Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is a hormone produced by cells that eventually form the placenta during pregnancy. It is often used as a marker to detect pregnancy. After the fertilized egg implants in the uterine lining, it takes some time for the body to start producing hcg, and hcg levels begin to rise.
Normally, hcg can be detected in the blood 7-10 days (about 1 and a half weeks) after conception. This corresponds to about 3-4 days before a short period.
Then hcg levels continue to rise rapidly in the early weeks of pregnancy. They double approximately every 48 to 72 hours, peak around 8-11 weeks of pregnancy, and then gradually decrease as pregnancy progresses.
It's important to note that while blood tests can already detect hcg, home pregnancy tests often recommend waiting until the day of your expected period for accurate results. This is because the amount of HCG in the body may not be high enough to be detected in the early stages of pregnancy.
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