant females: <5.0 mIU/ml
• Postmenopausal females: <9.5 mIU/ml

* 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.

Source: American Pregnancy Association