The birth of a child is one of the most significant events in the life of every person, but at the same time there are many questions, problems, as well as myths and beliefs. For a long time, scientists tried to understand the nature of conception, fertilization, development of the embryo in the womb. And there are still many white spots and mysteries of nature, to which there are not always logically possible answers. Sometimes the impossible happens, and there are times when, according to science, pregnancy should occur, but it is not and isn’t. Desperate couples are looking for all possible ways, up to the purely mystical, to realize their most cherished dream - to become parents. However, scientists still found a way to help those families who are trying to get pregnant, and for some reason they do not succeed.
How can I find out about pregnancy
During the planning of a baby’s birth, the determining factor that helps to find out whether the previous cycle of the maturation of the female egg was successful or not is the so-called hCG hormone (human chorionic gonadotropin). It begins to be produced in the woman’s body only during pregnancy, and this happens literally a few hours after the sperm fertilizes the egg. For example, the doctor will be able to assess the success of the in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure if the hCG result is 12, 25 or 1250 mU / ml in dynamics.
That is why, when there is no way to wait for a delay in the menstrual cycle and do home-made simple tests, they do a special blood test that will definitely show if there is a pregnancy or not. In the same way, this hormone also shows the development of the embryo.
Too high or low hCG values can indicate a problem in the development of the fetus, and special attention should be paid to this.
What is this hormone - hCG
HCG (short for human chorionic gonadotropin ) is a hormone that appears in the body only during pregnancy. The placenta, which forms around the embryo after fertilization of the egg, excretes it into the body. Newborn babies, by the way, maintain a very high level of this hormone, which is gradually eliminated from their body, and somewhere by an average of three months of a child’s life, the level of hCG begins to correspond to the norms of the hormone content of an adult.
What is the peculiarity of measuring the level of hCG in the blood
The fact is that in the first day and even hours after fertilization, the hormone level almost doubles every two to three days. And such a frantic pace persists until 11-12 weeks from conception. Then, by the 15th week, the values of the hCG hormone decrease slightly and then remain at the same level until the very end of the birth.
The same hormone in the urine is also detected by home tests, but a rather high level of its content is already needed - such tests may not show the first two weeks of pregnancy . Therefore, they are usually made after the delay - then the hormone will be quite high, and such tests will not “miss” it, but they cannot fix the small values that occur in the first week or two after fertilization and implantation. If a blood test shows even a meager fraction of the hormone - hCG 2 or hCG 12, then a urinalysis shows a second strip only when it comes to thousands of honey / ml.
Some features of the analysis of hCG results
Sometimes, if the hCG level is significantly lower than the norm corresponding to a particular week of pregnancy, it may be a question of the fact that the embryo stopped developing for any reason. If this fact is established in time, then many problems for the woman's health can be avoided. But to make a decision after a single test result for the level of the hCG hormone is impossible. It is necessary to look at changes in dynamics. In general, a situation is possible when the analysis shows a woman the result of hCG 12 on the 3 day delay of the menstrual cycle. Does this mean that an ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage has occurred? If the test is repeated after 2 days and the hCG level is already 350, then this indicates that the pregnancy is developing within the normal range, and there is no reason for concern. If, after two or three days, the hCG level remained at the same level or decreased, then there was no pregnancy or there was a pregnancy, but the embryo could not attach to the walls of the uterus and a miscarriage occurred.
What can be confusing
As a rule, doctors take the normal level of hCG in the non-pregnant state to 5 mU / ml (it is expressed in international units per milliliter). An hCG level of 25 or higher may indicate pregnancy, depending on the duration.
The result of hCG 12 during pregnancy may indicate an incorrectly defined period. This may also indicate a possible arrest of the fetus or an ectopic pregnancy. Often, women who receive such a result of a blood test begin to panic when they see the line — HCG 8 or HCG 12. What this means can only be explained by a qualified doctor who observes a woman. Do not panic. Most likely, the attending physician will prescribe an ultrasound examination and a second blood test, which will show the dynamics of an increase or decrease in the level of the hormone in the blood. Please note that no doctor has the right to diagnose a missed pregnancy, miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy according to only one blood test! It is necessary to conduct additional research and, only having all the results of tests and examinations in hand, you can accurately make the correct diagnosis.
Experienced doctors know that a woman’s body is not an automatic watch. Until now, many functions of the body are not fully understood. Therefore, you should not be upset if the result of the test is the result of hCG 9 mU / ml or hCG 12. What period of pregnancy it can mean - time will tell. Late embryo implantation is likely . It is better to repeat the test in a few days to know for sure.
What gives a change in the level of hCG with IVF
Many couples who, for whatever reason, cannot become pregnant in a natural way, decide to use the method of in vitro fertilization of the egg. It is extremely important for doctors to measure the level of the hormone in the woman’s blood in order to find out if everything went well. It is from the data on the change in the level of hCG that one can judge whether the embryo in the uterus began to develop safely. But even if the result is not very high (hCG 12 mU / ml or hCG 15 mU / ml), there is still a chance that implanted embryos will take root and attach.
What is in vitro fertilization?
IVF (short for "in vitro fertilization") helps in cases where infertility is caused by serious dysfunctions of the ovaries, which could not be eliminated by traditional treatment regimens. In fact, these are the so-called “test tube children” - the female egg is not fertilized by the sperm in the body, but in a special laboratory. Fertilized embryos are then placed in a woman's uterine cavity. After this procedure, doctors carefully monitor whether they take root there or not. Here again, the hCG hormone comes to the rescue, which, as with natural fertilization, begins to be produced in the mother’s body.
What are the norms of hCG in the body at different weeks of pregnancy
Please note that the results below are approximate and should not be used to make any final decision. The diagnosis is made only by a qualified doctor based on the complete clinical picture of each individual patient.
So, the following norms for the level of hCG in the body of a woman are accepted:
- 1-2 week of pregnancy - 25-156 mU / ml.
- 2-3 weeks of pregnancy - 101-4870 mU / ml.
- 3-4 weeks of pregnancy - 1110-31500 mU / ml.
- 4-5 weeks of pregnancy - 2560-82300 mU / ml.
- 5-6 weeks of pregnancy - 23100-151000 mU / ml.
- 6-7 weeks of pregnancy - 27300-233000 mU / ml.
- 7-11 weeks of pregnancy - 20900-291000 mU / ml.
As you can see from this table, the scatter of data is huge, so the most important thing to pay attention to is the dynamics of change - every 2-3 days the figures for hCG should approximately double. If this does not happen, it means that complications may arise, and it is urgent to consult a specialist in order to avoid possible health problems. We are talking about a possible frozen or ectopic pregnancy.
When you need to take tests for hCG hormone after embryo implantation
Of course, it is advisable to sustain a pause after the procedure for replanting the fertilized embryos so that the woman’s body can adapt to the new “residents” and begin to respond adequately with the production of the hCG hormone. 12 days after this event, you can already go to donate blood for analysis. As a rule, by this time it will already become clear whether embryos have attached or failed in this protocol.
However, during the IVF procedure, one very important factor must be taken into account: in different cases, different embryos are planted according to the duration of their “life”, therefore, the result of hCG 12 on day 12 in different protocols does not always mean that the embryos have not taken root.
Doctors and patients are sure to monitor the results of the analysis for the hormone hCG. It is very important for everyone to get confirmation of the development of an embryo in a woman’s uterus. But if the hCG test of 12 to 10 dpp comes (that is, the day after planting), then the success of IVF is a big question. It is not uncommon for cases when too slow growth of the hormone can threaten fetal development problems in the future. It is necessary, together with the attending physician, to discuss the feasibility of continuing the drug support of this protocol, to weigh all possible risks and consequences.
Some patients with the result of hCG 10 or hCG 12 at 14 dpp decide themselves to stop supporting and are prepared to prepare the body for the next procedure. Of course, this result is frustrating, but there is always hope for future success.
Low hCG in IVF
Many future parents are very worried when they see not very high hCG values from the results of a blood test - not high enough to be sure of a safe pregnancy, but higher than the values of a non-pregnant body. Yes, there are certain risks, but only a doctor decides such questions. Despite the fact that insufficient production of the hormone may indicate an unattached embryo or its ectopic attachment, nevertheless, there is a rather high chance that the whole procedure was successful - it is likely that the test was done too early and was not informative in terms of the result.
In any case, it is necessary to carefully consider the results of the analysis for the presence of the hCG hormone and make a decision together with the partner and build a strategy for further actions under the guidance of a qualified doctor, whom both partners trust in the issue of reproduction.