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Is it possible to determine pregnancy by blood
Most often, women find out about the onset of pregnancy by a urine test, which is purchased at a pharmacy. However, this test may show an incorrect result, it is more accurately possible to determine pregnancy by blood. This method is considered the most reliable.
How to determine pregnancy by blood?
The essence of determining pregnancy by blood analysis is to identify a special “pregnancy hormone” – chorionic gonadotropin. It is produced by the cells of the membrane of the embryo immediately after attachment to the wall of the uterus.
When analyzing for hCG, doctors determine the presence of chorionic tissue in a woman’s body, which indicates pregnancy. The level of this hormone during pregnancy first increases in the blood, and only then in the urine.
Therefore, the hCG test gives the correct results a few weeks earlier than the pharmacy pregnancy test.
Blood is donated for analysis in the morning, on an empty stomach. When donating blood at other times of the day, you should refuse to eat 5-6 hours before the procedure. It is imperative to notify the doctor about taking hormonal and other medications so that the test results are decoded correctly.
When is it better to donate blood to determine the level of hCG?
The level of “pregnancy hormone” in 5% of women with the onset of pregnancy begins to increase within 5-8 days from the moment of conception. In most women, the amount of the hormone increases from 11 days from conception. The maximum concentration of this hormone is reached by 10-11 weeks of pregnancy, and after 11 weeks its amount gradually decreases.
It is better to donate blood for hCG 3-4 weeks from the day of the last menstruation in order to get a more reliable result
Now you know whether it is possible to determine pregnancy by blood and when it is better to do it. Doctors recommend taking such an analysis twice, with an interval of several days. This is necessary in order to notice an increase in the level of hCG compared to the previous test result.