What Is HCG?

HCG is also known as:  human chorionic gonadotropin.  HCG is produced during pregnancy and can be detected by a blood test 8-11 days after ovulation.  HCG maintains the corpus luteum which is responsible for progesterone production in early pregnancy.

What Are Normal Beta hCG Levels?

There’s a wide range for what is considered “normal” hCG levels during pregnancy.  One hCG level won’t be able to tell you much, but paired with your progesterone level and follow-up hCG levels (they should approximately double every 48-72 hours), you’ll be able to get a glimpse of what’s going on in your body.  LMP stands for Last Menstrual Period.

• 3 weeks since LMP: 5 – 50 mIU/ml
• 4 weeks since LMP: 5 – 426 mIU/ml
• 5 weeks since LMP: 18 – 7,340 mIU/ml
• 6 weeks since LMP: 1,080 – 56,500 mIU/ml
• 7 – 8 weeks since LMP: 7,650 – 229,000 mIU/ml
• 9 – 12 weeks since LMP: 25,700 – 288,000 mIU/ml
• 13 – 16 weeks since LMP: 13,300 – 254,000 mIU/ml
• 17 – 24 weeks since LMP: 4,060 – 165,400 mIU/ml
• 25 – 40 weeks since LMP: 3,640 – 117,000 mIU/ml
• Non-pregnant females: <5.0 mIU/ml
• Postmenopausal females: <9.5 mIU/ml

See the progesterone level chart for more information.

Welcome back!

The spotting has increased – and is no longer an unassuming unobtrusive light brown.  Light contractions and a dull ache has made it’s presence known.  Or lack of, whichever.

My hcg levels came back – 496.  Progesterone, 2.6.  That’s really low.  On both accounts.

Granted, my God is a mighty God, an awesome God – and true, miracles are always possible.  I’m just not banking on my situation being one of them.

496 is a level consistent with anywhere between 1 and 3 weeks pregnancy (says my doctor’s nurse practitioner).  I’m supposed to be at 6.  And, while the numbers could have been swaggered a bit, possibly leaving me at 5 weeks…there’s no way to move it back as far as 3.  Unless everything was just hanging out together, yet not, for a while (the actual fertilization can take up to a little over a week.  CAN.  Two or more weeks would be very unlikely.  Possible, I guess, but in a tiny not so much sort of way.)

Then, of course, the bleeding…which says a lot on its own.

So, there we go.  It’s over.

And yet, it’s not.