Congratulations! If you are contemplating pregnancy, you have come to an exciting time of your life. So now, every month is experienced with more joy and wonder than ever before. Time will seem to pass in leaps and bounds. After a few months, your period may fail to appear and your suspicions will give way to the realization that you could be pregnant. In the not too distant past, this realization might have been accompanied by a feeling of anxiety – how should you proceed now? However, today, thanks to the development of the Clearblue Pregnancy Test and the factual information in this booklet, the entire excitement of learning that a baby will soon be arriving can be preserved by using a sophisticated home testing unit. From the very second you think of taking the test up to the time you interpret the result, you can be sure that there is an effective device at your disposal which is quick, accurate, and extremely easy to perform requiring no skills and only a few minutes of your time. Do make sure to read the instructions carefully and follow them to the letter.
Meanwhile, this booklet, with additional facts and helpful information, will take some of the tension out of the waiting period. Our aim is not only to ensure that only happy memories remain attached to the period when you discovered that a baby is on the way but also to offer congratulations in advance as well and to wish you a completely healthy and successful pregnancy.
The Science Behind Clearblue Pregnancy Tests
If you are trying to get pregnant, your early detection Clearblue pregnancy test can be a reassuring guide to what is happening in your body. The first sign of pregnancy is generally a missed period, but if you are anxious to know, this test can confirm pregnancy within the first week of conception when your embryo is in its early development stage. Fertilization happens high in the Fallopian tubes after ovulation and is a result of the fusion of egg and sperm. After fertilization, the embryo moves to the uterus and enters the blastocyst stage, a process fueled by the division and growth of hundreds of cells. When the ball of cells in the blastocyst becomes close enough to the lining of the uterus, it will start secreting Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) in order to protect itself from the mother’s immune system.
This hormone is what turns your Clearblue pregnancy test from a simple stick into an essential tool in helping you understand what is going on in your body. It is now possible for pregnant women to confirm their pregnancy two weeks earlier than what the traditional pregnancy capture method used to allow them. With this test pack, you get two pregnancy sticks that detect minute levels of hCG in the urine. Smaller by far than the amount of hCG present in blood, your test can detect the presence of hCG in the urine just a day after your journey started, so to speak, and gives you the freedom to test any time of day.
Interpreting the Results
The Clearblue Early Detection Pregnancy Test can be used up to 6 days before your missed period. You will not be able to see the results if you have taken the test too soon. If you test before your missed period and get a ‘Not Pregnant’ result, there is still a chance that you may be pregnant. This is because the level of pregnancy hormone in your urine may not yet be high enough to be detected. This ‘pregnancy hormone’ is produced at your placenta, once a fertilized egg has been implanted into the lining of your uterus.
If you are testing from the day your period is due, you can test at any time of the day, although your first urine of the day is the most concentrated as levels of the pregnancy hormone build up overnight. You should wait 3 minutes to confirm a ‘Pregnant’ result. If you wish to repeat the test, you should wait 3 days. The Clearblue Rapid Detection Pregnancy Test can be used 5 days sooner than your period is due and can provide a ‘Pregnant’ result 2 minutes after you test.
Positive Result
A home pregnancy test detects the presence of the hCG hormone as it increases throughout pregnancy. The new Clearblue pregnancy test with Weeks Estimator detects the pregnancy hormone earlier than most home pregnancy tests. It then uses two separate tests to give a pregnant or not pregnant result, and an estimate of how many weeks based on time since LH surge (1-2, 2-3, 3+). A positive result means you are probably pregnant. You might not really be, but the odds are that you really are. More tests and visits with a pregnancy care provider will be needed. The hormone was probably produced because a fertilized egg has implanted in the uterus. The hormone is usually produced by the body only during pregnancy, and the tests are carefully made to find it.
You might get a positive test if you had a very early miscarriage and over-the-counter tests cannot tell the difference between a miscarriage and a true positive. (Your period would be late, but you have miscarried and the miscarriage will follow with heavy bleeding and/or cramping.) A positive pregnancy test almost always indicates that the woman is pregnant. A positive test usually does mean that the hCG is present, and an embryo has implanted. A positive pregnancy test does not reveal the health and viability of the embryo.
Negative Result
A negative result is when the pregnancy test indicates that you are not pregnant. If you test before your expected period and get a ‘Not Pregnant’ result, there is still a chance that you may be pregnant but that your hCG level is still not high enough for the test to detect. If you test negative to begin with, but think you may be pregnant, you should test again in three days. If you test after you miss your period and get a ‘Not Pregnant’ result, you are unlikely to be pregnant.
If you think you are pregnant but the test says ‘Not Pregnant’, wait a few days and test again. The level of pregnancy hormone increases as the pregnancy grows. What to do if you get unexpected results. If you do get unexpected results, ask your doctor for advice. In the meantime, tend to eat and drink sensibly, and limit your caffeine intake. Also, avoid tobacco and alcohol.
Invalid Result
It is important to emphasize that any result must not be considered as “DE.” In a similar way to any other pregnancy test, the chances are one in 20 that the test could give an inaccurate result, for example, negative. This may particularly happen if the test is performed incorrectly, or if it is used too early in pregnancy. There are occasions that the test may not work, for example, in case the instructions have not been followed accurately, there is not much urine on the absorbent tip, or the result has been read after the correct time (10 minutes).
No symbol will appear on the display screen for an invalid result. The only action is to remove the test stick and repeat the process with a new test stick. This may be done at any time on the same day. If it happened two consecutive invalid results per day, this should be considered as indicative of an error. This probably indicates that the woman herself is unintentionally not correctly following the instructions or has some major health problems that require prompt medical advice.
Tips for Accurate Testing
Follow these easy steps to get accurate results with Clearblue Pregnancy Tests:
1. Add First-Morning Urine: The best time to take your pregnancy test, especially if you are testing early, is with first-morning urine because your hCG levels are more concentrated. If you cannot test first thing in the morning, try to hold your urine a few hours before while you limit your fluid intake. This will help concentrate the hCG levels.
2. Follow Package Instructions: Follow the directions on the package insert for accurate results. Each Clearblue Pregnancy Test stick comes with detailed instructions.
3. Use One Stick at a Time: Do not remove the cap until you are ready to take the test. Keep the cap on and hold the stick in your urine stream and then place the cap back on the stick once you are finished.
4. Place on a Flat Surface: Lay the test flat and wait for the control window to display a pink color. This tells you that the test is working. A pink line will always appear in the control window to confirm you have done the test correctly.
5. Check Results at the 3-Minute Mark: For clear results, check your stick when you have three minutes left on the timer. It is best to check your test results right away because the double-line display could wait longer than the word indicator. Clearblue tests feature two result windows which are used for different indicators.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How accurate is the Clearblue Pregnancy Test? A. When used in laboratory trials, Clearblue Pregnancy Tests gave results that were greater than 99% accurate in detecting whether or not a woman was pregnant. The tests are so accurate that laboratories implementing them have reported higher levels of staff satisfaction and reduced levels of stress for the teams.
Q. How reliable is my negative not pregnant result? A. Studies have confirmed that over 99% of women received a negative not pregnant result when they were not pregnant. If the result has been read correctly, some women can have inconsistent menstrual cycles that may mean some women do not fall within the two ranges the Clearblue Pregnancy Test uses to classify results, and this will also affect the interpretation of the test result.
Q. Which doctor should I consult? A. Women who have had a positive result and have any symptoms of vaginal bleeding, pain, or excessive nausea should seek immediate medical advice. Women who have received a negative result and continue to experience symptoms of pregnancy should seek medical advice.
Q. What happens if you use the test too soon? A. If the test has been used too soon, the amount of hCG in the urine is very low. If sufficient hCG is present, a faint line will appear. It is important always to follow the package instructions in order to get accurate results, or to wait as long as possible if the test is done too soon.
