Understand the Result of the Blood Pregnancy Test

The best Pregnancy Test for the confirmation of pregnancy is the blood test since, through this test, it is possible to detect small amounts of the hormone HCG, which is produced during pregnancy. The result of the blood test indicates that the woman is pregnant when the values of the beta-hCG hormone are greater than 5.0 mlU / ml.

The pregnancy blood test can be performed 10 days after the fertile period or from the first day the menstrual delay occurs. To carry it out it is not necessary to carry a medical prescription and it is not necessary to be fasting. Usually, the result is ready a few hours after the collection of the blood sample.

What is hCG?

The acronym hCG represents the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone, which is only produced when the woman is pregnant or has a serious hormonal disorder caused by a disease. Normally, the beta hCG blood test is only performed when pregnancy is suspected because its result is more faithful than the pharmacy pregnancy test that measures the amount of this hormone but in the urine.

However, when the test result is not detectable or inconclusive, and the woman has symptoms of pregnancy, the test should be repeated 3 days later. See what are the first 10 symptoms of pregnancy.


Beta hCG Quantitative Table

The table below shows the amount of Beta hCG hormones present in each week of gestation:

Difference Between Quantitative and Qualitative HCG Beta

As the name itself says, the quantitative beta-hCG test indicates the amount of hormone present in the blood. This test is done from the collection of a blood sample that is sent to the laboratory for analysis. From the result of the test, it is possible to identify the concentration of the hCG hormone in the blood and, depending on the concentration, indicate the week of gestation.

The qualitative HCG beta test is the pharmacy pregnancy test that only indicates whether the woman is pregnant or not, so it does not reflect the concentration of this hormone in the blood, and the gynecologist usually asks for the blood test to confirm pregnancy. Know when the pregnancy test can give false-positive results.

How to Know you Pregnant with Twins

In cases of pregnancy of twins, the hormone values are higher than those indicated for each week, but to confirm and know the number of twins, an ultrasound should be done from the 6th week of gestation.

The woman may suspect that she is pregnant with twins when she gets to know approximately in which week she became pregnant, and compare with the table above to verify the corresponding amount of beta hCG. If the numbers are true, you may be pregnant with more than 1 baby, but this can only be confirmed by ultrasound.

Other Test Results

The results of beta hCG may also indicate problems such as ectopic pregnancy, abortion, or an impregnated pregnancy, which is when the embryo does not develop.

These problems can usually be identified when the hormone values are lower than expected for the gestational age of the pregnancy, being necessary to consult the obstetrician to assess the cause of the hormonal alteration.

What to do After Confirming Pregnancy

After confirming the pregnancy with the blood test, it is important to schedule a consultation with the obstetrician to start prenatal follow-up and indicate the performance of certain tests that are necessary to ensure a healthy pregnancy, without complications such as preeclampsia or gestational diabetes, for example.