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Beta Levels in Early Pregnancy

Beta levels in early pregnancy can vary greatly - see chart below. It's the presence of this hormone human chorionic gonadotropin or hCG that will determine a positive on a home pregnancy test.

Hormones actually run the show when pregnancy happens.

It's hormones that prompt the ovary to release an egg - it's hormones that keep the fertilized egg growing and becoming a tiny baby. Conception is a remarkable time of change. Fluctuations in the hormones can cause an array of symptoms such as morning sickness, Braxton hicks contractions and so on. Understanding these hormones help to prepare for what may occur over the nine months of pregnancy.

The increase in the levels of hCG (see chart above on beta levels in early pregnancy), estrogen and progesterone will cause some major changes in the body. The uterus and abdomen muscles will expand to take on the growing fetus. The breast changes to nourish the baby after birth.

The breasts are one of the first things you notice changing during pregnancy. They enlarge as the milk-producing glands swell in size. The rising levels of estrogen and progesterone are the hormones responsible for the changes in the breasts.
 

Progesterone is first produced by the corpus luteum (the cyst that was formed from the egg at ovulation).

This keeps the uterine lining from shedding. A few weeks later the placenta will take over the production of progesterone. Progesterone levels are about ten time higher in a pregnant woman than in a non-pregnant woman.

Low levels of progesterone can cause miscarriages and preterm labor or premature birth. It's progesterone that keeps the uterus from contracting. It promotes the growth of blood vessels in the walls of the uterus where the baby will receive her nourishment.

The placenta also produces estrogen, as well as the ovaries.

Estrogen is key in conception, prompting the ovary to release a mature egg to be fertilized.

Estrogen is responsible for changes in the cervix, vagina, breasts and uterus. Estrogen also influences the production of insulin. The levels of estrogen and progesterone are supposed to rise and maintain the pregnancy.

The levels may fluctuate causing an array of problems ranging from morning sickness to gestational diabetes and premature birth. The levels peak out right before birth then drop dramatically. It's the drop that can cause post partum depression, night sweats and mood swings.

Let's get back to hCG and the beta levels in early pregnancy. It's produced by the placenta in small amounts at first, then increases as the pregnancy progresses. It can be detected in both urine and blood. hCG is responsible for helping your body to keep from rejecting the baby. If hCG levels start to fall off in early pregnancy, it could be a sign of impending miscarriage.