Book Beta hCG Pregnancy Blood Test now!
£65 (Blood + Midwife Appointment)
Beta hCG, short for beta human chorionic gonadotrophin, is a hormone your body makes when you’re pregnant. After a fertilised egg attaches to your womb, your body starts producing this hormone. A pregnancy blood test can detect beta hCG in your bloodstream, often as early as 11 days after conception. This means you can find out if you’re pregnant sooner than with a home urine test. The levels of beta hCG increase quickly in early pregnancy, usually doubling every two to three days.
Measuring beta hCG levels helps doctors confirm your pregnancy and estimate how far along you are. They might check these levels to make sure your pregnancy is developing normally. If the beta hCG levels are not rising as expected, it could signal a problem like a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy. Understanding how beta hCG works can give you valuable information about your pregnancy and help you feel more informed during this exciting time.
- Same Day Reporting for appointments before 12:00 – weekends excluded
- 15 min midwife consultation included when taking the Beta hCG blood test with LPC
This service is designed to offer reassurance and clarity, especially in early pregnancy, without the need for a referral. Whether you’re trying to conceive or recently had a positive pregnancy test, our midwives are here to support you with expert care and clear next steps.
Important: This test includes phlebotomy and reporting. A full interpretation of results is included as part of your midwife consultation.
Other Useful services
London Pregnancy Clinic offers comprehensive follow-up consultations after your AMH test. These appointments with our experienced midwives or specialised GPs provide personalised care for your reproductive health. We recommend booking a consultation to address any concerns, enhance your wellbeing, and receive expert guidance on your pregnancy journey.
Viability Scan
After your Beta HCG blood test, consider booking your first pregnancy ultrasound screening at our leading pregnancy in London. We specialise in ultrasound scans and a wide array of pregnancy scans from 6-40 weeks of pregnancy. Our team of fetal medicine specialists will help to guide you through your pregnancy journey. We are open 7 days a week, with weekend and evening appointments available. London Pregnancy Clinic is here to help with all your pregnancy needs!
Midwife Consultation
After your beta hCG blood test, consider booking a midwife appointment at London Pregnancy Clinic. Our private midwifery service offers personalised antenatal care to support your physical and emotional wellbeing from the earliest stages of pregnancy. With over 15 years of experience, our expert midwives provide compassionate, tailored care—including early pregnancy support, antenatal classes, and postnatal advice.
Women’s Health GP
After your Beta HCG blood test, book a consultation with our specialised GPs. They have a special interest in Gynaecology. In many countries, community gynaecology services include annual check-ups. Our GPs provide these essential services and are your first contact for women’s health issues. They offer initial assessments for menopause, pregnancy, sexual health, and more. See our female GPs in London for expert care and enhance your pregnancy journey with a consultation today.
A beta hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) test is a blood test that measures the level of hCG in your bloodstream. This hormone is produced by the placenta shortly after a fertilised egg attaches to the uterine lining. hCG is commonly known as the “pregnancy hormone” because its presence is one of the earliest signs of pregnancy.
Healthcare professionals use the beta hCG test to confirm pregnancy, monitor its progression, or investigate concerns like bleeding or abdominal pain in early pregnancy. It can also be used to help diagnose and monitor certain medical conditions, including ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, or even some tumours that produce hCG.
A beta hCG test can be taken as early as 10 days after conception, although it’s most accurate when done after a missed period. For women undergoing fertility treatment or IVF, doctors often schedule this test around 14 days after embryo transfer to confirm implantation.
In cases of suspected complications such as miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, doctors may recommend serial beta hCG testing 48 hours apart to observe how levels change over time. A healthy pregnancy typically shows a doubling of hCG levels every 48–72 hours in early gestation.
The results of a beta hCG test are measured in milli-international units per millilitre (mIU/mL). A low or negative result usually means you’re not pregnant, while a high or rising value is a strong indicator of pregnancy. However, a single hCG value alone doesn’t provide the full picture.
Doctors often look at trends in hCG levels over time. A properly rising level usually points to a normal early pregnancy, while slow-rising or declining levels may indicate miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. Interpretation should always be done by a healthcare professional, taking into account symptoms and ultrasound findings.
Yes, a beta hCG blood test is a key tool in detecting ectopic pregnancies—where the embryo implants outside the uterus, most commonly in the fallopian tubes. In such cases, hCG levels may rise more slowly than expected or plateau, rather than doubling every 48–72 hours.
Doctors often combine beta hCG monitoring with transvaginal ultrasound scans to assess the location of the pregnancy. If the uterus is empty and hCG levels are above a certain threshold, it may suggest an ectopic pregnancy, requiring immediate medical attention.
Home pregnancy tests detect hCG in urine, while the beta hCG test is a blood test that provides an exact measurement of the hormone. Urine tests only indicate a positive or negative result, whereas blood tests offer quantitative information about how much hCG is present.
This makes the beta hCG test more sensitive and reliable, especially in early pregnancy or in cases where the pregnancy needs to be monitored closely. It’s also preferred in fertility clinics and hospitals to confirm successful embryo implantation after IVF.
At most private clinics and laboratories in the UK, beta hCG blood test results are available on the same day, particularly if the sample is taken in the morning. NHS results may take slightly longer depending on local lab capacity.
Rapid turnaround is crucial when investigating early pregnancy concerns or when the test is used in fertility treatment. Some clinics, like the London Pregnancy Clinic, offer same-day reporting for appointments before 12:00 noon on weekdays.
Normal beta hCG levels vary widely in early pregnancy, but they typically range from about 5 to 426 mIU/mL at 4 weeks, and from 1,080 to 56,500 mIU/mL at 6 weeks gestation. Levels tend to double every 48–72 hours in the first few weeks.
However, a single hCG value isn’t enough to diagnose a healthy pregnancy. What matters more is how the levels increase over time, so doctors often repeat the test every two days to track the hormone’s progression.
Yes, beta hCG tests are commonly used to monitor suspected miscarriage. If a pregnant person experiences bleeding or pain, serial hCG tests can help determine if the pregnancy is progressing normally or if there has been a loss.
Falling hCG levels or a plateau in hormone levels may suggest a miscarriage or a non-viable pregnancy. The results are often combined with ultrasound findings for a complete picture of the situation, enabling doctors to recommend the appropriate care.
Although beta hCG is primarily associated with pregnancy, high hCG levels in men or non-pregnant individuals can signal certain medical conditions. These may include testicular cancer, ovarian tumours, or other rare types of hCG-secreting cancers.
In such cases, hCG is used as a tumour marker to help diagnose and monitor treatment response. If a man or a non-pregnant woman has unexplained hCG in their blood, further tests and medical evaluation are essential.
