HCG levels start to drop immediately after the birth of a baby. The normal base level of 5 is normally achieved between 4 and 6 weeks following pregnancy. If somebody feels that their HCG levels are still high after 6 weeks of giving birth, they should consult a doctor, and possibly request a second opinion after a couple more weeks of the levels remaining high. It is also worth noting that some medications contain HCG, and this can affect the levels in the body after pregnancy. Cysts in the ovary also secrete HCG.
HCG (Hormone Chorionic Gonadotrophin) levels are the levels of the hormone that are released into the blood stream following conception. The levels start off low and then double every two days. A pregnancy test will show as positive once the levels reach between 50 and 80. It is important that the levels of HCG continue to rise during pregnancy and the normal levels for a woman who is six weeks pregnant is between 180 and 7,400. These can increase to up to 90,000 by the due date of the baby, and relax again relatively quickly after birth.
- Levels with multiple births
The levels of HCG in the body when a woman is due to give multiple birth will increase, but it should be remembered that everyone is different and levels of HCG vary from woman to woman.
There are a number of medicines that contain HCG, and these are used for the treatment of infertility. Another possibility for higher HCG levels after pregnancy are ovarian cysts. These secrete HCG, and will show positive results on ovulation tests, but not on pregnancy tests.
