Exact Answer: It takes up to one to nine weeks
Human chorionic gonadotropin, otherwise shortly called HCG is a hormone produced by the placenta once your embryo is implanted. This is also called the pregnancy hormone. This hormone prevents your period. This protects your endometrial uterine lining and your pregnancy as a whole. Each woman’s body is different and therefore the levels of HCG can also be different. A person that had a very early miscarriage will have their HCG levels go back very quickly. It is important to remember that HCG levels do not fall after up to a few weeks of miscarriage. This will lead up to showing that there are still HCG levels in your urine even after a miscarriage.
How Long After HCG Drops Will I Miscarry?
Human chorionic gonadotropin increases to a large extent every two days from the first week to week eight. It is the highest when pregnancy reaches week 11. In case you miscarry, the levels of HCG in your blood will return back to 0 taking you to the pre-pregnancy stage as if it never occurred. The exact time for HCG levels to leave your body takes up to a few days to months. Hcg levels drop depending on the time a woman has lost her pregnancy. A person that had an early miscarriage will lose their HCG levels early as compared to someone that lost their pregnancy late in the cycle. We have to keep in mind that low levels of HCG in the blood do not necessarily mean that you are not pregnant. HCG levels begin tampering after the 16th week. Women have given birth to healthy babies in spite of having low HCG levels in the body.
| HCG Levels | The Level of Drop |
| Day 0 | 5000 |
| Day 9 | 20,000 |
| Day 15 | 15,000 |
| Day 30 | 10,000 |
This table indicates the level of HCG present in your blood on the respective days after the miscarriage. If your HCG levels do not multiply after a period of 2 to 3 days, it is possible that you have had a miscarriage.
Why Does it Take So Long for HCG to Drop after Miscarriage?
Studies suggest that about 20% of pregnancies result in miscarriage. When miscarriage occurs, HCG levels in your urine decrease dramatically to gradually varying from person to person. In some cases, your body prepares itself soon for another pregnancy but for some, it may take longer than what it is for others. If your HCG levels are increasing on a relatively slower phase, that is, if it increases only up to 35%, you may be facing a miscarriage.
In the event of a miscarriage, your g level drops from the baseline of 120ml to 80ml, in some cases slowly and in other cases, rapidly. It takes up to 2 to 3 days to find out if you’ve really had a miscarriage because that is how long it takes for the HCG levels to not double up or in some cases, decrease. It takes up to a week to several months for your body to get back to normal. Doctors and studies suggest that couples wanting to get pregnant again should give it a try sooner than later for the pregnancy to get successful. It depends upon the person as to when the HCG levels drop. In any case, you are advised to talk to your health care provider if you go through any symptoms of miscarriage such as bleeding and cramping as HCG levels alone do not determine a miscarriage. Even if you experience a lowered HCG level, you will be asked to take a test again, in two days to make sure the result is nice.
Conclusion
Decreasing HCG levels do not always mean that your pregnancy is a failure. In some cases, it will start rising again sooner while for some women, the increase in HCG levels is very slow and steady. You have to remember that your body is different and that what works for others will not always work for you. Take the help of your doctor before you get to any conclusions. Sometimes, if you are pregnant with twins or triplets, your HCG levels might vary. Only if your miscarriage occurs very early, your HCG levels will drop down to zero very soon. Talking to your doctor will help you both physically and emotionally in this case.