Pregnancy - What is Your HCG numbers?

Apart from peeing on a stick, a better way to predict pregnancy is by doing blood work and paying attention to your HCG ( Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) numbers.

What is HCG?

According to American Pediatric Association, HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) is often called the pregnancy hormone because it is made by cells formed in 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. Inexpensive, urine-based early detection pregnancy tests can be purchased from our corporate sponsor Fairhaven Health.

Typically, 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.