The most common way women learn they are pregnant is through a urine test called a urine beta human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) test. This test checks how much of this hormone is in your urine. It can be done at any time during your pregnancy and it will show up if you are still pregnant after losing the baby's heartbeat (see below). A blood test called serum hCG can also be used to check for pregnancy. This test measures the amount of hCG in your blood and is usually taken in the second trimester. Both the urine and blood tests work best if they are done before 12 weeks of pregnancy.