If you are researching “in-vitro fertilisation” or any other fertility treatment, chances are that you have come across the term “hCG levels” more than a few times. Also called the pregnancy hormone, Human chorionic gonadotropin helps detect a positive pregnancy.
In this article, we will teach you everything there is to know about hCG levels after IVF frozen transfer. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
What Is hCG?
Also known as “Human Chorionic Gonadotropin,” hCG is a hormone produced by the cells around the embryo in a female. This hormone plays an integral role in the development of the placenta, where the embryo implants itself. During the first trimester of the pregnancy, hCG maintains progesterone levels which indicates healthy uterine lining and fetal growth.
Even though the hCG levels can be quite high during the first three months of the pregnancy, they tend to decrease as you step into the second trimester. In fact, according to research, in the first four weeks of pregnancy, the test hCG levels can double every 48 to 72 hours. This slows down in the sixth week and reaches peak levels in the eighth and eleventh weeks.
Overall, no matter whether you are opting for a normal pregnancy or an infertility treatment (such as in In-Vitro Fertilisation), the presence of hCG is very important as it ensures the health of the embryo until a strong placenta is formed. While hCG levels over 25 mIU/ml after a frozen embryo transfer will produce a positive pregnancy, hCG levels below 5mIU/ml indicate a false pregnancy.
What Is a Good hCG Level After FET (Frozen Embryo Transfer)?
The results of the beta hCG test will vary depending on the type of embryo you transferred (frozen or fresh) and when the test was performed. Generally, if your beta hCG levels are above 100, it is considered good or, in simpler words, is an indication of successful implantation.
However, one thing that is even more important than the initial value of the hCG level is the rate of increase over time. Ideally, the beta hCG should double every 24 to 48 hours during the initial three months of the pregnancy.
The higher the percentage of increasing hCG levels after two days of the frozen embryo transfer, the higher will be the chances of a successful pregnancy.
Typically, there are three beta hCG tests (assuming the first and second are positive). At five to eight weeks, you move on to a vaginal ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy by checking for a heartbeat and a gestational sac.
Compared to hCG levels, this ultrasound is a far better predictor of pregnancy outcomes. Thus, do not become alarmed if your first beta is low.
IVF hCG Levels Chart
hCG levels tend to rise rapidly during the first trimester of pregnancy. The table below shows the normal range of beta hCG levels during the first 18 months of pregnancy.
| Weeks | hCG Levels |
| 3 weeks | 5 – 72 mIU/ mL |
| 4 weeks | 10 -708 mIU/mL |
| 5 weeks | 8,245 mIU/mL |
| 6 weeks | 152 – 32,177 mIU/mL |
| 7 weeks | 4,059 – 153,767 mIU/mL |
| 8 weeks | 31,366 – 149,094 mIU/mL |
| 9 weeks | 59,109 – 135,901 mIU/mL |
| 10 weeks | 44,186 – 170,409 mIU/mL |
| 12 weeks | 27,107 – 201,165 mIU/mL |
| 14 weeks | 24,302 – 93,646 mIU/mL |
| 15 weeks | 12,540 – 69,747 mIU/mL |
| 16 weeks | 8,904 – 55,332 mIU/mL |
| 17 weeks | 8,240 – 51,793 mIU/mL |
| 18 weeks | 9,649 – 55,271 mIU/mL |
hCG Levels 9 Days After Embryo Transfer
Nine days after the frozen embryo transfer, the hCG levels should be around 49.05 mIU/ mL for predicting a normal clinical pregnancy and 105.15 mIU/ mL for predicting a twin pregnancy.
However, note that in the case of a frozen embryo transfer, the hCG levels won’t be produced at a detectable level in the first ten days.
During this time, in order to increase the chances of implantation, your fertility doctor might recommend you to eat and live like you are already pregnant.
hCG Levels 10 to 17 Days After Embryo Transfer
At 17 days post-fertilization (14dp3dt or 12dp5dt), a strong beta number would be over 200 mIU/mL (or IU/L; they are similar). According to a study of 523 IVF pregnancies, betas > 200 IU/L at this point had the highest success rates. In this study, singleton pregnant women with lower serum hCG levels had increased chances of early pregnancy loss and ectopic pregnancy (just one baby).
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Twin hCG Levels After IVF
According to a medical study, the hCG levels on day thirteen of the embryo transfer in a woman who was pregnant were 329 mIU/mL, which indicated a 33% chance of delivering twins and a 55% chance of a single baby. Whereas the hCG levels in a woman pregnant with twins were 544 mIU/mL.
Note that if hCG levels are greater and equivalent to 768 mIU/mL, there is an 81% chance of having twins and a 19% risk of one baby vanishing. Therefore, hCG levels in a woman pregnant with twins or triplets are usually higher compared to a single pregnancy.
What Is a Frozen Embryo Transfer?
A frozen embryo transfer (FET) is a type of fertility treatment (IVF) in which a cryopreserved embryo created in a previous egg retrieval cycle is extracted and transferred to the uterus. During a FET, the fertility specialist employs the use of frozen embryos that a gestational parent has from an earlier conventional IVF cycle.
Furthermore, a donor embryo can also be a cryopreserved embryo. A frozen embryo transfer can be done in the mother’s or the surrogate’s womb.
Difference Between hCG Levels in Fresh and Frozen Embryo Transfers
Compared to frozen embryo transfer, fresh embryo transfers have a faster rate of rising hCG levels. Primarily because during the simulation phase of the fresh embryo transfer, the female patient is given injections that increase the hCG drastically. This can, at times, even trigger a false pregnancy.
On the flip side, during a frozen embryo transfer, you don’t require any trigger shots, which means that the elevated beta hCG levels are a positive indicator of pregnancy.
What Do High hCG Levels Mean During Pregnancy?
High hCG levels could simply indicate that your pregnancy is more far along than first assumed.
They may, however, also be a sign of many pregnancies or a greater likelihood that your child may be born with Down syndrome. Remember that your fertility doctor will monitor high or low hCG levels to determine and understand what is happening in your body.
What Do Low hCG Levels Mean During Pregnancy?
Similar to high hCG levels, low hCG can indicate several things. Therefore it’s advised to consult with our fertility specialist and not to draw hasty conclusions. The team of fertility specialists will recheck your hCG levels every 48 to 72 hours to confirm whether the hormone levels are low or high. Low hCG levels may suggest the following thing:
- You aren’t as far along in your pregnancy as initially thought.
- A miscarriage.
- A Blighted Ovum.
- An ectopic pregnancy.
What Is a Beta hCG Test?
A beta hCG test is conducted two weeks after the IVF transfer. The test measures the hCG levels in your blood and is used to evaluate your fertility options and how things are going in your pregnancy. During the beta hCG pregnancy test, the hCG levels are measured in milli-international units per milliliter (miU/mL).
Summary – hCG Levels After IVF Frozen Transfer
Produced by the placenta following conception, hCG (Human chorionic gonadotropin) is a hormone that helps in the detection of a healthy pregnancy after IVF transfer. While most home-based pregnancy tests will pick an hCG reading 11 to 12 days after an embryo transfer, you can always get a blood test to be sure.
During a normal pregnancy, the hCG levels will double every 48 to 72 hours. Keeping a close eye on beta hCG levels can help you detect a complication at an early stage, such as the chances of a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.
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