During pregnancy, cells that shape the placenta produce a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin, or HCG as it more popularly known. And, a HCG blood qualitative or quantitative test will help determine the levels of HCG in the blood.

A HCG test is done as a part of the prenatal care for pregnant women, and to find out if the pregnancy is progressing the way it should be. It is common for HCG levels to double every 3 days, and hit the top levels in the first 8 to 11 weeks of pregnancy. Thereafter, the HCG levels slowly decline to stabilize during the rest of the pregnancy period.

A doctor is best placed to determine the HCG levels of a pregnant woman. However, in general if the HCG levels are dropping in the first trimester, it could be a sign of an imminent miscarriage. Usually the HCG level will hit zero once the spotting ends, or about 10 days after a miscarriage or D&C. However, this also varies from case to case. It takes a while for the HCG levels to come back to normal; 4 to 8 weeks or even 10 weeks in some cases after miscarriage. The reason for this is sometimes a bit of placenta could have clung to the uterus wall after miscarriage or D&C, and this could set in motion the secretion of very small amounts of pregnancy hormone and the miscarriage process.

It is always better to have your HCG levels checked during this time to ensure they are back to zero.

More Articles :

• Is Hcg Protocol Safe ?
• Is There A Rise In Hcg Levels After Miscarriage ?
• Side Effects Of And Hcg Weight Loss
• What Does Hcg Do ?