A blood test for hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is currently one of the most reliable methods for diagnosing and determining pregnancy. This hormone is produced by the embryonic membrane throughout the entire period of gestation, and its concentration level varies depending on the period. The largest numbers are noted for a period of 10-12 weeks.
When a woman receives a referral for this study, the question most often arises of how to donate blood for hCG. After all, this is one of the most exciting moments, so you want to prepare for it, as expected. Indeed, such a diagnosis requires special conditions that significantly increase the reliability of the results. The basic rule that every woman who goes to the laboratory should remember is that she donates blood for hCG on an empty stomach and nothing more! Why is it so important? The fact is that hormones are subject to absolutely any factor from the outside, as a result of which the figures obtained can change in one direction or another. Accordingly, such an analysis cannot be considered reliable, and the consequences may lead to an incorrect diagnosis. That is why eacha pregnant woman needs to approach this issue with full responsibility and ask the doctor for all the details about how to donate blood for hCG.
What else does chorionic gonadotropin say?
Determining the level of this indicator can provide information about some other circumstances regarding the unborn child, namely:
- Having an ectopic pregnancy.
- Lack of placental nutrition.
- Presence of risks conducive to miscarriage.
- Postterm pregnancy.
- The presence of defects in the fetus.
In addition, excessively elevated rates may indicate toxicosis, diabetes, multiple pregnancies and late gestosis. These circumstances once again emphasize the fact that you definitely need to know how to donate blood for hCG.
How is a regular pregnancy test different?
Strange as it may seem, but the study of urine is carried out with the determination of the same indicator, i.e. hCG, but their effectiveness is not as high as in the blood. They can show a more accurate result at later stages of pregnancy. This is due to the fact that the concentration of hormones in the blood is several times higher than in the urine.
Possible errors
Even if you learned how to donate blood for hCG, and did everything right, sometimes mistakes still happen. Most often this happens when a woman does not wait for a delay in menstruation. It is ideal to conduct such a study on the 10-12th day from the moment of conception.
If the blood on hCG is negative?
Sometimes, with obvious signs of pregnancy, the analysis shows a low level of the indicator, which may indicate an ectopic location of the embryo. If the results after high numbers suddenly began to show negative, then you can suspect an incipient miscarriage or fetal fading. In both cases, immediate hospitalization of the woman to the hospital is required.
