hCG Levels
What is an hCG Level?
hCG stands for "Human Chorionic Gonadotropin," the pregnancy hormone, which is produced by the placenta and detected in the blood within a few days after implantation. When you test at home with a pregnancy test, you actually test for the presence of hCG in the urine. If hCG is present, then the pregnancy test will be positive, and that means you are pregnant unless there is a false positive pregnancy test. Many women wonder what the hCG level in early pregnancy is. In most normal pregnancies with hCG levels below 1,200 mIU/ml, the hCG usually doubles every 48-72 hours and increases by at least 60% every two days. Once it reaches about 6,000 mIU it takes longer to double and after 11-12 weeks the hCG normally decreases. At an HCG level greater than 12,000 mIU/ml there should be a visible embryo with a heartbeat, though it could take up to an hCG level of 22,000 mIU/ml to first see the fetal heart beat. A low hCG count in pregnancy may indicate a miscalculated date of conception, an ectopic pregnancy, or a possible miscarriage.
However, a perfectly healthy pregnancy may have low hCG counts and levels. A high hCG count in pregnancy may indicate a miscalculated date of conception, a molar pregnancy, or a multiple pregnancy. Some fertility drugs usually hCG injections containing hCG may affect your hCG levels. Other than that, other medications including antibiotics and oral contraceptives will not affect your hCG level. If you are taking a fertility medication that would affect your hCG count then your healthcare provider should discuss with you how this would affect your tests.
