Your calm pee stick confirmed the big news when it found hCG — aka the pregnancy hormone — in your urine. And your dr. volition probably take a closer look at your levels via blood tests to check that they're going up.

So how much hCG should you actually have in your system — and what if the numbers don't match up with what y'all've heard is normal?

The truth is that hCG levels can vary a whole lot from 1 pregnancy to another, fifty-fifty for the same person. And in most cases, the merely thing y'all really need to know is that your numbers are consistently rising for the beginning few months earlier starting to decline again later on.

Here'due south more about what's typical based on how far along in your pregnancy you are, plus what information technology could mean if your levels are lower than average.

What is hCG?

Human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, is a pregnancy hormone produced by cells around an embryo to help course the placenta — the organ that develops in the uterus during pregnancy to deliver nutrients and oxygen to your babe.

HCG makes its way into your urine and bloodstream nearly immediately after an embryo implants in the uterus — and it'due south the hormone that pregnancy tests (both at-domicile tests and ones washed by the doctor) wait for to confirm that a baby's on the way.

Though hCG production kicks in ASAP after implantation, the levels first off very depression. Merely they rapidly increase during the early weeks of pregnancy enough for a home pregnancy to observe them around 19 days after fertilization. (Which is why it's usually all-time to wait until the twenty-four hour period your catamenia is supposed to arrive to have one.) A blood test can typically detect hCG sooner — around 12 days after fertilization.

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HCG can affect your body in other means. Information technology tin weaken your immune system and brand you lot more susceptible to colds or infections. It's also thought to be the culprit behind unpleasant pregnancy symptoms like forenoon sickness. (Not fun, simply a small cost to pay for your sweetness little bundle, right?)

Are my hCG levels normal?

You'll know your body is making hCG equally soon as you see the positive sign on an at-abode pregnancy test. Only your physician volition besides likely check your levels, either with a second urine test or during your first pregnancy claret workup.

This might, naturally, leave you wondering whether yous accept normal hCG levels or not. Simply trading tales with other momshoped-for or comparison your numbers to what's typical may just make you spin your wheels with worry.

That's considering every woman's hormone levels can fluctuate enormously from twenty-four hour period to day, person to person and even pregnancy to pregnancy.

From the fourth dimension implantation occurs, hCG levels soon begin to soar, increasing by almost 60 per centum every 48 hours, give or take. The rapid increase peaks somewhere between seven and 12 weeks after your last period, and then starts to pass up.

While information technology might sound like a anticipated increase, levels aren't even close to predictable. Experts accept found a huge variation in hCG levels on fifty-fifty the first missed day of a adult female'due south catamenia.

Some women take almost no measurable hCG, while others have readings of more than 400 milli-international units per milliliter (mIU/mL). And hCG levels with twins tend to be much college than with singletons.

Either way, this is perfectly normal and has to do, in part, with exactly how long information technology took your egg to go fertilized, make the trip down to the uterus and get snuggled in during implantation. Some embryos are simply zippier than others. It's also completely normal for that wide range in levels to persist throughout pregnancy.

What are normal hCG levels by calendar week? Check this chart

That said, information technology's understandable if you lot're withal curious about where your numbers stand. Use this hCG levels chart to encounter a range of what's typical, keeping in heed that normal hCG levels can vary quite a flake.

hCG levels chart

Even if your readings autumn outside these ranges, don't worry: It'due south still quite likely that everything is fine. Your due engagement may very well be off.

As long every bit your practitioner confirms that your pregnancy is progressing as it should — likely using an ultrasound — y'all don't accept to obsess about these numbers. If y'all are concerned, talk with your md about your results.

What causes low hCG levels?

Again, information technology's important to keep in mind that hCG levels vary widely from one woman to the adjacent, and having lower numbers than someone else isn't usually cause for business concern.

What's more of import and relevant than the actual number itself is that your hCG level falls within the very broad normal range and continues to increase in the coming weeks until information technology declines after a few months. So look for a pattern of increasing levels instead of focusing as well much on a single number.

That said, very low hCG levels that don't seem to exist increasing tin signal that a pregnancy isn't viable. Typically hCG levels that fail to keep ascension are a sign of:

  • Ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancies happen when a fertilized egg implants somewhere outside of the uterus, like the fallopian tube or the cervix. When that happens, lower amounts of hCG are produced and the embryo can't develop unremarkably. HCG levels lonely do not diagnose an ectopic pregnancy.
  • Miscarriage. Low or declining hCG levels can too be a sign of a miscarriage that has either already happened or is at risk for occurring. Keep in listen, though, that a single hCG reading that'due south lower than usual isn't necessarily a sign that a woman will experience pregnancy loss.

How do you increase hCG levels?

It can be tempting to endeavor remedies or foods that purportedly aid raise your hCG levels. Unfortunately, there'southward no way to change your hCG levels or make them go up.

What's more, hCG levels reflect information well-nigh your pregnancy, just changing them wouldn't address the cause of any potential problems.

During a healthy pregnancy, hCG levels volition continue to ascent on their own through virtually the 12th week before starting to naturally pass up. Equally long equally your levels are trending upwards, you shouldn't worry nigh trying to make them even higher.

Can yous still be pregnant with depression hCG levels?

Every woman'southward hCG levels are different, so simply considering your numbers are on the depression side doesn't mean you won't accept a healthy pregnancy. The important thing is that your levels are trending up overall.

On the other hand, while one lower-than-expected hCG reading isn't necessarily a sign of a problem, levels that consistently trend downwards or plateau in the kickoff trimester may betoken an unviable pregnancy.

Early on, ascent hCG levels are a sign that your pregnancy is progressing as it should be. But your levels don't necessarily take to look just like someone else'south to count equally normal. As long equally they're on the upswing, they're probable right where they need to be for y'all and your baby.