How long after intercourse that causes a pregnancy to occur do HCG levels begin to rise?

Question

I took an HCG blood test yesterday and I was at 2, I was wondering if the date of intercourse was less than 10 days from the date of the test, is it possible that I am pregnant and HCG levels have not begun to rise yet. Any info is greatly appreciated.

To answer a few of the questions asked, the reason that I was tested so early is that I had a miscarriage just over a month ago and asked to be checked. I'm not sure when I would have ovulated because I don't know how regular my cycles are at this point, if they are on track then I should have ovulated early this week. I am typically every 28 days like clockwork and conceive very easily, no mater what time of the month it is. In fact, according to the ovulation charts all three of my kids shouldn't exist! Thank you for your answers, I will test again next week.

Answer 1

Any hCG under 5 is normally considered a negative result.

For a pregnancy to establish the fertilised egg needs to develop and then implant into the uterine wall.

Once implanted, the embryo will start to interact with the mother's body, and hCG will be released into the bloodstream (and urine as a side effect).

The actual fertilization and implantation process for a natural conception can take anywhere from 8-14 days, although it is impossible to say for sure.

Once implanted, a normal pregnancy will see an immediate and sharp rise on the hCG levels - usually doubling every 48-72 hours. The actual levels of hCG do vary from woman to woman - what is encouraging is not necessarily a high level but it's the steady increase the doctors/nurses will look for.

Returning a negative blood test really early in proceedings (just a few days afetr sex) is not necessarily a sign that you have definitely not conceived, since pinpointing ovulation without the assistance of ultrasounds etc can sometimes be tricky. As an average, about 11 days after conception is the time when a test will first show a result - but this may not necessarily be 11 days after intercourse, since conception could easily happen up to 3 or 4 days after intercourse.

If you only had intercourse just 10 days ago, then a negative hCG result at this point does not necessarily mean you haven't conceived - you may have only actually conceived 6 or 7 days ago and so the embryo is still trying to compelte it's implantation process.

Was there any reason why you were tested to early?

In the case of IVF patients we normally blood test them at around 8 days post transfer, and we know there are embryos in there - we give the little guys a week to sort themeslves out and get implanted first. But a blood test 10 days after intercourse is very early indeed - wouldn't really give a clear result either way.

Answer 2

Your hCG levels double every 2 days after IMPLANTATION, NOT after conception. hCG only releases after the fertilized egg has implanted into your uterus. They say to wait 14-19 days after sex to test for pregnancy. And the reason for that is because some women ( like myself) implant later then others. Also some women don't know the exact date that they ovulated (Do you know when you ovulated?). From my experience, I tested 10 days after ovulation (I had sex the day before ovulation) and it said I was not pregnant. I tested 11 days after ovulation and it said I was not pregnant. It wasn't until 14 days after ovulation (15 days after sex) that I got a positive pregnancy test. Which means I implanted around 12 days after I ovulated (13 days after sex). Which means my hCG doubled over the next 2 days and that is why I got a positive pregnancy test at 14 days after ovulation (Remember, I ovulated the day after I had sex). Anyone on here that says your hCG doubles after conception is W R O N G..it doubles after IMPLANTATION. I have done tons of research on this. So wait a few days and test again. I hope I didn't confuse you!

Answer 3

They start to rise after implantation, which actually takes place several days after conception, which might as well happen couple of days after an intercourse. Count it roughly to be a week before you see a change, and 10 days are quite a possibility

Answer 4

When i was pregnant with my twins my hcg levels were higher than tgey were suppose to be. I was 5 weeks and the doctor said that my hormone levels said i was 9 weeks and then when i went to the doctor it was twins there now 2 & i have a 2 month old. All boys

Answer 5

They double every day after the day of conception.