How To Increase hCG Levels In Early Pregnancy: What Is The Normal Level?

First-time pregnancy comes with a lot of surprises and expectations and brings in a lot of concerns along with it as well. One such concern is making sure that you are maintaining a healthy hCG level.

hCG or human chorionic gonadotropin is the pregnancy hormone that the placenta produces and is responsible for maintaining a healthy pregnancy.

This hormone communicates with the body to produce progesterone and prevents menstruation. Moreover, test kits and blood tests detect the presence of hCG hormone in blood or urine to confirm pregnancy.

However, if you find out you are having a low hCG level during pregnancy, then what can you do to fix it? How to increase hCG levels in early pregnancy?

What is the Importance of hCG in Pregnancy?

Maintaining a healthy hCG level is important. It supports the fetus and helps in maintaining the pregnancy.

The hCG levels keep increasing rapidly during the first trimester and get to the highest level during the 10-12 weeks. It is responsible for a lot of factors during pregnancy, like:

• Implantation: hCG helps with the implantation of the fertilized egg into the lining of the uterus, starting the pregnancy.
• Placenta development: hCG is needed for the growth of the placenta and is also responsible for supplying nutrients and oxygen to the fetus.
• Fetal growth: It also promotes fetal growth and development, making sure that the fetus gets all the nutrients it needs.
• Production of hormones: hCG stimulates other hormone production like estrogen and progesterone. It helps maintain a healthy pregnancy.

Other than that, certain other conditions can be detected from the level of hCG hormone in the body, like molar pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, and different types of cancer.

Normal hCG Level in Pregnancy

Before we get to the normal level of hCG during pregnancy, we have to know the level that indicates whether you are pregnant or not.

Well, if the hCG level is less than 6mIU/mL, the pregnancy test is considered negative. When the result is anything more than 25mIU/mL, the pregnancy test is considered positive.

However, if you think of the level between 6 and 24mIU/mL, it is believed to be a grey area. The result cannot be deduced accurately. So, in this scenario, doctors mostly recommend waiting for a few days and then taking the test again.

Also, the normal level of hCG in pregnancy changes depending on the number of babies you are having.

Level of hCG In Pregnancy

hCG level has the potential to provide information about the progress of the pregnancy and the health of the baby. You can get it measured through urine or blood tests. hCG levels keep rising in the initial few weeks of pregnancy.

Here is a breakdown of the level of pregnancy hormone week-by-week that you can expect.

Pregnancy Week	hCG Level
3rd week	5-50 mIU/mL
4th week	5-426 mIU/mL
5th week	18-7340 mIU/mL
6th week	1,080-56,500 mIU/mL
7th-8th week	7,650-229,000 mIU/mL
9th-12th week	25,700-288,000 mIU/mL
13th-16th week	13,300-254,000 mIU/mL
17th-24th week	4,060-165,400 mIU/mL
25th-40th week	3,640-117,000 mIU/mL

Low hCG Level

hCG levels vary from one person to another. However, there is a normal range that should be maintained to have a healthy pregnancy.

A hCG level below the normal range, meaning 28,000-210,000mIU/mL even after the 12th week of pregnancy is considered low.

Low levels can be the result of the following:
• Miscarriage
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Miscalculation of gestational age
• Failed implantation

High hCG Level

A hCG level is considered high when the level goes above 28,000-210,000 mIU/mL after the 12th week of conception.

High hCG levels can indicate different problems with the pregnancy. There is a higher risk of complications arising in the pregnancy.

Different factors that cause high hCG levels are:
• Multiple pregnancies
• Molar pregnancy
• Gestational trophoblastic disease

How To Increase hCG Levels in Early Pregnancy?

If you are looking to know how to increase hCG levels in early pregnancy, let me inform you that there is no scientifically proven way. However, you can try to maintain a healthy pregnancy, and that might increase the hCG levels naturally. Here is what you can do.

A Healthy Diet

When you eat a well-balanced diet with a lot of proteins, fruits and vegetables, and a lot of whole grains it will provide a balanced diet and help maintain a healthy hCG level.

Regular Exercise

Physical activity like swimming and walking can help maintain a healthy body weight while reducing stress. This promotes a healthy pregnancy. However, you should avoid intense exercise.

Prenatal Vitamins

There are prenatal vitamins designed to support a healthy pregnancy. They ensure that you get all the nutrients that you are not getting from your food.

Reduce Stress

High levels of stress have a way of affecting hormone levels, and hCG is no exception to this. If you are a person who gets anxious and stressed easily, you should try some relaxation techniques, like yoga and meditation.

How To Increase hCG Levels in Early Pregnancy Through Food?

Having a balanced diet during pregnancy is very important. You can have a proper diet chart from a nutritionist and follow it throughout your pregnancy. Moreover, you can also follow an Indian diet during pregnancy if you like Indian food.

Here are some of the foods that you should include in your diet to maintain a balanced diet which can help maintain a healthy hCG level during pregnancy.

Protein-rich Food

Protein is important for the growth and development of a baby. You must include protein-rich food in your diet, like eggs, poultry.

Iron-rich Food

Iron is necessary for the production of RBC, as it carries oxygen to the fetus. So, ensure that you include food rich in iron like green vegetables, beans, and fortified cereals.

Food Containing Vitamin E

If you have to protect the cells from damage, you have to include food rich in vitamin E in your diet. Moreover, it improves the overall health of the mother and the fetus. You will get this vitamin from vegetable oil, seeds, nuts, and leafy green vegetables.

Food Rich in Antioxidants

Free radicals are responsible for causing cell damage. Your body will need sufficient antioxidants to protect them, and you can get these from fruits like berries, citrus fruits, and pomegranates.

Folate

Leafy green vegetables are one of the best sources of folate and are a must during pregnancy. Folate is a vitamin B and is necessary for the baby’s neural tube development. You can get it from broccoli, romaine lettuce, spinach, and asparagus.

Nutrients Essential for Maintaining hCG Level

As I mentioned earlier, nutrients are necessary for overall well-being and help maintain a healthy pregnancy full-term. Some of the essential nutrients that can help maintain a healthy hCG level are:

Vitamin C

It is an amazing source of antioxidants. Moreover, it improves the immune system and helps the body fight against infections. Also, it has its significance in collagen synthesis and is needed for growth and tissue repair.

Zinc

This is a key factor that is related to hormone reproduction. During the initial few weeks, zinc helps support the hCG production. Moreover, it encourages development as well as cell growth.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

It is needed for the baby’s eyes and brain development. They also have anti-inflammatory properties and take care of the overall health of the mother and the baby.

Are You Doing Everything Right?

If you are pregnant, and took the test to check the hCG levels and it does not match with the normal levels, then you should consult with the doctor once. However, most of the time there is nothing to panic about.

There are instances when a person has maintained a healthy pregnancy even with a low or high level of hCG. And you can confirm this from an ultrasound as well. If there is something concerning, the doctor will recommend regular monitoring of the hCG levels.

How to increase hcg levels in early pregnancy? You can do your part and try to maintain a healthy hCG level. So, do not worry, do your part, take care of yourself, and be in touch with your doctor.