Many girls, sitting in front of the office of an obstetrician-gynecologist, are reviewing their pregnancy history. It is almost all glued with the results of urine and blood tests. Everyone wants to understand if everything is normal with the baby? But, alas, all the hieroglyphs, numbers, abbreviations cannot be made out to a simple person. Flipping through the story, almost everyone pays attention to the abbreviation HCG. For many, these letters are of interest. And this is just a hormone that shows pregnancy by week.
What does hCG stand for?
After detecting the delay, many girls go to take tests to determine the level of hCG hormone in the blood. Analysis will show changes even with a delay of just one to two days. HCG is a glycoprotein consisting of alpha (denoted by TSH, FSH, LH) and beta (hCG).
Doctors use the beta subunit test to determine hormone levels. A pregnancy test also contains this unit, but it is so small that it reacts to a pregnancy after 4–5 weeks.
For convenient use, there is an hCG table by day. It shows the age of the embryo in relation to the level of the hormone.
To make sure that the pregnancy is proceeding normally, it is necessary to take tests several times, and the level of hCG should not exceed 2000 mU / ml. Do not forget that one analysis does not determine pregnancy to the nearest week.
Normal hCG during pregnancy
If the level of hCG (a table by week is presented below) shows less than 25 mU / ml, then it is necessary to re-do the tests. It is better to do this in about 3 days.
The hCG table by week of pregnancy in different medical centers has a slight difference. Most doctors use an average value.
The spread in the norms is quite large. The hCG chart by week of pregnancy will relieve panic of women who, in their analyzes, found deviations in either direction. The table will help determine the level of the hormone from the moment of conception. To do this, subtract two from the order of the obstetric week. For example, the hormone at the 10th obstetric week corresponds to the 8th week from the moment of conception. The hCG table below will be a guideline for women. However, remember that the final word remains with your doctor.
What affects the change in the hCG hormone
The hCG growth rate during pregnancy signals to doctors about normal development or lagging behind the norm of development. As a rule, at the 14–18th week, doctors prescribe a second hormone test for reinsurance. Since at this time, the indicator may indicate the development of pathology in the fetus.
In some cases, determining pregnancy, a test strip, ultrasound and even a blood test may be wrong. Quite often, hCG (table and its unit of measurement) shows a positive result, but there is no pregnancy. This result is influenced by many factors:
- taking hormonal drugs;
- a recent abortion or childbirth (in this case, the hormone level may not yet stabilize);
- the presence of a tumor from chorionic embryonic villi;
- abnormal pregnancy.
With an increased level of hCG hormone that does not correspond to the weeks of pregnancy, the reason may be this:
- the gestational age does not correspond to the date of conception proposed by the doctor;
- multiple pregnancy;
- the initial stages of pregnancy are accompanied by severe toxicosis;
- chromosomal abnormalities in the development of the fetus ;
- diabetes in the mother.
If the hCG level decreases during the test, the table shows deviations from the norm of more than 50%, in which case the following options are considered:
- mismatch in the dates of the actual and estimated gestational age;
- there is a threat of termination of pregnancy;
- frozen or ectopic pregnancy;
- placental insufficiency ;
- more than 41 weeks;
- fetal freezing in the last month of pregnancy.
Change in hCG level during normal pregnancy
In the absence of different hormonal disruptions in the female body and in accordance with the gestational age, an increase in the hormone will be observed every 2 or 3 days. The hCG table by days shows an increase in the hormone, so if in a few days the indicator has increased by more than 60%, do not panic. Pregnancy from the 9th obstetric week or the 7th from the moment of conception will show a decrease in the level of the hormone in the blood.
If a woman has a multiple pregnancy, respectively, the level of the hCG hormone will increase as many times as many fetuses develop.
HCG during a frozen pregnancy
A frozen pregnancy is when a fetus dies under the influence of various factors. In this case, the level of the hormone rapidly decreases. If there is such a risk, the doctor prescribes a test to monitor the dynamics of changes in the hCG hormone.
Does the table indicate indicators that are outside the normal range? In this case, there is still no room for panic, because the deadline could be set incorrectly. Such cases do occur, the doctor additionally prescribes an ultrasound, and only after its results can we accurately say about the development of the fetus. There are also cases in which pregnancy has already stopped, and hormone levels continue to grow.
HCG levels at double
Many women, being pregnant, do not even suspect that they have not one baby, but two under their hearts. Ultrasound in the early stages may not show clearly enough the presence of such a pregnancy. In this case, the analysis of the hCG hormone with double becomes the salvation. The table doubles. However, each pregnancy is not similar to the previous one, especially with twins. The value of hCG table in multiple pregnancy shows a relative. If the indicators are constantly doubled, be 100% sure that you will have two babies.
For complete confidence, the dynamics of hCG changes are studied at an early stage. The doctor prescribes a test every few days. This should not scare a woman. This method of research is the only way to determine at an early stage of multiple pregnancy.
The hCG indicator for double after IVF
The value of hCG table during in vitro fertilization will show in a modified state, since the indicators will exceed the standard. This is due to the fact that on the eve of the procedure, the woman undergoes hormone therapy, which prepares the body for gestation. During the procedure, several embryos are planted simultaneously in the uterus. And most women take root both. To confirm this, the hCG hormone indicator will help (with double, the table shows quite high numbers).
What is the hCG test for? And how to donate blood correctly
By passing a hormone test, a woman can learn about the results of pregnancy after 5-6 days from the moment of conception. This is much more effective than conventional rapid tests.
This test will determine a more accurate date of conception. Quite often, the mother can not accurately determine the date of conception or does, but it is incorrect. This is quite important, since the parameters for the development of the hearth correspond to a certain period. A deviation from the norm can be a signal of complications.
Test indicators provide an opportunity to accurately determine the correct development of the child. A sharp increase in the level of hCG indicates a multiple pregnancy, the presence of diseases in the mother or hereditary in the baby. On the contrary, a decrease in the level can be a signal of the fetus freezing, developmental delay.
To obtain a more reliable result, you must correctly pass the analysis for the hormone. All the details will tell the doctor. But we must not forget that the tests are given on an empty stomach. It is advisable to donate blood in the morning, but if this is not possible, you can donate during the day, provided that the woman did not eat for about 4-6 hours. Blood sampling is carried out from a vein.
It is advisable to exclude physical activity the day before the tests. In the case of the use of hormonal drugs, you need to inform your doctor, as this affects the accuracy of the analysis.
If you were alerted by the test results, do not rush to panic. The doctor will be able to interpret them correctly. If necessary, he will schedule a second test.