What To Do After A Positive Pregnancy Test
Some women take more than one pregnancy test just to be sure but that’s not necessary. Once you’ve gotten a positive pregnancy test, call your healthcare provider to set up a prenatal visit or to discuss your options if you’re uncertain about continuing the pregnancy.
For prenatal care, providers typically schedule the visit for when you’re at least 8 weeks pregnant, but it varies. Some will see you sooner, particularly if you have a medical condition or have had problems with a pregnancy in the past. It’s especially important to see a provider soon if you’re having nausea and vomiting, vaginal bleeding, or abdominal pain.
If you don’t already have a family doctor, ob-gyn, or midwife, do some research and ask for recommendations. But don’t delay your care while searching for a good fit, because you can always switch providers later. At your first prenatal visit, your provider will take your health history, explain your options, and more.
Learn more:
Pros Of Early Pregnancy Tests
These early detection tests may offer advantages in some circumstances. You may want to discuss your testing plans with your doctor first.
Early Detection
Except for having a physician order an early hCG blood test, which is usually done only when there are medical reasons to detect pregnancy as early as possible, early home pregnancy tests are the fastest way for you to find out whether you are pregnant during a particular menstrual cycle.
The most sensitive tests on the market can potentially give you a positive result four to five days before your period is due, meaning you dont necessarily have to wait for a missed period, or watch for other pregnancy symptoms, to find out whether you are pregnant. However, there is a significant chance of getting a false negative with these tests.
Need to Start or Stop Medications
Very early testing can be helpful if your physician plans for you to start or to discontinue any medications as soon as you discover you are pregnant.
Birth Control Failure
Early pregnancy tests may also be helpful if you were not intending to conceive but had a birth control failure around the middle of your cycle, and you want to know as soon as possible whether you are pregnant so that you can determine your desired course of action.
Pregnancy Lifestyle Changes
About Dr Roohi Jeelani
Dr Roohi Jeelani is Director of Research and Education at Vios Fertility Institute in Chicago, Illinois. Dr Jeelani earned her medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine in Portsmouth, Dominica. She then completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology and a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Wayne State University, Detroit Medical Center, where she was awarded a Womens Reproductive Health NIH K12 Research Grant. She is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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How Early Can Pregnancy Tests Work
How Early Can Pregnancy Tests Work
Pregnancy tests work by detecting a hormone in the urine called human chorionic gonadotropin . This hormone is produced by the placenta shortly after the embryo implants in the uterine wall.
Most home pregnancy tests are designed to detect hCG levels of 25 mIU/ml or higher. However, some tests may be able to detect lower levels of hCG.
Most doctors recommend waiting until after the first missed period to take a home pregnancy test. However, some women may be able to get accurate results a few days before their missed period.
If you think you may be pregnant, it is best to wait until after your missed period to take a home pregnancy test. This will give you the most accurate result.
How Accurate Are Pregnancy Test Results
At-home pregnancy tests are accurate if you use them correctly. In general, most urine pregnancy tests claim to be 99 percent accurate after a missed period. This depends on how and when you use them.
For example, expired tests may not produce accurate results. You can get optimal accuracy by taking a test after you miss a period and collecting a urine sample in the morning, according to the OWH. Thats because the amount of hCG in your blood increases with time. And finally, some home pregnancy test brands are more sensitive than others.
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Understanding Your Options: When Is The Best Time To Take A Pregnancy Test
Sometimes, you may be unsure whether its too early to take a pregnancy test. Other times, you might have symptoms like a late period or breast tenderness but wonder if its worth waiting before making a trip to the drugstore.
There are a few different ways to determine the best time to take a pregnancy test. This is what science has to say about when you should and should not test:
Taking A Pregnancy Test Because Of Symptoms
You may decide to take a pregnancy test because you are having early pregnancy symptoms. But keep in mind, the same hormones that cause pregnancy-like symptoms are present every month between ovulation and your period. Many symptoms similar to pregnancy symptoms can have other causes, like a cold, the flu, or even a few nights of poor sleep.
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Other Early Signs And When They Happen
According to the National Institutes of Health , other early signs and symptoms of pregnancy may include:
Some women also report feeling dizzy or wobbly early on in pregnancy, often when they get up after lying down. This symptom may be due to changes in the blood vessels carrying oxygen to the brain.
Some women cannot explain any specific symptoms or changes in their body, but they intuitively feel that something is different.
They might describe it as not feeling like themselves or feeling as though they are suddenly always a step behind. This may be a sign of fatigue and an indication of hormonal changes.
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What Is The Best Time To Take A Pregnancy Test
You can take a pregnancy test as soon as you miss your period, but it is best to wait until at least one week after a missed period for more accurate results. If you are unsure about when your period is due, take a test 21 days after you had unprotected sex.
Ideally, you should not take a pregnancy test until the first day of your next scheduled period. Although you can test sooner, testing too soon means you may not have human chorionic gonadotropin in your system for the test to detect, which can lead to a false negative result.
Since your hCG levels will double every 2-3 days throughout early pregnancy, you will get more accurate results if you wait a few days to take a test.
If you have a 28-day menstrual cycle, you should wait 29 days after the first day of your previous period or 14 days past ovulation to take a pregnancy test. If you have irregular cycles, try counting back at least 14 days from the last time you had sex.
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What If The Pregnancy Test Is Negative After Ivf
If you have a negative pregnancy test at least 9-10 days after a blast transfer, the transfer was unsuccessful.
Unfortunately, a high-quality euploid embryo does not implant ~40% of the time. There is no way to predict who will and wont be able to achieve a healthy pregnancy.
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How Accurate Are Pregnancy Tests
If you read the instructions carefully, most tests promise 99% accuracy on the day of your missed periodbut not for early results. If you expect your period on Wednesday, Thursday would be the day of your missed period. Tests tend to be more accurate after your missed period. Likewise, first morning urine may be more concentrated and detect hCG more accurately.
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What If The Result Is Positive
A positive result generally means that you are pregnant. You should make an appointment to see your GP to confirm the pregnancy and to sign up for antenatal care.
If you are not sure you want to be pregnant it is good idea to make an appointment with your GP to discuss your options.
Your GP will listen and will not judge you.
Free advice may also be available from a family planning clinic.
Sometimes counselling can help you to work through your feelings about the pregnancy. It may help you make a decision on what is the right choice for you.
www.myoptions.ie has details of the support services available to you.
What Should I Do If I Get A Positive Pregnancy Test
From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.
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Do Regular Home Pregnancy Tests Work With Ivf
The detection limit of many at-home pregnancy tests is approximately 25mlU/ml. Therefore, they may not be able to detect your pregnancy depending on when you check the test.
In addition, this is a qualitative test, meaning that it only tells you if the value is positive or not.
A positive test doesnt always mean that the pregnancy is healthy, and a negative test doesnt always mean that you arent pregnant.
That is why we recommend that you get an office blood test, which is a quantitative test that provides a numeric value for the hormone hCG.
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Our Pick: Clearblue Digital
If you want a digital test, Clearblue Digital is the one to get. Its easy to hold, the absorbent pad is wide , and its claimed accuracy is fairly high: 95% three days before an expected period and 75% a day earlier.
The Clearblue Digitals display is big and readable, and it has a progress bar that appears while youre waiting, so you dont have to wonder if the test is working.
Clearblue says a positive result will remain on the digital test screen for up to six months . First Responses digital test is intended to be read within 30 minutes, but my negative result remained on the screen for two weeks.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
As with all digital wand tests, this one costs more than traditional wand tests, and it makes for additional electronic waste. The instructions that accompany the Clearblue Digital instruct you to dispose of the test according to local regulations.
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How Early Can You Take A Pregnancy Test
You should take a pregnancy test no earlier than 12 DPO. Some brands of HPTs may claim to provide results as early as six days before the start of your expected period. However, these results may not be as accurate and can result in a false-negative or a positive result from a chemical pregnancy. You can prevent this by sticking to the recommendation of testing no earlier than 12 DPO.
Changes In Bathroom Habits
Bowel and bladder symptoms can appear in early pregnancy. A person might experience frequent urges to urinate during the day and night. They may also have constipation, which affects of people at some time during pregnancy, according to 2012 research.
In the early stages of pregnancy, the rise in hCG levels
8 days after conception. As the pregnancy progresses, levels rise by around 50% a day. HGC is detectable in urine a few days later than in the blood.
Tests for home use are urine tests. A person will need to go to a healthcare facility for a blood test.
A range of pregnancy tests are available for home use, and some are more sensitive than others. This means they can detect hCG at lower levels.
Many tests claim to be 99% accurate, but experts note that not all of them undergo rigorous scientific testing. A person may also get a false-negative result if they take the test too early, do not follow the instructions precisely, or do not handle the test as the manufacturer intended.
Some medical bodies suggest taking a test on the first day of a missed period, but many people do not know when their period should arrive, for example, if they experience irregular menstruation.
When taking a test, a person should:
- read the instructions carefully
- ensure they handle the test as advised
- try to avoid taking the test too early
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If You Did A Test To Confirm A Pregnancy Loss
Sometimes your healthcare professional may ask you to do a pregnancy test after a suspected early miscarriage. This is sometimes needed to make sure that your hCG levels are reducing. If the test shows youre still pregnant, you may need to have further tests.
A miscarriage can be traumatic. Find out what support is available if you or a loved one has experienced pregnancy loss.
Clear Blue Early Detection Pregnancy Test
One of the most reliable brands for pregnancy tests, this Clear Blue test is 79% accurate in testing for pregnancy 6 days before the missed period and 5 days before the expected period. Its got a classic colour changing tip for easy to read results and currently, you can get one test for just under £6 on Amazon.
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When Is It Too Early To Take A Pregnancy Test
Taking a pregnancy test sooner than eight days past your ovulation might result in a false negative. This is because fertilized eggs dont start producing the pregnancy hormone that tests detect hCG until after implantation is complete.
About 85 percent of the time, implantation occurs 610 days after ovulation. After implantation, your hCG levels will start doubling every 48 hours. At this point, pregnancy tests will be able to measure your hCG levels, ensuring a positive result if youre pregnant.
Your First Three Weeks Of Pregnancy
Hereâs the thing: Because of the way pregnancy is usually measured, youâre not actually pregnant during the first two weeks or so of your pregnancy. Healthcare providers calculate the length of an average pregnancy as 40 weeks, starting from the first day of your last menstrual periodâthis is known as the LMP dating method. So, when youâre 1 week pregnant, youâve only just started your period. At two weeks pregnant, youâre ovulating. And since ovulation happens about 14 days after the start of your period you canât really become pregnant until week 3 at the earliest.It can be mind-bogglingâwe get it. But, for the sake of calculation, and what you and your healthcare provider will consider as 1 and 2 weeks pregnant, youâre not actually pregnant! But although at 1, 2, or 3 weeks pregnant you may not notice any of those very early signs of pregnancy, there may be a lot happening on the inside.
RELATED PREGNANCY TOOL
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To Soak Or Not To Soak
Hot tub use is one of the things women need to think about if theyre trying to get pregnant. I tell my patients, Take your folic acid and monitor your hot tub use.
Im not saying you have to eliminate hot tub use completely as I mentioned before, the risk of neural tube defects for a typical pregnancy is 1 in 1,000, and that risk doubles to 2 in 1,000 if you use a hot tub during early pregnancy.
If you want to totally eliminate the increased risk, avoid the hot tub during the first trimester of pregnancy to give yourself a buffer of a few weeks. A nice, warm bath is a safe alternative if you want to relax in the water.
If you still want to enjoy the hot tub, soak for short periods of time, make sure the water temperature is below 101 degrees, and avoid the jets where the water is usually the hottest. Once youre past the first trimester, the risk is virtually gone.
Go ahead, pamper yourself during your pregnancy! For recommendations about massage, manicures, and hair coloring during pregnancy, read this blog post from Dr. Shivani Patel.
The Best Time Of Day To Take A Pregnancy Test
The time of day you take a pregnancy test does matter to a certain extent. Youre more likely to get an accurate result if you take the test in the morning. This is especially true if your period is not yet late, or if your period is only a couple days late.
At-home pregnancy tests work by detecting the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin in your urine. Unless you get up in the night to pee often , your urine is more concentrated when you first wake up. This usually means that the amount of hCG is a bit higher, and youre more likely to get a positive result if youre pregnant.
However, you can still take a pregnancy test in the middle of the day, or even at night. Youre just more likely to get a false negative, especially if your period isnt that late, and especially if youve been drinking a lot of water and your urine is diluted.
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Blood Test Result Timetable
Blood tests are able to detect a smaller amount of hCG and they can detect it slightly earlier than standard at-home pregnancy tests, usually nine to 12 days after conception. Blood test results are usually available the same day or within a day.
Blood tests aren’t often done to detect pregnancy because they are expensive and at-home urine tests are quite accurate and sensitive. However, people who are undergoing fertility treatments may have blood tests as part of their care.
