What is hCG in Pregnancy

What is hCG in Pregnancy?
And other pregnancy hormones
By Lori Ramsey of Stages-inPregnancy.com

hCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin. It’s the hormone that is produced when a fertilized egg implants into the uterine wall. hCG works with the other pregnancy hormones – progesterone, estrogen and prolactin in maintaining the pregnancy. Home pregnancy tests detect hCG – the presence of a certain amount of hCG will render a positive result.

The absence of hCG will render a negative result.

hCG is produced by the placenta in minute amounts at first. It increases as pregnancy progresses and can be detected in both blood and urine. hCG helps to prevent a woman’s body from rejecting the developing baby. If the hCG levels start to fall in early pregnancy it could result in miscarriage.

Pregnancy is completely ruled by hormones. From the beginning of the fertility cycle all the way through post partum it’s hormones that instigate every step of the unfolding pregnancy. Because conception is such a time of change in a woman’s body, the hormones fluctuate often. The fluctuations cause an array of symptoms from morning sickness as well as the Braxton Hicks contractions.

The hormones of pregnancy will instigate many changes in a woman’s body, such as:

Uterine and abdominal muscle expansion
Breast changes so they are capable of producing milk to feed the baby after birth. Breast changes are among the first you will notice during pregnancy. As women’s breasts enlarge, the milk-producing glands swell.

The hormone progesterone is first produced by the corpus luteum. This is the cyst that formed when the egg bursts forth from the ovary. Progesterone keeps the uterine lining from shedding and keeps the menstrual cycle from showing. In addition, progesterone levels soar to ten times higher than usual during pregnancy.

If the progesterone levels are too low, it can cause miscarriages and pre-term labor. Because progesterone keeps the uterus from contracting and shedding it’s lining, if progesterone levels are lacking, these things will occur. Progesterone promotes the growth of blood vessels in the uterus, thus providing nourishment for the growing baby.

Progesterone is produced later on by the placenta, when the corpus luteum dies. The placenta also produces estrogen along with the ovaries. Estrogen is what prompts the ovaries to release a mature egg for fertilization, and also is responsible for changes in the cervix, vagina, breasts and uterus. Estrogen also influences the production of insulin.

Heightened estrogen and progesterone levels are needed to maintain the pregnancy. Fluctuations in the levels of these two female hormones can cause an array of problems--from morning sickness to gestational diabetes and premature birth. The hormones will peak out prior to birth, then drop dramatically “post-partum”. It’s this dramatic drop that can cause post-partum depression as well as night sweats.