HcG Tests - What Can They Tell
QUESTION
Dear Midwife,
My family doc ordered a "hcg quantitative" blood test to find out how many weeks along I am.
A friend of mine swears that there is no such test to determine this and thinks that my doc is a quack and I should get another doc. I AM going to a OB as soon as possible, but my family doc wants to follow along.
Is this test for real, and what are the chances that my "hcg qualitative & quantity" tests (done at two separate times) are "false positives"?
My friend doesn't even think I'm pregnant...I am stressing enough without having to deal with this.
ANSWER
The hcg will definitely say whether you are pregnant. If you get two done about 48 hours apart, comparing the results can also indicate if the pregnancy seems to be progressing normally.
But the hcg cannot tell you how far along you are, as womens' values vary tremendously in normal pregnancies.
-- Cynthia, CNM. PhD.
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Cynthia Flynn
Cynthia Flynn, CNM. PhD, teaches in the College of Nursing at Seattle University and is President of the American Association of Birth Centers. She also practices midwifery at Valley Medical Center where she cares for pregnant and birthing women, and practices well-woman gynecology, family planning, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.
Cynthia founded Columbia Women's Clinic and Birth Center, where she took care of pregnant women and infants up to two weeks of age and attended both birth center and hospital births. Before Cynthia earned her CNM, she worked as a registered nurse in labor and delivery and postpartum and is a certified Doula and Doula trainer.
Cynthia hosts a monthly "Ask the midwife" chat as well as answers questions via our expert section.
Listen to Cynthia live on Pregnancy.org Live: Before, During and After.
