Pregnancy brings with it numerous changes in the body. Most of them are hormonal. There are some hormones that are released only during pregnancy. These are known as pregnancy specific hormones and they have to be produced by your body quickly. The levels of the other important hormones should also be maintained according to the requirement during pregnancy. Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests – Click Here
The most important hormone of pregnancy is the human chorionic gonadotropin, which is also called the pregnancy hormone. It is released by the body within ten days of fertilization. This hormone is very important in that it helps you find out whether you are pregnant. All the pregnancy tests are based on the presence of this hormone in the urine and the blood. Presence of this hormone is a sure shot sign that you are pregnant.
However, it doesn’t end here. There is more to the hormone than just its presence. You have to think about the levels of hCG too. The levels will show you whether your pregnancy is normal or whether there may be complications in the near future.
hCG level and early pregnancy have been explained as follows.
The corpus luteum is nothing but an ovarian tissue. Its most important function is to produce the two female hormones estrogen and progesterone. Only when these hormones are produced can you expect your uterine lining to thicken in preparation for the implantation of the egg. The production of these hormones is enhanced when you ovulate. If you get pregnant, the levels will stay up but if you are not, the levels will come down. As a result, you will menstruate.
Once you are pregnant, the placenta will start producing hCG or human chorionic gonadotropin. The main function of this hormone is to maintain the functioning of the corpus luteum so that it keeps producing more and more estrogen and progesterone. Thus, you won’t menstruate.
Now it is surely clear that hCG is extremely important for pregnancy.
It is very important to note here that it is not your body that is producing hCG. It is the placenta or the developing embryo from where the hCG comes. This is the reason why you can confirm pregnancy through the detection of this hormone.
You can take a home pregnancy test to determine the presence of hCG in the urine and you can go to the clinic for a blood test in order to confirm the test result. If you have been trying to get pregnant and you really don’t want to wait to take the home pregnancy test, you can directly go to the doctor for a blood test. Blood tests are more accurate and the hCG can be determined in the blood much before it can be determined in the urine.
As aforementioned, the levels of hCG are very important. The main point to remember here is that your hCG levels have to increase throughout the first trimester. In the first few weeks of pregnancy, you will see a steady rise but after that you will see that the levels begin to double right through the end of the first trimester.
It is VERY important for the levels to surge through the first trimester. If they don’t, there is a complication for sure.
After the first trimester though, the levels will decline rapidly.
Depending on the levels of hCG in the blood, your doctor can determine if your pregnancy is healthy. There are three cases here
◘ In one case, the levels of hCG increase for sure but they don’t double every alternate day like they should. This means that you have an ectopic pregnancy.
◘ In the second case, the hCG levels are low. This suggests a miscarriage or a possible miscarriage.
◘ In the third case, the levels are extremely high. This suggests that you are going to have twins or multiple babies!
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