Pregnancy hormone level...question?

Question

A friend of mine is pregnant with her third baby...she took a HPT and it came back positive...her doctor then sent her for an ultrasound to find out how far along she is...the ultrasound tech told her that the "sac" measured in at about 6 weeks, but was very reluctant to give her any other information.

She went back to the doctor to see what he had to say, and he told her that the couldn't find a heartbeat, and he wanted her to go for blood work. She went and did a blood test, and the results were that the pregnancy hormone level was at about 30,000 (I'm not sure what that means exactly)...she was told by her doctor that it should be around 100,000, and that he assumes the baby isn't developing. He has been sending her for blood work every 3 days, and the second test the hormone level went up to 39,000, then 43,000.

She had another ultrasound again today and the tech said that as far as she can see, the baby is perfectly normal and healthy with a heart beat of 160. She couldn't tell her anything else, just that she is approximately 8 weeks along now.

Does anyone know what the pregnancy hormone level really means? According to the ultrasound everything is fine, but according to what her doctor said, her pregnancy hormone is extremely low. She was assuming she'd miscarry because of everything her doctor has said, and now she's afraid to get her hopes up in case he gives her more bad news and says the ultrasound tech today was wrong.

Answer 1

The level of the hcG should increase by 50-65% each day.  There is such a wide "normal" range for the hormone, but as long as it is increasing that is a good sign.

For the sake of space, here is a chart with the range of the hormone:

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/duringp...

My pregnancies stayed on the lower end of hcG, but were complication-free.   The doctor may be concerned if the rate of growth is not keeping up with normal standards.   You can't get a false reading on the heartbeat --- either you have one or you don't!

Answer 2

Although I am a nurse in the fertility field...I still use this site to reference to.  You CAN'T make too much of these numbers!!  

http://www.advancedfertility.com/earlypr...

Here is another one that goes on to a little later in pregnancy and higher numbers.

http://www.pregnancyloss.info/hcg_levels...

I wish your friend the best!!  I know how difficult and confusing all of this is.  All she can do is wait and see at this point!!

Answer 3

Normal HCG levels for 7 - 8 weeks from LMP: 7, 650 - 229,000 mIU/ml

Looks like she is in the norm range! Tell her not to worry and if that doctor makes her uncomfortable she can always switch. He should be encouraging her that it is still in the normal range and not to worry (stress is not good for her or the baby).

Answer 4

Hormone levels differ from woman to woman. She shouldn't be worried too much. I'd say maybe the baby hadn't developed a heartbeat at the first one. the levels look like they may be slow in doubling. She should just take it easy and drink a lot of fluids and try and refrain from s*x unless the doc says it's okay.

Answer 5

HCG levels are not reliable to tell how healthy the baby is or isn't. The "norm" or "standard" is for your hcg levels to double every 48 hours, but just because its does not completely double, does not mean that anything is wrong and that she is for certain going to miscarry. If ever the hcg levels start to lower, then that means that a miscarriage has already began. For all the doctor knows, she could have had a vanishing twin and her hcg levels did not increase as much because of that.

After the heart beat is first detected, the risk of miscarriage drops significantly and then again at 12 weeks. Has he checked her progesterone levels? If not, I would tell her to ask about those to see if her progesterone is high enough as well.

Answer 6

When I went to the doctor the first time I was pregnant they told me that my level wasn't high enough and told me I wasn't pregnant that my level wasn't high enough.  I could tell that I was pregnant, I was on fertility because my levels are low before I got pregnant.  I believe that if your levels are low before you get pregnant that they are still under during the whole pregnancy.  My daughter was delivered at 35 weeks and nothing at all was wrong with her, she was able to stay with me the entire time.  The doctor was on edge due to her being premature but she was just as healthy as a full term baby.  Everything that happened during my pregnancy was early.  EVERYTHING!!!  I think the due date was off from the start due to my levels and as you now know this is how they tell how far along you are.  I know I am not a doctor but I hope this helps!!!  Good Luck!!!