« It feels good to breathe again. | Main | Chickens »
06/10/2004
Fun hCG facts to learn and share
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone produced during pregnancy by the placenta. It starts to be produced shortly after an embryo implants, and is expected to double approximately every 48 to 72 hours in early pregnancy. The absolute level of hCG in a pregnant woman's blood is less critical than the rate of rise. A failure to double properly reflects slow placental growth, which is very frequently associated with abnormal embryonic development.
While hCG levels are expected to double in early pregnancy, the rate of rise generally slows as the level increases.
It's not possible to determine whether you're having twins or a singleton by hCG levels alone. The range of normal values for twin gestations fall squarely within the range of normal values for singletons. It has not been proven that multiple gestations have faster doubling rates than singleton pregnancies.
Elvis Presley demanded that his entourage follow an exacting code of ethics. His henchmen were asked to take an oath to that effect, professing their devotion to "respect for fellow students and instructors," "respect for all styles and techniques," and "freedom from constipation," among other ideals. Upon swearing this oath, each member of the Memphis Mafia was given a 14k gold bracelet bearing Elvis's distinctive "hCG" logo.
No matter how many stories with a positive outcome you've heard about slow-rising hCG levels — "15% of normal pregnancies have an abnormal rise!" — and no matter how many times you've heard that once you see a heartbeat you're practically in the clear — "The miscarriage rate drops to 3%!" — hCG levels that don't rise properly are a troubling sign even in pregnancies where a heartbeat is established.
IVF pregnancies generally have lower hCG levels than other pregnancies. The theory is that non-IVF pregnancies implant sooner, thereby having more time to generate hCG than a transferred embryo would. (This means I don't have to be envious of my friends inside the computer whose levels were higher than mine. Whew.)
"Beta hCG," "Lincoln," and "Kennedy" have the same number of letters. Presidents Lincoln and Kennedy were both assassinated, shot on a Friday, sustaining gunshot wounds to the head. Both were assassinated by southerners. We can conclude that hCG should wear a helmet; stay the hell out of the south, especially on weekends; and strongly reconsider any presidential ambitions it currently entertains.
Initial hCG levels are lower in pregnancies achieved through a day 5 embryo transfer than in those resulting from a day 3 transfer.
Conventional wisdom is that you won't see anything on ultrasound until your hCG levels exceed 1,000 mIU/mL. However, the gestational sac has been visualized with transvaginal ultrasound at levels as low as 300. In the majority of pregnancies, a sac should be visible when levels exceed 2,000. A yolk sac is commonly seen in normal pregnancies once hCG tops 2,500; an embryonic pole is expected at 5,000; and a heartbeat is seen in the majority of normal pregnancies when levels reach 10,000.
Hedy Lamarr, best known for her film work in the '30s and '40s but also a noted inventor, was the first to develop hCG, astonishing the scientific community with her groundbreaking work. Unfortunately she did not have the foresight to patent her invention, and lived to see General Dynamics appropriate the technology for its own use. While General Dynamics made hCG into a household staple with its ingenious mass production methods, Hedy Lamarr died destitute and raving in an attic room that carried an unfortunate odor of cat urine.
Comments (32)
Verify your Comment
Previewing your Comment
This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.
As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.
Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.
So you're gonna post your sonogram pics right? I wanna see the sac!!
my wife says i'm filled with useless answers.
answers like "two." "bismark, north dakota." and "only between consenting adults."
Yeah, show us your sac, Julie! (BAAAHahahahahaha oh Lordy.)
And about that other stuff: look, honey, you really shouldn't believe everything you read on the World Wide Web. Let's just let the doctors do the thinking, mmmmkay? Yeah.
I vote for some gratuitous (did I even spell that right?) sac showing!!
Julie, I'd bet money that you make some of the best looking sacs around. ;o)
Huhuhu huhuhuhuhuhuh huhuhhuhuh
She said constipation.
Huhuhuh huhuhuhuhuuhuh huhuhuuh
Julie, you are a sac tease.
(Well, technically you are a devoted reader tease. But I like the sound of sac tease.)
Think: What would Elvis do?
<< "Beta hCG," "Lincoln," and "Kennedy" have the same number of letters. >>
And both Lincoln and Kennedy caused their mothers to produce hCG. COINCIDENCE?????
Laughing, laughing, laughing at Tracy.
I'm guessing you've already seen this web site, but it's filled with more fun facts and abstracts about HCG levels in early pregnancy.
www.ivfer.com/hcg.htm
Again, I am inspired to comment on how grateful I am to have stumbled upon such an interesting group of abstract thinkers.
Julie, you win the damned prize.
*scribbling notes as fast as she can*
Man, this class is awesome! I didn't know half of this stuff!
[stolen from old Doonesbury cartoon]
Aw, c'mon guys--you can get as much sac as you want, even if it is on blogspot. Leave a girl alone with her intimate yolksac moments!
Or not. Julie, we demand that you fork it over the minute it's available.
man I learn something new every time I come here...
Like I REALLY like saying the word SAC.
Brenda
(who is absolutely covered in Poison Ivy)
Wouldn't that be sacsploitation? You girls ought to be ashamed of yourselves!
Wouldn't that be sacsploitation? You girls ought to be ashamed of yourselves!
What happened to the chickens post?
Feeling MUCH better now at the point on 3dt vs 5dt. Funny how you pick things out that make you feel better, well I mean me. Whatever. So mine should be lower than yours and the rest of the 'natural' gang? Goody.
IM me the MINUTE you get back from your sac(s) showing.
Julie, I don't mean to alarm you, but I fear that you may be suffering from hyper Chronic Google syndrome, or hCG.
Step away from the search button.
I had a beta HCG done today. I am at day 11 from retrieval and I had a 5 day transfer. My level today was 3. Should I panic yet?
Well - I have a rise form 39 to 46 over five days and am sacless - any ideas?? One ectopic and one miscarriage behind me.
Promised myself I would never get so would up in it all I would end up on a website - posting!! You lot sound great though - great to find some others who can laugh about it at times!
I have not had a period for two months...took a serum test and it read a 3. The doc said they consider anything under 10, a negative. Could I still be pregnant?
last stage of IVF,well taking my blood test on april 20th.(scared and excited)i guess there really is not ACTUAL END to infertility.Either way if it works or not.As of today it is 17 days since my HCG injection and have had two positive HPT.Is this to soon ?I read on the net that if i had 10000 ui injected wich i did ,that it would take 14 to get out of my system,should i beleive what i read?And be happy about this possitve tests?My ming is so up in the air right now i dont know if iam comming or going,and i thought the two weeks wait was going to be the hardest,the next two days will kill me.This is my first attempt at IVF..only three eggs implanted and none to be frozen.Also wondering about miscarrages?are they very frequent in ladies older then 35?if any one has any answers or suport .. feel free
I had HCG drawn last Thursday and it was 11,395. Drawn again on Saturday and it was 13,000. Ultrasound done on Thursday showed me to be 5 weeks and 2 days. Doctor says I should be 7 weeks and 2 days. I show that I should've been 6 weeks that day because my LMP was 3/08/07. Anyway, I have had 2 previous miscarriages. Any hopes that I'm not miscarrying? Doubtful, huh?
frozen embryo transfer of 3 5-day blastocytes on 7th of June. my HCG levels on 20th was 32. Mt doctor says that is low. Having another blood test tomorrow. Is this a sign of a not viable pregnancy? What causes low HCG levels? How low is 32?
hi! i see you went through what i am going through with low hcg's-
did you double every 2 days?
i am praying for you !!
hi i had my hcg levels taking at the er and they told me thar they were 0.58 does anyone know if there 58 or just around 1 am i pregnant? can someone help me
poker strip truth
I had my blood work done and the nurse said my Hcg level was 23000 and I am 1-3 months pregnant does this mean Im having twins???????
I had my blood work done and the nurse said my Hcg level was 23000 and I am 1-3 months pregnant does this mean Im having twins???????
In er the dr said my hcg is a 5 does this mean im pregnate even though i came on my flow went off an bleeding again help someone what does this mean
I could be what? Pregnate or could be miscarrying with a hcg of 5 an bleeding
Hello. I am totally confused. I have just found out I am pregnant and my HCG is not doubling. I went to the doctor last Thursday and my HCG level was 7,000 and when I went back monday it was only 8,000 my doctor said he thinks I will miscarry. Has anyone had a situation like this?
just a little positive story for those out there with low hcg levels post ivf. two weeks after i had a 3 day embryo implanted my hcg level was 28. my doctor took me off all the drugs maintaining the pregnancy and told me I would certainly miscarry within a few days.A week later I had still not miscarried and home pregnancy tests continued to show up negative. I am now 26 weeks pregnant,I have had every test possible to determine any abnormalities with the baby and they have all been fine. I relies this may be a rare situation but it shows its possible to happen,and we all need a little hope in these situations.
I am about 4-5 weeks along and had my frist doc visit two days ago. They did blood work and saw that a hormone was low that protected the linning of my uterus but my hcg level was 2500. Now they had me come in today for more blood work to enusre it is rising. I hope so. But is 2500 normal for 4 to 5 wks. Please help?! And has anyone had to take prometrium before? Will this help or is it a lost cause? I have already had one miscarrage and im scared that it's about to happen again. Anybody went through anything like this please respond. Thanks!