How long after a miscarriage will a pregnancy test be negative?
Becca Inglis
WriterPregnancy tests can detect hCG, the pregnancy hormone, weeks after a miscarriage. This is how long it should take to get a negative result following pregnancy loss.
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If you have had a miscarriage, the NHS advises that you will need to take a pregnancy test afterwards to check that everything is healthy and returning back to normal.
Pregnancy tests measure the presence of the hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). HCG is also known as the pregnancy hormone, because your placenta starts producing it once you fall pregnant.
Your hCG levels will decrease to zero gradually following a pregnancy loss rather than straightaway. If you take a pregnancy test too soon, then it will detect those small levels of hCG and give you a false positive result.
How long after a miscarriage will hCG levels return to normal?
It takes an average of four to six weeks for hCG levels to fall back to undetectable levels, according to Facts About Fertility. However, you should bear in mind that this length of time will vary depending on how far along your pregnancy is.
Your hCG levels will be higher, and so will take longer to return to normal, if you have been pregnant for more than a few weeks.
In general, hCG levels double every 48 hours in early pregnancy until they peak at around 10 weeks, according to this study. Levels then gradually decrease and plateau through the second and third trimester.
This means that if you have had a chemical pregnancy (a miscarriage within the first five weeks of pregnancy), then it may only take a week or two for your hCG levels to return to zero.
If you miscarry later in your pregnancy, then it may take up to two months for your pregnancy test to come back negative, according to Healthline.
When to take a pregnancy test after a miscarriage
The NHS says that you will be asked to take a home pregnancy test three weeks after your miscarriage began.
You need a negative pregnancy test after your miscarriage to confirm that everything is returning back to normal.
This is the same whether you have opted for expectant management (where you wait for your body to complete the miscarriage naturally) or medical or surgical intervention.
If your pregnancy test comes back as positive after three weeks, your doctor may want to carry out more tests to check that all is well.
Why is my pregnancy test still positive after a miscarriage?
As above, in the early weeks or months after your miscarriage, a positive test might just mean that your hCG levels haven't fallen back to normal yet.
However, if your hCG levels are not dropping after your miscarriage, then this could be a sign of:
Incomplete miscarriage
A positive pregnancy test after a miscarriage could mean that there is still tissue left in your uterus that needs to pass.
This NHS guidance says that around 9 in 10 women who choose expectant management miscarry completely within three weeks. If this does not happen however, your doctor may discuss medical or surgical options to help remove the leftover tissue.
Ectopic pregnancy
If you have been treated for an ectopic pregnancy, where the foetus has implanted outside of your womb, then your hCG levels should begin to decline straight away.
If your hCG levels begin to rise again, or the decline stops, then you may be diagnosed with a persistent ectopic pregnancy, which would require further treatment.
Molar pregnancy
Sometimes, elevated hCG levels are due to gestational trophoblastic disease, which is where abnormal cells grow in the womb from placental tissue. Often these cells are benign, but they can be cancerous so should be removed.
Molar pregnancy, where the fertilisation of the egg goes wrong and produces abnormal growths, is one type of gestational trophoblastic disease.
Cancer Research says that once your molar pregnancy has been treated, doctors will monitor your hCG levels for a number of weeks through blood and urine tests. If your hCG levels do not decrease, then you may be diagnosed with persistent trophoblastic disease, which can usually be completely cured using chemotherapy.
New pregnancy
If you have been sexually active since your miscarriage, then your hCG levels may indicate that you have fallen pregnant again. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), it is possible to get pregnant as soon as two weeks after a miscarriage.
In most cases, falling pregnant soon after a miscarriage should be fine, so long as your symptoms have lifted and you and your partner feel emotionally ready. It may make it harder to tell how far along you are, but it shouldn't cause any medical problems.
However, if you've suffered a molar or ectopic pregnancy, a late miscarriage, or recurrent miscarriage, you may have been advised not to get pregnant again quickly. If this is the case, speak to your GP as soon as possible, so they can check that all is well.
In the past, doctors have recommended that you wait for six months after your miscarriage to try to conceive again. However, according to The Miscarriage Association, new evidence suggests that becoming pregnant again within six months could actually lower your chances of a second miscarriage.
Miscarriage support: who can I talk to?
You can find dedicated support from others who've been through the same thing in our Coffeehouse forum. Or, talk to:
- The Miscarriage Association – a charity that offers support to people who have lost a baby. They have a helpline (01924 200 799, Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm).
- Cruse Bereavement Care helps people understand their grief and cope with their loss. They have a helpline (0844 477 9400, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).
For more information and support around pregnancy loss, you can keep reading our guidance below, or ask for help in the dedicated support section on our forum:
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