What To Do After A Positive Test Result
When you test positive for pregnancy and wish to continue with it, it is important to take care of the following conditions:
- Eat a healthier wholesome diet.
When you test positive and do not wish to continue with your pregnancy, consult a doctor. He or she may conduct a few tests before providing you with the options, suitable for you, to terminate the pregnancy. Most of the early pregnancies can be aborted with the help of medications such as Mifepristone 200 mg and Cytotec 200 mg that are available in combination packs as well such as MTP Kits. These tablets work effectively for up to 10 weeks of pregnancy to terminate the pregnancy and remove the uterine contents within 72 hours. You are required to follow up with the doctor after two weeks to confirm the end of pregnancy with the help of an ultrasound. Read more about different types of abortion pills here.
How Soon After Implantation Should I Take A Pregnancy Test
There is no definitive time for when you should take a pregnancy test after implantation. While you can take a test as soon as the first day of your missed period, it might be better to wait a week more. Many factors come into play as to how accurate the result might be.
You might have conceived at the beginning of ovulation. In this case, you will likely get a positive test earlier than if you conceived at the end of ovulation.
You might not know that implantation has taken place. Not all women experience an implantation bleed or any other symptoms indicating that it has taken place.
There are also times when a negative test might happen even if you are convinced you have had an implantation bleed. These include ectopic pregnancies and tumors.
Many women have irregular cycles due to stress, illness, or normal fluctuations. Timing can be unpredictable even if your periods are regular. Nearly 70% of women reach their fertile window earlier or later than expected. This will impact when hCG is detectable in your urine. If you ovulate one week later than anticipated, you will need to wait an extra week to get a positive pregnancy test .
Editor’s Note:
What looks like an implantation bleed is sometimes unrelated luteal phase spotting caused by a second surge of estrogen. Many women experience this completely normal spotting without being pregnant, and many women become pregnant and never experience any implantation bleeding.
What Is An Hcg Blood Pregnancy Test
There are two types of blood tests to determine pregnancy:
- Qualitative hCG blood serum tests check to see if a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin is present in your blood. HCG is a hormone produced by the body during pregnancy. A positive result means you are pregnant and a negative result means you are not pregnant.
- Quantitative hCG blood serum tests also check to see if hCG is present in your blood, but these tests can detect even trace amounts of the hormone. Because it is more precise, this test helps to determine whether the pregnancy is normal and healthy.
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How Soon Can You Tell If Youre Pregnant 24 Really Early Signs
So you think you may be pregnant? But how early can you tell if you really are?
Honestly, its hard to pinpoint exactly how soon you can tell if youre pregnant because each one of us is unique.
Some women get a 6th sense about it straight away , while others dont know until months down the line.
Most of us will fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes and well start to get an inkling we may be pregnant within 2-4 weeks of conception.
Pregnancy symptoms are usually very mild in the first couple of weeks making them hard to detect without a blood or urine test. Usually, the first sign is a late period. But what other early signs and symptoms will give you a clue to whether youre pregnant or not?
And how early can you take a pregnancy test to find out for sure?
How reliable are urine pregnancy tests, what can you do to make sure you get an accurate result and what might cause a false positive?
What about super early symptoms, like before implantation? Is that even possible?
We answer all your questions below.
How Long After Ovulation Can I Take A Pregnancy Test
So youre an expert at tracking your ovulation? You may be able to take a pregnancy test earlier. But if you take it before 8 days past ovulation , you are likely to get a negative testeven if you are truly pregnant.
The reason why has to do with when implantation occurs. While its technically possible for implantation to occur any time between six and 12 days after ovulation, 85 percent of the time it occurs between eight and 10 DPO, and it only occurs at 6DPO 0.5% of the time.
Even if conception has occurred, the fertilized egg does not start producing hCGthe hormone that pregnancy tests detectuntil after implantation is complete.
After implantation, hCG levels start doubling roughly every 48 hours. Baseline hCG levels, early pregnancy hCG levels, and hCG doubling time vary from woman to woman and from pregnancy to pregnancy. Along with the date of implantation, these factors will influence how early you can get a positive pregnancy test.
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False Positive Results Of Blood Pregnancy Test
False positive results of pregnancy blood tests are rare, but they do happen. Some conditions can lead to a result of pregnancy when the woman is, in fact, not pregnant.
Because blood tests detect the presence of the hormone hCG, any level of hCGâeven if it is there for another reasonâcould lead to a false positive test result. Some non-pregnancy reasons for hCG to be in the blood are:
/5what Is The Best Time To Take A Test
Much like the day, the time of the day is also a hotly debated topic. According to experts, pregnancy tests will be the most accurate if taken in the morning, on your first pee. This is because as compared to night time, morning pee has a higher concentration of hCG hormones.
Unlike other urine tests, it is not important that you drink more water than usual. Doing so can dilute your urine, alter results and make it more likely to get to see false-positives on the test.
Goes without saying, if you see a negative result or observe false positives, you can repeat the test.
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How Long Do You Have To Wait For The Results Of A Blood Test
So you’ve gone to the doctor’s office, waited to be seen, and had your blood drawn. Of course, it’s not over.
Your blood has to be sent to a lab to be analyzed. How long it takes for them to give you the results varies from lab to lab. It could take an hour or several days. A couple of days is a typical waiting period for lab results.
How Many Days After Conception Can I Take A Pregnancy Test
If you think you might be pregnant, you know the anxiousness of waiting until you know for sure. Its particularly difficult when a possible pregnancy is unplanned. You question every symptom, wondering if its due to pregnancy or premenstrual hormones. And you wonder how soon you can take a pregnancy test so you dont have to wait any longer for the answer.
AtAvail NYC, we can help you sort through your next steps in a caring environment to help ease this stressful time.
Home Pregnancy Tests
After a fertilized egg implants into the uterine wall, a womans body starts producing a pregnancy hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin . A home pregnancy test detects the hCG hormone in a womans urine.
Sometimes, you can take a home pregnancy test, and the results are confusing. Your mind feels like its playing tricks on you. Is that a faint line? Or are you imagining a faint line? You might question the reliability of the test.
There are claims that home pregnancy tests are 99% accurate, but its important to know the percentage of accuracy is not that high when the test is taken right at the time of a missed period.
Now you might be wondering how soon you can take a home pregnancy test and still get an accurate result.
How Many Days After Conception Can I Take a Pregnancy Test?
However, according to theMayo Clinic, it is advisable to take a pregnancy test after the first day of your missed period to reduce the chances of getting a false negative result.
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When During My Cycle Do I Take A Pregnancy Test
Pregnancy tests are taken about two weeks after ovulation, during your luteal phase. The luteal phase occurs during the second half of a womans cycle. This begins after ovulation occurs and ends the day your period starts. During the luteal phase, the corpus luteum secretes progesterone, which is the hormone that stabilizes the uterine lining and prepares it to be receptive to an embryo and allows for implantation.
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
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/5all You Need To Know About Pregnancy Tests
Whether it comes as a surprise or you have spent months trying to conceive, taking a pregnancy test is a crucial step that can be very stressful for women. Whatever be the outcome, taking pregnancy test is one of the earliest measures you take to settle your doubts. However, knowing the right time or the day to take a pregnancy test goes one step further to clarify doubts. Here’s a brief explainer:
What About Early Pregnancy Tests
Early pregnancy test manufacturers market to your desire to get answers as early as possible. It is not hard to see the advertising on the box and read the claims of 99% accuracy along with the ability to detect pregnancy six days before your missed period.
But let us take a closer look, so you do not test too early for pregnancy. The first thing to consider is that the percentage provided on the front of the package is only accurate when you take the test on the day of your expected period and in a laboratory setting by professionals. The same goes for the the instructions printed inside the pregnancy test kit the claims of accuracy are elevated because they do not reflect real-life testing in real-life situations. The results from a University of New Mexico study reveal the chances you can anticipate getting the right answer from an early home pregnancy test:
- One day past your expected period: 100% of pregnancies detected
- On the day of your expected period: 96% of pregnancies detected
- On the day before your expected period: 93% of pregnancies detected
- Two days before your expected period: 81% of pregnancies detected
- Three days before your expected period: 68% of pregnancies detected
- Four days before your expected period: 42% of pregnancies detected
- Five days before your expected period: 33% of pregnancies detected
- Six days before your expected period: 25% of pregnancies detected
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Pregnancy Tests That Your Doctor May Do
Your GP will probably do a urine pregnancy test to detect whether you are pregnant.
It is always a good idea to bring a sample of urine to the GP surgery with you if you think you may be pregnant. This will mean your appointment is not delayed.
It will also avoid the ‘stage fright’ that can occur when you are trying to pee and you know someone is waiting on you.
The pregnancy testing kit that your GP will use is like the kits that you can buy over the counter.
Your doctor may perform a blood test to check the level of hCG in your blood. This test is done if you have had some bleeding from your vagina or if you have severe pains in your tummy. Your GP may also carry out a blood test if you have severe morning sickness.
Are All Pregnancy Tests The Same
Different pregnancy tests have different sensitivities. The lower the sensitivity, the earlier a pregnancy test becomes positive. Sensitivities are indicated in mIU/mL, the lowest amount of hCG in the urine that tests positive. A sensitivity of 20 mIU/mL requires one-half the hCG level to be positive when compared with a 40 mIU/mL sensitivity level, and it may become positive several days earlier than the pregnancy test with higher sensitivity. Make sure you read the package of the pregnancy test to determine your pregnancy test’s sensitivity.
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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 is likely to 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 also experience breakouts again.
/5when To Take A Blood Pregnancy Test
What you can also do is take blood pregnancy tests, especially if you have been getting a lot of negatives on your home pregnancy tests but have reason to believe that you are pregnant. While home pregnancy tests measure the levels of hCG hormones, blood pregnancy tests are far more sensitive, accurate and check for hCG levels in the blood. Again, a good time to take a test would be several days late.
Blood pregnancy tests can also be a good option to consider for women who have experienced miscarriage, pregnancy complications or health risks in the past. This way, the most crucial first weeks of your pregnancy will be closely observed.
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How To Prevent A False Negative Result
The number one cause of a false negative test is taking the test too soon after you conceive. Also, if you dont follow the test instructions carefully, it could affect your result.
Urine, even in women who drink large amounts of water, should still yield a positive result. But urine shouldnt be diluted with water before taking a test. A good time to take the test is in the morning when you first wake up.
If a test is negative in a woman who suspects shes pregnant or if she has irregular cycles, she should repeat the test in one week.
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A pregnancy test, no matter if it’s blood or urine, only becomes positive after implantation, when the fetus has attached to the uterine wall and connects with the mother’s blood system. Implantation, when the fertilized egg implants into the endometrium, happens about 9 days after ovulation and fertilization . The blood pregnancy test will be positive 2-3 days after implantation and the urine test will be positive several days after the blood test has become positive.
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What Is Phantom Hcg
Phantom hCG is a false positive pregnancy blood test.
In these cases, the blood test for hCG cross-reacts with non-pregnancy related proteins in the blood called heterophile antibodies.
“When this occurs, it can actually have serious consequences unless your physician is aware of this false positive risk,” says Dr. Mark Trolice. “What are the risks? Ectopic pregnancy, where an embryo implants outside the uterus. This is a potentially life-threatening event but is often conservatively treated using an injection of the chemotherapy agent, methotrexate.”
But if the blood test for hCG is a false positive, and there is, in fact, no ectopic pregnancy, the woman may be needlessly exposed to repeated injections of methotrexate with risks of serious side effects from this medicine.
Another condition that can lead to a false positive, says Dr. Trolice, is gestation trophoblastic disease, or cancer of pregnancy tissue. In this scenario, persistent low levels of phantom hCG can be misinterpreted for this disease resulting in aggressive but unnecessary medical intervention. How to avoid over-treating a false positive hCG test? The urine pregnancy test, because heterophile antibodies are not present in urine.
