A woman's body gives her a special gift once in a lifetime: a child. Pregnancy is a time of embracing your body, taking care of yourself, and, most importantly, considering all the recommended tests to ensure the health of your child.
HCG Blood Test is an important test for a pregnant lady that confirms her pregnancy. When you have missed your periods, the right time to consider the test. A woman may also use the HCG home test kit to confirm pregnancy. But, to achieve an accurate test result, you must consider the test from a well-known diagnostic center.
This write-up contains the importance of the HCG test and the time when you are supposed to take a test. Take a look below to know more about the HCG test.
HCG Test:- Foreword
HCG is a hormone that is found in the blood and urine of the pregnant woman to declare pregnancy. Besides this, it also shows the exact age of the baby. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin is the full form of the HCG hormone which is formed by the placenta during pregnancy.
HCG plays a vital role in determining pregnancy, the level of the hormone remains at its peak during the first trimester and falls during the other half of the pregnancy period.
The HCG blood test for pregnancy is done the very next day when you have missed your period. The report comes with accurate results if done in the early morning.
The test can be conducted in two ways:- one is by taking a urine sample and the other is by taking a blood sample.
Reasons for Doing HCG Test
The purpose of doing the test is to provide
- Pregnancy confirmation
- To look for down syndrome
- To see if there is any chance of miscarriage
- To check for abnormal pregnancy conditions like ectopic pregnancy
- To find out the exact age of the fetus
How is the Test Performed and How to Prepare Yourself Before the Test?
The test requires a blood sample, which is drawn out from the veins of your arm. An elastic band is tied around the arm to make the vein more visible. After that, a needle is inserted into the visible vein to collect a sample of blood. When they have drawn blood from the vein, the band is removed, and the wound is covered with cotton.
You may experience slight pain during this process, but soon it will be gone. After the test, the blood sample is taken to the labs to find the HCG hormone. The report is sent to the doctor to confirm pregnancy by understanding the test result.
There is no special preparation before the test. You might need to fast before the test, but it is better to ask the doctor about fasting before the test.
What does the Result of the Test Show?
After the lab test result, the doctor tells you about the level of HCG in the blood. The level of HCG is measured in terms of mIU/mL, which implies milli-international units of hCG per milliliter of blood.
Here is a table for better understanding. The HCG level varies during the pregnancy period:-
Pregnancy Period
Normal Rate of hCG Levels
4th week
0 to 750 mIU/mL
5th week
200 to 7,000 mIU/mL
6th week
200 to 32,000 mIU/mL
7th week
3,000 to 160,000 mIU/mL
8th to 12th weeks
32,000 to 210,000 mIU/mL
13th to 16th weeks
9,000 to 210,000 mIU/mL
16th to 29th weeks
1,400 to 53,000 mIU/mL
29th to 41st weeks
940 to 60,000 mIU/mL
The level is at a higher pace during the first few weeks of pregnancy and decreases as the pregnancy period ceases.
An extremely low level of HCG indicates miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, the possibility of down syndrome in the baby, and so on. On the other hand, an extremely high range of hormones indicates a molar pregnancy, the chance of twins or triplets, and miscalculated pregnancy.
The result comes with a positive or negative note. Either it is a positive sign or a negative sign. The result shows the symbol of (+) or (-), which implies pregnant or not pregnant, respectively.
The positive sign indicates pregnancy, and you need to visit the doctor and prepare for the next test and enjoy this beautiful pregnancy phase.
In some cases, the report also comes with a “false positive result,” which indicates that you are pregnant, but you are not. Certain drugs cause this result.
If the test is negative, you are not pregnant, but the chance of becoming pregnant increases when the test kit is expired or if the test is done incorrectly. If you consume a lot of water during the test, the result can also vary. Take note when you are taking certain medications. Consult your doctor for the same.
Double check if the test comes negative as some test requires doing it for the second time for accurate results.
Take Important Note:-
The blood test pregnancy comes in different forms. It can be an HCG test, a down syndrome test, a hepatitis test, a diabetes test, and so on. It is essential to take the necessary tests to determine both the help of the baby and the mother.
Besides taking the test, it is also essential to take a close look at your health so that it does not affect your baby's health. Make your diet nutritious enough to support your health. Consult with your doctor, and read articles on pregnancy that will help to deliver a healthy child.
