In the world of motherhood, there is so much information, so many doubts and questions, that even those considered experts can get confused about certain points. Especially when it comes to tests, as the results can seem like real riddles—such as the information found on the pregnancy test or, more precisely, the quantitative beta hCG. Check below
Calculating gestational age based on your most recent beta hCG result or whether its increase from one test to another is within the normal range is what you can do with the two calculators below. The second one can also confirm if there is a plateau or indicate that something is wrong, when the beta hCG value is not rising as expected. In this case, you should seek a professional immediately.
Gestational Age Calculator
Based on the latest beta HCG result
| Gestational Age | Beta HCG Value |
|---|---|
| Not pregnant - Negative | Less than 5 mlU/ml |
| 3 weeks of pregnancy | 5 to 50 mlU/ml |
| 4 weeks of pregnancy | 5 to 426 mlU/ml |
| 5 weeks of pregnancy | 18 to 7,340 mlU/ml |
| 6 weeks of pregnancy | 1,080 to 56,500 mlU/ml |
| 7 to 8 weeks of pregnancy | 7,650 to 229,000 mlU/ml |
| 9 to 12 weeks of pregnancy | 25,700 to 288,000 mlU/ml |
| 13 to 16 weeks of pregnancy | 13,300 to 254,000 mlU/ml |
| 17 to 24 weeks of pregnancy | 4,060 to 165,500 mlU/ml |
| 25 to 40 weeks of pregnancy | 3,640 to 117,000 mlU/ml |
Beta hCG Calculator
Estimated hCG doubling time with chart
-
Total hCG difference:mIU/mL (%)
-
hCG doubling every:days hours ( hours)
-
Increase in 2 days:mIU/mL (%) ()
What is hCG?
The hCG hormone or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, as it is known in medicine, is the hormone found during pregnancy1. It is extremely important for the development of the pregnancy, since it is responsible for preventing the release of the corpus luteum and for secreting progesterone in the body.
Because it is a hormone exclusive to pregnancy, its levels rise quickly at the beginning of gestation and it is through this hormone that pregnancy is confirmed by urine pharmacy tests or blood beta hCG tests.
The main function of hCG is to maintain the corpus luteum, preventing the loss of the endometrium and, consequently, the termination of pregnancy. In fact, to improve this protection, it is ideal to consume foods rich in nutrients needed to maintain the health of the mother and baby. Folic acid, for example, is a very important nutrient, and intake should begin even before pregnancy to prevent fetal malformation. In addition to folic acid, there are other essential vitamins for pregnancy maintenance, and generally, the use of multivitamins is recommended to properly meet these demands. Methylfolate (the active form of folic acid) has been widely recommended by doctors, see2? Its use should begin as soon as the woman realizes she is pregnant. Learn more about Methylfolate here.
What To Check on the hCG Test?
The result shows the hormone quantity values, which are not very clear for most women who expect a straightforward result like positive or negative. What does the amount of hormone found mean? Am I pregnant or not? Is it developing as it should?
If pregnant, the amount of hCG in the blood doubles (or nearly doubles) every 48 hours and this is the sign of a progressing pregnancy. But how to monitor it, how to know if the values are increasing or decreasing? For this, there is the hCG calculator, which is a tool for confirming the progression of pregnancy and the rise in the pregnancy hormone.
However, when hCG hormone levels start to fall, this can be an indication that the pregnancy has stopped progressing and more tests like ultrasound and blood analyses are usually requested to confirm a miscarriage. If the increase is evident but slow, a more detailed investigation may be required to rule out the possibility of an ectopic pregnancy, for example3.
Very high hCG hormone levels can also indicate a problem. Cases of hydatidiform mole, for example, can cause extremely high values in the beta hCG result and create uncertainty regarding the condition.
How To Use the hCG Calculator
To use it, you will need to have your results from two blood tests on hand and enter the reported values into the fields of the hCG calculator. You must indicate the hCG amount from the first test and in the second field when that test was performed, that is, how many days after ovulation.
In the third field, the hCG value from the second test should be entered, and in the fourth, the time difference in hours between one test and the other. With this information and the value updates, you can confirm the progression of pregnancy or flag if something is not normal.
How To Interpret the Result
The information given will be the difference between one result and the other in percentage, the period at which the hCG hormone doubled compared to the first result and, finally, whether the values are within the expected range, detecting normality or not.
On the graph, the colors will indicate the result. When they reach the green color, hCG levels are rising satisfactorily and indicate that the pregnancy is developing properly. In black, the results are within the average and their increase should be monitored. Blue indicates that hCG levels are well below normal and that you are not pregnant.
The orange marking will show you, using red triangles, where your hCG levels are between the first and second test. Through the numerical results and observing the chart, it is therefore possible to verify whether the pregnancy is progressing as expected or not.
