Pregnancy blood test (quantitative beta hCG)

The pregnancy blood test measures beta hCG, the hormone made by the developing placenta, and reports it as an exact number rather than a positive or negative. It is $59, and a KnowLuna doctor can request it for you at no extra charge. Add a 20-minute video consult for +$59 if you want the result explained. Collect at an accredited Australian centre, or choose a home kit or a nurse visit at checkout (options below).

What it measures

• Quantitative beta-hCG: the amount of human chorionic gonadotropin in your blood, measured in international units per litre. hCG appears once an embryo implants, rises quickly through the first weeks of pregnancy, peaks at around 8 to 11 weeks and then settles. Because the test gives a number, it can be repeated and compared.

Who it's for

Anyone who wants to confirm an early pregnancy properly, who has had an unclear or faint urine test result, or whose doctor has asked for hCG to be tracked over a few days. It is for adults aged 18 and over. It is also useful if you are trying to conceive and want an answer earlier than a home test can reliably give one.

Blood test or urine test?

A home urine test looks for hCG in urine and gives a yes or no. It is accurate when used from the day your period is due, and for most women it is all that is needed.

A blood test differs in two ways. It detects lower levels, so it can confirm pregnancy several days earlier, generally from about 10 days after conception. And it is quantitative: instead of a line, you get a figure, which is what makes it possible to see whether the number is rising as expected when that question matters.

What a blood test does not do is date the pregnancy or tell you where it is. Only an ultrasound can do those things, which is why an early scan usually follows.

What you'll learn, and what you won't

A single result confirms whether hCG is present and how high it is. That is often the whole answer: pregnancy confirmed, and a number to take to your first appointment.

One number cannot tell you how a pregnancy is progressing. Levels vary enormously between healthy pregnancies at the same stage, so a result that looks low or high compared with a chart is frequently normal. A blood test is one input to a doctor's assessment, not a diagnosis on its own. Where the trend matters, a second collection 48 hours later is what your doctor reads, not the first figure alone.

Reference ranges and what they mean

The figures below are the wide typical bands laboratories publish for weeks counted from the first day of your last period. They overlap heavily, and a result outside a band is not in itself a problem.

Weeks since last period	Typical hCG range (IU/L)	What it usually means
Not pregnant	Under about 5	hCG is essentially absent. A very low positive is usually repeated a few days later.
3 to 4 weeks	Roughly 5 to 400	Early positive. The number matters far less than the fact it is rising.
5 to 6 weeks	Roughly 20 to 60,000	The spread is enormous between normal pregnancies at the same stage.
7 to 8 weeks	Roughly 7,000 to 230,000	Approaching the peak, which is usually reached around 8 to 11 weeks.
After the peak	Falls, then plateaus for the rest of pregnancy	A falling level in the second trimester is expected and normal.

Ranges vary by laboratory; your report shows the range your lab uses. Typical ranges on this page are drawn from Pathology Tests Explained (RCPA) and the sources listed below.

In the earliest weeks, hCG typically rises by at least about 50 per cent over 48 hours and often close to doubles, and the expected minimum falls to about 35 per cent once levels are higher. That is why two collections two days apart tell a doctor much more than one. A slower rise, a plateau or a fall is a reason for prompt review with your doctor, usually with an ultrasound, and is not something to interpret alone.

If you have one-sided or severe pain, shoulder-tip pain, bleeding, dizziness or fainting, do not wait for a self-ordered test. Contact your GP, an early pregnancy assessment service or an emergency department, who can arrange the blood test and an ultrasound together.

When to do this test

Any time from about 10 days after conception, which is a few days before your period would be due. From the day your period is due the result is most reliable. No fasting is needed, and the time of day does not matter. If your doctor has asked for a trend, collect the second sample about 48 hours after the first, ideally at the same collection centre so the same assay is used.

Results are usually available within a business day or two, and sooner in many locations. If a result needs prompt discussion, a doctor contacts you directly rather than leaving it in your account.

What happens next

• Confirm and book care. Take the result to your GP or midwife to start antenatal care and arrange a dating ultrasound.
• Screening from 10 weeks. NIPT screens for the common chromosome conditions from 10 weeks, and first trimester ultrasound screening is usually offered at 11 to 13 weeks.
• Before a next pregnancy. A preconception check covers iron, thyroid, vitamin D and immunity, which are worth knowing early rather than late.

How it works

• Order online. Either upload the request your own doctor has signed, or a KnowLuna doctor requests the test for you at no extra charge.
• Collect at an accredited centre near you, or choose a home kit or a nurse visit (options below). Any time from about 10 days after conception, no fasting.
• Results are usually ready within a few business days, explained in your account, with an optional consult if you want to talk them through.

Choose how you collect

Every option is the same accredited test and the same report. Pick what suits you at checkout; the fee, if any, is added to either pathway price.

Common questions

Sources and further reading

• Pathology Tests Explained (RCPA): beta hCG quantitation
• Barnhart KT et al. Symptomatic patients with an early viable intrauterine pregnancy: hCG curves redefined. Obstet Gynecol 2004
• Healthdirect: hCG test
• Healthdirect: hCG levels
• Pregnancy, Birth and Baby: pregnancy tests

General information only, not medical advice. A test result is one input to a doctor's assessment, not a diagnosis on its own, and every abnormal result is followed up by a KnowLuna doctor. If your symptoms are severe or sudden, see a doctor promptly. Read our medical disclaimer.

Related

• All pregnancy tests
• Non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT)
• Preconception check
• hCG levels by week
• Preconception blood tests checklist