How high should my HCG levels be at the beginning of pregnancy?

You wanted to know how high HCG levels should be in the beginning of pregnancy. And studies have shown that the concentration of HCG in a woman’s body varies greatly in the 1st trimester except for the first 1 to 3 weeks after conception. HCG levels should rise at a pretty consistent rate at that point, and there’s about a 93% accuracy rate in determining how long the woman’s been pregnant based on HCG levels during the first 1 to 3 weeks, but after that, it can vary so greatly. So sometimes doctors will order blood HCG tests to find out how much there is in a woman’s blood, and basically, what they’re looking for is an increase, because HCG is a hormone that’s released only during pregnancy in a woman’s body and levels rise exponentially till about 8 to 11 weeks gestation. So a doctor will typically check HCG levels 2 days apart, and what they’re looking for is an increase. They want the value to about double. And if the woman’s values are staying the same or dropping, then that’s when they consider complications. The pregnancy isn’t progressing like it should.

So if you’ve had your HCG levels checked and you’re wondering what the results mean, call your doctor, and based on their knowledge of your circumstances and your lab results, they’ll be able to give you tailored advice about what your results mean and what implications they might have in the future for you. If you have more questions in the future for me, feel free to ask them on our Intermountain Moms Facebook and Instagram pages, and recommend us to your friends and family too.