How long during pregnancy is HCG present?

[Bumperstump Cummerbund]

I'm sure I read somewhere that after a certain gestation, Mum doesn't produce HCG anymore - is that right? What gestation is it?

[Rainbow_Mumma]

i was told it was 12 weeks which is why its best to test at 18DPO BUT having said that just then out of curiosity (as isnt it the hcg that makes the tests positive) i just did a test and still positive although obviously pregnant i was under the impression after a certain time you'd get a false reading because of the drop in hcg .... sorry that wasnt any help!

ETA - fixed up due to tpying how many weeks i am rather than how many weeks i got told hcg drops DUH!!!

[Bumperstump Cummerbund]

No, that was very helpful MrsS, exactly the info I was looking for

[skybie]

i thought it just leveled out, not stopped all together...not entirely sure

[Rainbow_Mumma]

sorry just edited it due to a major brain fart! i meant 12 weeks not 30!!

[LionsandBears]

I'm pretty sure it doesn't stop until after bub is born. It levels out or the amount reduces, but it's always there.

The reason why after a while HPTs stop being positive is because after a certain level, they are saturated in HCG and can't register it anymore.

I'd google it.

[mummydreamer]

wow!! sorry i actually have no useful info, but just wanted to say how interesting! i had no idea about any of it Lol.

[toomanyshoes]

I'm fairly sure they peak around 12-13 weeks then taper off until the baby is born but are always present while pregnant.

[LionsandBears]

OK. I had to google

Levels rise until about 8-11 weeks, then level off and start to reduce.

Here's the HCG levels for gestation. Note the wide ranges. It's the doubling time that matters, not the actual HCG #

3 weeks gestational age: 5 - 50 mIU/ml
4 weeks gestational age: 5 - 426 mIU/ml
5 weeks gestational age: 18 - 7,340 mIU/ml
6 weeks gestational age: 1,080 - 56,500 mIU/ml
7 - 8 weeks gestational age: 7, 650 - 229,000 mIU/ml
9 - 12 weeks gestational age: 25,700 - 288,000 mIU/ml
13 - 16 weeks gestational age: 13,300 - 254,000 mIU/ml
17 - 24 weeks gestational age: 4,060 - 165,400 mIU/ml
25 - 40 weeks gestational age: 3,640 - 117,000 mIU/ml

Non-pregnant females: <5.0 mIU/ml
Postmenopausal: <9.5 mIU/ml

At hCG levels below 1,200 mIU/ml the hCG usually doubles every 48-72 hours.
Between 1,200 and 6,000 mIU/ml serum, the hCG usually takes about 72-96 hours to double, and above 6,000 mIU/ml, the hCG often takes over four or more days to double. It makes little sense to follow the hCG values above 6,000 mIU/ml as at this point the increase is normally slower and not related to how well the pregnancy is doing.

[Bumperstump Cummerbund]

I think we looked at the same page Tash

So, say someone had a surprisingly firm lower abdomen, despite being very overweight, but it wasn't that firm a couple of weeks ago. And, say that same person doesn't have regular periods, and hasn't stopped bleeding anyway, so couldn't backdate anything. And finally, say that same person had been waking up with insane lower back and side pain for no obvious reason for the past 9 or 10 weeks. What conclusion would a sane person come to?

[toomanyshoes]

Go to the Dr

It really could be a number of things but if the pain is enough to leave you breathless or stop you in your tracks its worth being seen to and considering how long its be going on I would see a Dr sooner rather than later.

[PumpkinZulu]

Eeek!

[Bumperstump Cummerbund]

Yeah, I've got an ultrasound next week for it, except it only occurred to me last night that it could be.....what we're talking about. I thought it was a lump on my right side, but I felt it on my left last night, and then realised that it goes all the way across. The pain is really weird, its like I'm tensing my core muscles, and they won't release. I have to sit down for about half hour before the pain goes, and I don't feel it again after that, til the next morning.

Oh, I mean 'my friend' has an ultrasound next week

[LionsandBears]

It could be a number of things - both good and not so good. I'd go to a dr and ask for a scan. Weren't you due for a scan soon anyway?

Have you done an HPT? if you think you may be pregnant?

Fx it's a good something

[toomanyshoes]

gee next week? If the bleeding or pain gets worse I would get yourself to an ER.

[~Stoked~]

I had two very, VERY feint positives after my baby was born (about 8-10 weeks after) and it turns out I had retained placenta. Probably not much help there just thought I'd add my two cents! Haha
Goodluck

[LionsandBears]

I am a worrywort, so I say get in earlier.

Hope your 'friend' is OK

[Bumperstump Cummerbund]

Actually I'm wrong, the scan isn't til the 12th. I'd much prefer a sooner one, but this is a special clinic with GYNO's who have specialised in women's imaging, so there's a bit of a queue. I'm not bleeding flat out, just spotting. It didn't occur to me that the back pain would be related, but there's no other explanation for it, it just started happening one morning.

Symptoms -

Nausea in afternoons, never vomiting (I don't tend to vomit anyway, even with gastro)
No nipple changes, but have grown about half a cup size
Core pain
Spotting
Exhausted - falling asleep at my desk around 10-10.30 and 2-3 every day, nanna naps on weekends (still using CPAP machine, so not sleep apnoea)
Hard lower abdomen

They're all I can think of at the moment. I've still got a test at home, so I'll do that with FMU tomorrow.

PZ