When To Check To See If Pregnant

July 17, 2022

by Claire D

Pregnancy Tests And Accuracy

How to Confirm Pregnancy Without Taking a Test

A positive pregnancy test is almost always correct. Some negative tests may not be correct if you tested too early.

This is called a ‘false negative’ result. The result will present as negative, but you are actually pregnant.

This happens for a few of reasons, because:

you did the test too early
you didn’t wait long enough before checking the result

your urine is very diluted because you have been drinking a lot of water
there is a fault with the test

If the result of the test is negative, and you think you might still be pregnant, repeat the test a few days later. If symptoms persist after a few negative tests, make an appointment with your GP.

When Is The Early Pregnancy Test Positive

An early urine pregnancy test will not show up positive until there is enough hCG, the pregnancy hormone, in your body. This hormone isn’t even present until several days after the fertilized egg implants into your uterus. Implantation happens 6-12 days after you ovulate. It isn’t detectable until around the time of your period . While other women are able to take an early pregnancy test a couple of days before their period is due and get a positive test. However, that is not the case for MOST women. Have you ever heard of a “false negative”? It’s when you ARE pregnant, but get a negative test and then test a few days later and get a positive. That’s what happens most of the time when women test before their periods.

First Response , says the following regarding it’s accuracy: “4 days before your period, the test is 63% accurate 3 days before your period 83% accurate one and two days before 93% accurate.” So it’s most accurate around the time you miss your period.

When you do a pregnancy test too early, you may get a false negative pregnancy test and be disappointed. Waiting until you miss your menstrual period and until your menstrual period is late, maybe 1-2 days late, will save you money and will give you a better chance to prevent a false negative pregnancy test. A healthy mid-twenties couple without known fertility problems has a 20% chance each month of getting pregnant. 80% will get pregnant within the first year of trying.

What Should I Do If My Pregnancy Test Is Positive

If you take a pregnancy test after you miss your period and the result is positive, that means youre pregnant. You can always take another test to be sure, if you want.

You may want to go to a nurse or doctor, family planning clinic, or local Planned Parenthood Health Center to get a follow-up test. Theyll talk with you about your pregnancy options, and help get you the care you need. Be careful not to visit a Crisis Pregnancy Center, because they might not give you real medical care or truthful information about your pregnancy and all of your options.

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How Soon Is The Earliest You Can Test For Pregnancy

When you think you might be unexpectedly pregnant, it can feel like torment waiting to know for sure. You might have sore breasts, mild cramping, and other signs of early pregnancy that could also be premenstrual symptoms, and it causes you to waver back and forth, thinking you are pregnant and then thinking you are not. That can leave you feeling more confused and wondering how soon you can get the answers you need. You have seen ads for pregnancy tests that claim to detect pregnancy five days before your expected period. So, should you test that early? And how soon is too early to test for pregnancy? We will answer those questions here.

I Have To Go To The Toilet More Often Is That A Sign

7 Ways People Might Guess You Are Pregnant Before You Tell

Oh yes, dashing to the loo more than often can be early sign that youre pregnant. During pregnancy your body increases the amount of blood it pumps around the body. That means the kidneys process more fluid than usual which leads to more fluid in your bladder . For more information on early pregnancy signs and symptoms.

When Should You Take A Home Pregnancy Test

Most home pregnancy tests advise you to take the test after you miss your next period. If you have a standard 28-day cycle, you’ll be most fertile two to three weeks before your period.

So if you get pregnant during that fertility window, you’ll need to wait at least 14 to 18 days after conception to take a home pregnancy test.

If you get a negative result and suspect you’re pregnant, check the instructions on the box. Home pregnancy tests typically recommend retaking the test 5 to 7 days later, when the hCG levels in your body will be higher.

This type of result is called a “false negative.” Sometimes you can receive a false negative result if you take a pregnancy test too soon when your hCG levels are too low for the test to detect them accurately.

Moreover, recent miscarriages, fertility drugs, and rare hCG secreting tumors can interfere with the results of at-home urine tests. If you receive conflicting results after taking a home pregnancy test multiple times, doctors recommend a blood test.

Wheat & Barley Pregnancy Test

Wheat and barley are a part of every Indians food system. Did you know that they can also help you determine your pregnancy status? Yes! Both the seeds germinate twice as quick in a pregnant ladys urine than in water. For the test, you need barley and wheat seeds, a urine sample and a clean bowl.

Method	Positive Sign	Negative Sign
Take a bowl, pour a urine sample, and add some wheat and barley seeds into it. Leave it for two days to germinate.	If you see the seeds germinating in a couple of days, then you must be pregnant.	In case they have not yet sprouted, then you are not pregnant yet.

Brand Name Versus Generic Pregnancy Tests

Home pregnancy tests, both brand name and generic, are very accurate at detecting the HCG hormone and any positive result, even a faint line, can be considered positive. HCG is only produced by a pregnancy any positive result indicates a pregnancy.

You dont need a serum pregnancy test to confirm pregnancy. Both urine and blood detect HCG, although the blood test is more sensitive and can detect HCG levels at much lower levels than a urine test. In certain situations, your doctor may want to perform a blood HCG test but its not typically needed to confirm a pregnancy.

Although most tests advertise 99% accuracy, the ability of a particular brand to detect HCG at levels less than 50 ml may vary. Some brands may be better able to detect lower levels of HCG than others. If your HCG level is more than 50 ml, which is the detection rate of most tests, even generic tests will detect a pregnancy accurately.

How Soon Can I Take A Home Pregnancy Test

Pregnancy Test: Positive vs Negative Results Time Lapse

It is recommended that you wait until you have missed a period to take a home test. A missed period is often one of the first signs of pregnancy. If you cannot wait that long to find out and you know the day you may have conceived, then the earliest you can take a test would be14 days from possible conception.

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Pregnancy Tests Urine And Blood

There are two types of pregnancy tests one uses a urine sample, the other a sample of blood. Both pregnancy tests detect the presence of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin . This hormone is produced by the placenta shortly after the embryo attaches to the uterine lining and builds up rapidly in your body in the first few days of pregnancy. It is this rapid shift in hormones that trigger most of your pregnancy symptoms.

/5when Should You Take A Test

Usually, a missed or a delayed period is the first mark that makes you rush out to get a pregnancy test. However, you should always wait for a certain time before you take a test. Taking a test one or two weeks after you have had sex or ten days after you missed your periods is the right time to confirm your doubts. The reason the waiting time is important is that for the pregnancy to be confirmed, an essential pregnancy hormone, hCG needs to be detected and this usually happens 7-12 days after the egg gets fertilized and the implantation cycle is complete. Once this happens, the hormones start to double up, every 48 hours and ensure the correct outcome on the test.

Otherwise, even if you take the test at an earlier time, it can lead to negative results, even if you are pregnant as hCG levels won’t be properly matched.

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How Long Does It Take Hcg Levels To Be Detected By Home Pregnancy Tests

Pregnancy doesn’t necessarily start the day that two people have sex. An egg can be fertilized by sperm up to six days after intercourse.5 And then, it can take between six and ten days for the egg to implant itself in the uterus.

The hormone that home pregnancy tests look for starts being released from when the fertilized egg implants itself, which is why you have to wait for them to be effective.

According to the American Pregnancy Association, HCG is made by cells formed in the placenta, which nourishes the egg after it is has implanted itself in the wall of the uterus.4

Levels of HCG can be detected by two kinds of tests:5

Blood testâaccurate as early as 11 days after conception

Urine testâaccurate as early as 12 to 14 days after conception

So, if you don’t know when your period is supposed to start and you think you might be pregnant, you should test about two weeks after you had sex and possibly conceived.5

If it’s negative and your period still hasn’t come and you still think you might be pregnant, test again in another week.

What Do The Pregnancy Test Results Mean

Results may show up as a line, a color, or a symbol such as a “+” or “-” sign. Digital tests show the words “pregnant” or “not pregnant.” It’s important to know what a positive or negative result means.

If you get a positive result, youâre pregnant. This is true no matter how faint the line, color, or sign is. If you get a positive result, you may want to call your doctor to talk about what comes next.

In very rare cases, you can have a false-positive result. This means you’re not pregnant but the test says you are. You could have a false-positive result if you have blood or protein in your pee. Certain drugs, such as tranquilizers, anticonvulsants, hypnotics, and fertility drugs, could cause false-positive results.

If you get a negative result, youâre probably not pregnant. But you may be pregnant if:

The test is past its expiration date.
You took the test the wrong way.

You tested too soon.
Your pee is too diluted because you drank a lot of fluids right before the test.
Youâre taking certain medications, such as diuretics or antihistamines.

If you get a negative result, try retesting within about a week to double-check. Some home pregnancy tests suggest doing this no matter what your first results are.

If you take the test twice and get different results, call your doctor. A blood test is a good idea to confirm results.

If you have any other questions about the pregnancy test or the results, call your doctor or the telephone number listed with the test.

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Benefits Of Natural Pregnancy Test

There are only a few of us who would turn to home-made tests, but those who hesitate to take up the natural route may miss out on some of the benefits like:

This method can come in handy when you suspect an unplanned pregnancy and wouldnt want others to know about it.

Disposing of a pregnancy test can be difficult to hide but not when you use natural ingredients.
All the ingredients required are on your kitchen shelves.
You can take the test in the comfort of your home instead of the pharmacy.

Natural pregnancy tests are cost-effective.
You dont have to worry about the expiry date as the natural ingredients used do not have a shelf life.

Irritability Or Mood Swings

You could feel oversensitive, grumpy, and tearful due to hormonal changes altering the levels of neurotransmitters or chemical messengers to the brain. This could result in heightened emotions, both positive and negative . But such feelings could be like your PMS symptoms and may not necessarily help in determining pregnancy.

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Are There Variations In Hcg Levels

There is a wide normal variation of hCG levels, both in the blood and the urine. If a woman has low blood hCG levels, for example, then it can take several more days for it to show up on a pregnancy test.

Urine hCG levels change over the course of the day depending on how much you drink and how diluted or concentrated the urine is. Urine pregnancy testing is best done with more concentrated urine. If you drink a lot of fluid, the urine may be too diluted early on in the pregnancy to achieve an hCG concentration adequate for a positive test.

/5all You Need To Know About Pregnancy Tests

Abdominal Separation and Pregnancy: How To Perform a Self-check

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:

How To Use A Home Pregnancy Test Kit

Home pregnancy test kits vary in their sensitivity to hCG. Most test kits are best used about one to two weeks after your period was due. Always strictly follow the manufacturers instructions. Generally speaking, most home pregnancy tests follow the same basic principles:

You collect urine in a small container and dip the test strip into the urine. Alternatively, some kits offer a test strip that you hold under your stream of urine.
To improve accuracy of results, it is best to test your urine when you first get out of bed. Early morning urine is concentrated and contains higher levels of hCG than at other times of the day.
Most test strips indicate the presence of hCG by the appearance of a coloured line or dot.

Results are rapid. Most test kits take only a few minutes to complete.
Most kits come with a second test strip. This allows you to test again at a later stage.

Lasting Symptoms With A Negative Test

So, you’re feeling pregnant, and maybe you have even missed your period. But your over-the-counter pregnancy test is still negative. Are you or are you not pregnant?

The answer is it depends. Feeling pregnant doesnt mean you are, but a negative pregnancy test can be wrong. A recent study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine revealed that up to 5% of pregnancy tests return results indicating a person is not pregnant when, in reality, they are.

There are a few reasons you receive a false-negative test result. You may have tested too early, so the pregnancy hormones aren’t high enough to be detected by the test.

There isnt enough pregnancy hormone hCG in your urine yet.

The test has malfunctioned.
Youre not pregnant.
You are pregnant, but something is wrong.

There are other rare reasons you may get a negative test but actually may be pregnant.

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Confirming Your Pregnancy With A Gynae

Whats next after your pregnancy test kit shows a positive test result? You can confirm your pregnancy with a gynaecologist 6 to 8 weeks after your last menstrual period . However, if you experience bleeding, consult a gynaecologist as soon as possible. At your first checkup, your gynae may repeat the urine pregnancy test, and also conduct an ultrasound to scan for the foetus.

Once your pregnancy is confirmed, your obstetrician will be starting you on supplements such as folic acid, calcium and iron to prepare your body for a healthy pregnancy. At the same time, you will be advised on your diet, such as avoiding raw food, alcohol and caffeine.

Q: I Think I Might Be Pregnant How Soon Can I Use A Home Pregnancy Test To Find Out

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A: Drugstore shelves today are packed with tests with labels like “early result” or “early response,” some of which may be able to tell you’re pregnant up to five days before you’ve even missed your period — as soon as 10 days after you’ve ovulated. That’s because these tests may be more sensitive than others at detecting levels of human chorionic gonadotropin in your urine. hCG is a hormone that your body starts producing shortly after you’ve conceived. You should always read the label information to get a true sense of how accurate it is, and when. Even “early result” tests are more precise the later you use them , since hCG levels may be tricky to detect so early into pregnancy. If you get a negative test result but still haven’t gotten your period a few days later, it’s a good idea to test again. You likely got what’s called a “false negative” the first time — where the test says you’re not pregnant, but you actually are.

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