How Early Can Pregnancy Be Detected In Blood

What Are The Signs Of Pregnancy

The signs of pregnancy vary from woman to woman. Usually the most obvious sign is the absence of menstruation . However, some women continue to have bleeding even while pregnant. The following are the most common first signs of pregnancy. However, each woman may experience the signs of pregnancy differently. These may include:

• Extreme tiredness

• Nausea or vomiting

• Frequent urination

• Certain food cravings or aversions

• Bloating of the belly

• Darkening of the skin around the nipples .

These early signs may not positively indicate pregnancy, but may actually signal another process happening within the body. A pregnancy test can provide more accurate results.

A Quantitative Or Blood Pregnancy Test Tells A Great Deal

Rachel Gurevich is a fertility advocate, author, and recipient of The Hope Award for Achievement, from Resolve: The National Infertility Association. She is a professional member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and has been writing about womens health since 2001. Rachel uses her own experiences with infertility to write compassionate, practical, and supportive articles.

• Risks

Most pregnant women find out they are pregnant by taking a urine-based home pregnancy test. Sometimes, doctors suggest that you also take a blood pregnancy test. In specific cases, there are multiple reasons why a blood test may be preferred, but usually, a urine test is all you need. Below, we explain exactly what a blood pregnancy test is and how it differs from a urine test.

What Is Happening In The Womb At 5 Dpo

At 5 DPO, if the sperm has reached and fertilized the egg, the cells within the newly formed zygote begin multiplying to create a lump of cells called a blastocyst.

These cells continue to multiply as the blastocyst makes its way down the fallopian tubes and into the uterus.

When the blastocyst reaches the uterine wall, it attaches itself to get access to nutrients through the blood. At 5 DPO, the blastocyst may either be traveling to the uterine wall or already connected to it.

If it is attached, the blastocyst has started its journey toward becoming a fetus, and pregnancy is underway.

The specific symptoms of pregnancy vary hugely from woman to woman. There is no normal, as each pregnancy is unique.

However, some of the earliest symptoms that women may notice tend to include the following:

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What Happens During A Pregnancy Test

You can get a home pregnancy test kit at the drug store without a prescription. Most are inexpensive and easy to use.

Many home pregnancy tests include a device called a dipstick. Some also include a collection cup. Your home test may include the following steps or similar steps:

• Do the test on your first urination of the morning. The test may be more accurate at this time, because morning urine usually has more HCG.
• Hold the dipstick in your urine stream for 5 to 10 seconds. For kits that include a collection cup, urinate into the cup, and insert the dipstick into the cup for 5 to 10 seconds.
• After a few minutes, the dipstick will show your results. The time to results and the way the results are shown will vary between test kit brands.
• Your dipstick may have a window or other area that shows a plus or minus sign, a single or double line, or the words “pregnant” or “not pregnant.” Your pregnancy test kit will include instructions on how to read your results.

If the results show you are not pregnant, you may want to try again in a few days, as you may have done the test too early. HCG gradually increases during pregnancy.

If your results show you are pregnant, you should make an appointment with your health care provider. Your provider may confirm your results with a physical exam and/or a blood test.

When Is The Best Time Of Day To Take A Pregnancy Test

The best time of day to take a pregnancy test is first thing in the morning because at that time your urine contains the highest concentration of hCG. This is particularly important the earlier you are taking your pregnancy test. You can test later in the day, but you will have a higher chance of seeing a false-negative test result because your urine will be diluted. Tips for testing include:

• Use first-morning urine .

• Dont drink a lot of fluid that could dilute your hCG levels before your test.

• Check to make sure the pregnancy test is not expired, which can provide inaccurate results. Checking the expiration date is particularly important if you keep pregnancy tests at home just in case.

• It is understandable that once you have the pregnancy test in your hands, you want to get to the answers quickly. Plus, it seems like a no-brainer because they are designed to be easy to use. Take time to read all of the instructions and follow them precisely. Even if you have taken pregnancy tests before, little variances between them can be the difference between a result you can count on and a wrong one.

• We all know how easy it is to lose track of time, so do not try to estimate when to read your results. Set a timer so you can read your test results exactly at the time directed in the instructions. Do not read the test window after that set time because a faint evaporation line can appear, which makes your test appear to be positive when it is really negative.

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When Is The Best Time To Take A Pregnancy Test: Morning Or Night

If you want to know how early you can take a pregnancy test, you might also wonder when the best time to take a pregnancy test is. Is it best to take it in the morning or at night? To get an accurate result, most experts recommend taking a pregnancy test in the morning. Why? While youre sleeping, hCG becomes more concentrated in your urine. Unless you wake up in the middle of the night to pee, first thing in the morning is the best time for early detection of pregnancy.

Is There Anything Else I Need To Know About A Pregnancy Test

A urine pregnancy test shows whether HCG is present. HCG indicates pregnancy. A pregnancy blood test also shows the amount of HCG. If your blood tests show a very low amount of HCG, it could mean you have an ectopic pregnancy, a pregnancy that grows outside the uterus. A developing baby can’t survive an ectopic pregnancy. Without treatment, the condition can be life-threatening for a woman.

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Detecting Pregnancy At Home

We are smart these days. We have intelligent kits and strips to detect Pregnancy now. So, when we miss the period within a week or two, we get a pregnancy strip and go for the testing. But, it also comes with some miscalculated and wrong results. But today, we will discuss the gyno pregnancy testing process. It is both authentic and reliable.

What About False Positive And False Negative Tests

A false negative pregnancy test usually happens when testing is done too early, and you are pregnant but you test negative. hCG levels rise exponentially in the first two months of pregnancy so the earlier the test is performed, the higher the chance of a false negative result. Less sensitive urine tests and qualitative blood tests may not detect pregnancy until three or four days after implantation.

A false positive pregnancy test is a pregnancy test that is positive but you are not pregnant. Home pregnancy tests may show a positive or unclear result when reading well after the suggested 3-5 minute window, independent of an actual pregnancy. This type of false positive is also known as an evaporation line.

Also, anyone who has been given an hCG injection will also get a false positive. In addition, a false positive can also be seen in patients with a “phantom hCG”. These women have a low positive blood pregnancy test and a negative urine pregnancy test. Phantom hCGs are seen in some individuals who react to some substrate in the blood pregnancy test and display a consistently low positive blood pregnancy test even though they are not pregnant. This phantom hCG may lead to misdiagnosis but can be detected with serial dilutions and tests. Patients with phantom hCG have a positive blood hCG, but a negative urine hCG test.

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How Common Is Spotting In Early Pregnancy

One small study showed less than one in ten women reported vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy. In most cases, the spotting occurred near the date their period was due. Spotting is even more common later in pregnancy. Up to 25% of women experience bleeding or spotting at some point during their pregnancy.

Spotting during early pregnancy could mean many things, including:

• changes in your cervix

Spotting in early pregnancy can also be due to implantation.

How Early Can Birth Defects Be Detected

The screening performed during the first trimester of pregnancy consists of a combination of several tests performed between the 11th and 13th weeks of pregnancy. These tests are carried out to find certain structural or functional abnormalities related to fetal heart or chromosomal disorders, like Down syndrome. This particular screen will generally include an ultrasound and a maternal blood test.

Ultrasound: An ultrasound will create images of your baby. This test performed during the first trimester of pregnancy will look for additional fluid behind the neck of the baby. If there`s an increased amount of fluid found with this test, we may very well talk about a heart defect or chromosomal disorder in the fetus.

Maternal blood screen: This is nothing more than a simple blood test. The test will measure the levels of 2 particular proteins: pregnancy associated plasma protein A and human chorionic gonadotropin . If the levels of the proteins are too low or too high, again, we may talk about chromosomal disorders being involved.

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Are All Home Pregnancy Testing Methods The Same

Most brands of at-home pregnancy tests are reliable. Although the exact testing method of different pregnancy tests can differ from one type to the other, they all look for hCG in your body. Some tests might do this through urine while others look for the pregnancy hormone in your blood. If youre using an at-home test, most will give you the same result. The difference with your at-home tests will be the sensitivity of the test. Some might be more sensitive than others and produce a positive result detect hCG in your urine sooner than others. For the most accurate reading, its still recommended that you wait till youve missed your period. At that point, all tests should be accurate.

Urine Hcg Test When Is It Positive After Implantation

Some of the most sensitive urine pregnancy test kits can detect early pregnancy in less than a week after implantation. The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, found that urine pregnancy testing kits will usually show a positive result 3-4 days after implantation. By 7 days 98% of pregnancy testing kits will be positive.13

Urine pregnancy test kits have an hCG sensitivity of 25 mlU/ml . The American Pregnancy Association say that a reading of more than 25 mIU/ml in urine indicates pregnancy.2

The levels of hCG are detectable a few days after implantation. For example, a report published in a German medical journal said that sensitive pregnancy testing kits can detect hCG as early as 4 days or even 10 days before your next period is due.3

According to Dr. Nivin Todd on WebMD, implantation occurs 3-4 days after the egg is fertilized. This may result in implantation bleeding which can be one of the earliest signs of pregnancy. Dr. Todd says that hCG levels will show up in most urine tests from as early as 7 days before you expect your next period.4

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What Types Of Pregnancy Tests Are Available

Two main types of pregnancy tests are blood tests and urine tests.

Blood tests

You get these at your doctor’s office, but theyre not used as often as urine tests. These tests can detect pregnancy earlier than a home pregnancy test, about 6 to 8 days after ovulation. It takes longer to get the results than with a home pregnancy test.

The two types of blood pregnancy tests are:

A qualitative hCG test simply checks for hCG. It gives a “yes” or “no” answer to the question, “Are you pregnant?” Doctors often order these tests to confirm pregnancy as early as 10 days after conception. Some can detect hCG much earlier.

A quantitative hCG test measures the exact amount of hCG in your blood. It can find even very low levels of hCG. These tests may help track problems during pregnancy. Your doctor may use them along with other tests to rule out an ectopic pregnancy, when the fertilized egg implants outside your uterus, or after a miscarriage, when hCG levels fall quickly.

Urine tests

You can take these at home or in a doctor’s office.

Along with being private and convenient, home pregnancy tests are quick and easy to use. Theyre also very accurate if you follow the directions. These pregnancy tests all work in a similar way. You test your pee in one of these ways:

• Hold the test stick in your urine stream
• Collect pee in a cup and dip the test stick into it
• Collect pee in a cup and use a dropper to put it into another container

Continued

Doctors Pregnancy Checkup With An Ultra Sound

How early can a doctor detect Pregnancy with ultrasound? It needs at least 18 weeks. With this one, you can see the babys heart. Ultrasound is a tool that uses sound waves to create images. In this way, it finds out any presence of life in the uterus and surrounding organs. So, you cannot see the pregnancy symptom with this one earlier.

After knowing all the processes, we can easily say that the best and earliest pregnancy detection method is the Urine test. Yes, there are some misses, but you can go to a gyno to be accurate results. Do not always rely on cheap pregnancy strips. If you have more queries on pregnancy issues, without any hesitation, visit Mybellababy site. You will find a lot of information related to Pregnancy there.

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How Early Can I Take A Pregnancy Test

How early you are able to take a pregnancy test will depend on the type of test that you use. All pregnancy tests measure the amount of the pregnancy hormone, human chorionic gonadotrophin in your body. This hormone is produced when the egg is fertilized and attaches to the uterine wall, usually six days after fertilization.

Some tests are more sensitive than others and can detect very low levels of hCG in your body. The more sensitive tests could detect hCG as early as four days before your missed period. The sensitivity of a pregnancy test can be found on the packaging and is measured in mIU/ml . Sensitivity can range from 10mIU/ml to 40mIU/ml. The lower the number, the more sensitive the test is and, in turn, will detect pregnancy sooner.

Different Types of Tests

There are two main types of pregnancy tests, urine test and blood test. Both tests detect the amount of hCG in the body.

Urine Test

Urine tests can be purchased at the grocery store or pharmacy and done in the privacy of your home. Results are most accurate when the test is performed when your period is due, or about 2 weeks after you ovulate. However, some can detect pregnancy as early as 4 days before your missed period.

If you get a positive result, you will want to make an appointment with your doctor to have a blood test done to confirm the pregnancy and begin prenatal care.

Blood Test

Pregnancy Blood Vs Urine Tests

Blood tests:

• are more expensive than home urine tests
• have to be given at a doctor’s office
• can be done just one week after ovulation
• can take up to 48 hours to produce a result
• are more accurate than urine tests.

Urine tests:

• are only accurate when done seven days after a missed period
• produce more false positive results than blood tests.

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Early Changes To Breasts: Tingling Aching Growing

Breast changes can occur between weeks 4 and 6. Youre likely to develop tender and swollen breasts due to hormone changes. This will likely go away after a few weeks when your body has adjusted to the hormones.

Nipple and breast changes can also occur around week 11. Hormones continue to cause your breasts to grow. The areola the area around the nipple may change to a darker color and grow larger.

If youve had bouts with acne before your pregnancy, you may experience breakouts again.

Accuracy Of Qualitative Hcg Blood Test

An hCG qualitative test is accurate, but as with every other test, it is not always accurate a hundred percent of the time.

In general, if the hCG qualitative result is negative, it means pregnancy has not occurred. But, as stated earlier, a qualitative hCG blood test performed too early might not detect pregnancy. If that is the case, the test will generate a false negative.

To clear up doubts, it might be best to repeat the test within 2 to 3 days since hCG levels tend to change rapidly during early pregnancy.

On the other hand, a false positive can, even in women who are not pregnant, although false-positive results are rare compared to false negatives.

The reason for this is simple: certain medications can interfere with hCG levels in the blood. For example, fertility drugs, especially those that contain hCG, can get in the way of qualitative hCG tests and produce inaccurate results.

Although not common, some women can have high hCG levels without being pregnant. Abnormally high pregnancy hormones in non-pregnant women can happen for a couple of reasons, including:

• The occurrence of a molar pregnancy. A molar pregnancy is a non-cancerous mass inside the uterus that results from a pregnancy that implants but did not grow.
• Recent miscarriage.
• The unusual presence of antibodies in the blood.
• Pituitary gland or other endocrine disorders
• Cancer.

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