My doctor gave me a hCG level chart when I found out I was pregnant to be able to draw on and follow my doubling time and it made me so happy. I think she did it in the hopes that it would help ease any fears or worries about my rising beta hCG levels given I have a history of miscarriage with a couple of losses and an ectopic pregnancy. I didn’t think much of it – until I started using the HCG chart and, honestly, I found that it helped me so much to have something to refer to, that I could plot my levels on. It gave me much reassurance in a time where online sources would only give me vague beta HCG ranges and everyone would have the same old response of something along the lines of “that seems normal, it varies so much, wait until your ultrasound”.
HCG Levels – Twins Chart By Week
So if you’re like me and you love having something to draw on that you can physically hold in your hand (and obsess over), I decided to quickly whip up my own version of the chart! And by quickly, I actually mean it took me hours – ha. All of the metrics (the HCG level numbers, week by week after the last menstrual period) are taken identically from the chart I was given and that both my private doctor and our hospital use, so I feel confident with the values on it. More than that, it also has values for the 5th and 95th percentiles, as well as showing the average hCG values at the 50th percentile. Which is so great.
If you’re new to percentiles, it’s just a statistical term for how data compares to other data from the same set. What that means in easy-to-understand terms is that the majority of people will fall closer to the 50th percentile ‘average’. There will be plenty of people who find their values are around the lower line at the 5th percentile, as well as the higher line at the 95th percentile. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being at the other end – it does not mean you’re abnormal or anything is wrong. It just means that you’re one of the people who are naturally on the lower or upper end – which is how the percentiles exist – because there have to be people on either end. Just mark your values and it’s very likely that you’ll find yourself going along at a normal rate, regardless of the percentile value.
Note: my first tracked along the 15th percentile my whole pregnancy, and was born at the 2nd percentile, and he’s the happiest, healthiest kid. So please don’t worry if you’re on one of the ‘ends’ of the chart.
Twin HCG Levels Chart (Printable)
The original chart I was given was for a singleton, so I’ve done two things:
- Recreated the singleton chart – because this reflected my own pregnancy and hCG numbers for my twin pregnancy a lot better as I didn’t have elevated hCG levels, even though it was twins.
- Created a second chart specifically for twin hCG levels week by week, by taking the singleton levels and adding 40% to the values. I chose 40% because all of the resources I read on elevated twin levels stated they tend to be higher on average by between 30-50%, so selecting 40% as an ‘average’ seemed like a good midpoint.
Of course, I’ve tried to keep the chart simple but lovely and beautiful because every moment of this journey should be enjoyed – including tracking your beta hcg numbers! You get both charts in the same PDF.
How To Read The HCG Level Chart For Twins
To mark the points accurately on the chart, just look up how far along you are, which are the numbers down the bottom, labeled “weeks after last menstrual period”. So if you had your hCG levels tested at 4 weeks exactly like I did, you just follow that line up from the number ‘4’ until you find your corresponding hCG result number on the left-hand side, and put a cross or a dot or a heart there. If you had your hCG levels tested at 4 weeks and 3 days (4+3), then start at the 4 and just count three little lines across and then go up to your hCG number.
I had my beta levels checked at both 4 weeks exactly and 4+2, so I’ll give examples of both below so you can make sure you’re doing it right. I’ll do it for a few of my higher numbers too so you can see my curve.
I mentioned this before, but the most important thing I was told about the chart is that it doesn’t matter where you start – it’s all about how you’re tracking along the curve. If you’re following the curve at 25% or at 95%, both are great, because you’re following the curve that’s right for you. What you don’t want is to be dropping off the curve and going downwards, or having a highly abnormal pattern, if that makes sense. The way the three percentile lines are trending (or similar) is ideal, regardless of the starting point.
Twin HCG Levels At 4 Weeks: My Numbers
My HCG level with my twins at 4 weeks (4+0) exactly was 300 and two days later at 4+2, it hadn’t quite doubled but had risen to 560. If you haven’t read it – I’ve shared all about how my initial beta levels didn’t double yet I was still carrying twins here.
So taking these two figures and plotting them on the chart, this is what they’d look like, with the heart in pink and the dashed line between them. I actually ended up re-plotting all of my levels on this chart and including it in the example page that comes with the printable PDF hCG chart, in case that helps.
HCG Levels At 5 Weeks Twins
My next hcg test was at 5 weeks pregnant (5+0) where my number was 2800. Adding this to the graph, as well as the test I had at the hospital the following day at 5+1 which was 4900, you can now see what my graph looks like. I’m sitting just above average, which I guess isn’t too surprising for a twin pregnancy, but the most important thing is that my progression curve is fairly consistent. If it had a sudden dip or an unusually high spike, that’s when my doctors may have ordered further testing or some other investigations, especially given my history of an ectopic pregnancy.
HCG Chart For Twins – Printable PDF
I’ve decided to put both the twin pregnancy hCG chart as well as the standard (singleton) hCG chart together for you to be able to get here – just so you can have both! And have fun plotting your beta levels, as well as hopefully get some much-needed reassurance, or at the very least know if there are any flags to be speaking with your doctor earlier. You can get it here. If you have any issues with getting the chart, please let me know!
