Introduction
A home pregnancy test can cause a lot of stress. It’s important to start by reading the instructions included with the test. There are a number of things that can interfere with the pregnancy test: drinking and eating, medical treatments, and home testing or fertility medications. If you suspect you’re pregnant and the test is negative, take it again in a week. When your body is going through so many changes and you’re feeling on edge, it’s always a relief to get the all-clear and know that you’re not pregnant. However, as time goes by, you may come to feel differently if you get a negative result. Remember, even if your pregnancy test is negative, it doesn’t mean you’re not pregnant. You could have tested too early, or your body may need a little bit more time to produce the pregnancy hormone. If you’re unsure because the area on the stick is not very clear, sounds too faint to be positive, or someone else notices it first, however, it’s safe to assume it’s negative.
Purpose of the Article
When you can’t wait to find out if you’re pregnant, you’re ready to take a pregnancy test. Some home pregnancy tests are more sensitive than others and can be taken before your missed period. But you may get more accurate results if you wait until after the first day of your missed period. Early testing can result in a very early positive result. It’s important to know that a very early positive result is usually because the amount of pregnancy hormone, hCG, in your urine is higher than the test’s sensitivity, but lower than other tests. You should not take the results of a very early positive result as evidence that you are pregnant unless it is more than 3-4 days before the date of your missed period. A very early positive result is more likely to be a true positive if you repeat the test in a week. When you do a home pregnancy test, it is important to follow the instructions very carefully. These tests are up to 97% accurate. The most accurate way of knowing if you are pregnant is to do a blood test in a doctor’s office. The blood test can detect if you are pregnant about 6-8 days after you ovulate (or release an egg from an ovary).
Understanding Pregnancy Tests
Generally lighter in color than a dye stick with a typical white strip but cost less. Dye stick and test strip combo that provide two distinct result lines are also popular and current choices. Some, such as the digital pregnancy test, target a strip handle. There is an LCD screen included on these types of sticks. They are costly but have the advantage of offering users a clear “Pregnant” or “Not Pregnant” result. These designs are midstream while also allowing urine for review at the handle end. These sticks are usually quick with costlier litigation as well and made often. When considering this purchase, the payout is minimal.
The technology behind pregnancy test kits uses immunoassay information to determine the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin. It basically works by detecting any small concentration of this hormone and reacts by creating a color change in the strip of the test. Pregnancy tests come in different formats, which means that the methods of application vary depending on brand, user, and where the test is going to be purchased or used. Some popular pregnancy test kit formats include test sticks, dye sticks, digital, and mid-stream. The difference in these formats is how each pregnancy stick is being used and designed.
Types of Pregnancy Tests
– A blood test at the doctor’s office. Some of these tests are able to detect a pregnancy earlier than others. Some will tell you sooner than others that you’re pregnant. Keep this in mind when deciding when to take a pregnancy test.
– A urine test at the doctor’s office or in a college, high school, or work bathroom or at home with a home pregnancy test.
There are two basic types of pregnancy tests:
Pregnancy tests are designed to tell if your urine or blood contains a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This hormone is made right after a fertilized egg attaches to the wall of a woman’s uterus. This usually happens – but is not limited to – about six days after fertilization. hCG is made by the placenta and is secreted in the urine. Blood levels of hCG can also be measured.
How Pregnancy Tests Work
The time of ovulation is more variable than we think. Not all women ovulate 14 days into their cycle, so 14 days after a period may not really be the best time to take a home pregnancy test. The best time to take a pregnancy test is 1 week after your missed period, but waiting an additional week and taking a test again is the best way to confirm an early positive result. These directions that come with your pregnancy test are just a general guideline. If you do not know when you ovulated, wait at least 1-2 weeks after you think you may be pregnant. If after a few months of trying to conceive you still have not gotten pregnant, talk to your doctor. Your doctor will help you with methods to take the best time of your cycle for using a home pregnancy test.
A home pregnancy test detects the presence of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in your urine. This hormone is produced by the cells of the embryo that will later form the placenta. The hormone is first formed a few days after the embryo implants in the uterus. If you are pregnant, this hormone rises rapidly, doubling approximately every 2 days. In the first few weeks, the level increases markedly. During the first trimester, the level more than doubles every 48 hours. Most pregnancy tests can detect adequate amounts of hCG in your urine 12-14 days after conception. However, a lot depends on when you ovulate because ovulation is, of course, the key event that must occur before pregnancy can take place.
When to Take a Pregnancy Test
A urine specimen should be collected from the first urine of the morning. Then, do not drink large amounts of liquid before doing the test. The test may be performed at any time of the day; however, testing first morning urine is preferable. When you are ready to perform the test, use the enclosed dropper. Fill the dropper with urine and squeeze the urine out into the sample well (the well where it states urine) by placing the tip of the dropper close to the sample well opening, have the dropper on an angle. Do not let the dropper touch the sample well. After you have performed the test, place the test on the box in which it came, results will appear within 3 to 4 minutes. The appearance of the result strip may vary from test to test. Some results may show vertical streaks, blobs, or folds. All of these do not affect the results of the test. Only the lines are to be interpreted. If there is a control line, which indicates that the test was done properly and should appear within 10 minutes, and a test line, then the test is physically positive. These lines can be of any color, and some may vary. It is recommended to repeat the test the next day. Due to the variation of the appearance of the result lines, do not compare a negative histochemical test result (not pregnant) 0 to 4 days after a missed menstrual period.
A home pregnancy test measures the presence of the hormone (HCG) in your urine. HCG is present when you are pregnant. More information on the test and what the results mean is presented later on. The package contains one test with instructions enclosed. You will also need a watch or a clock with a second hand to accurately time your test. If you do not have a clock with a second hand, use a regular clock and count the seconds. In either case, pay attention to timing. If the test is read too early (<4 minutes), the test may not be accurate. False positive results are more likely to occur than false negative results. It is suggested to repeat the test if it is negative or one has not yet menstruated.
Early Signs of Pregnancy
Your breasts might become more tender and swollen, as the breasts may be moving into position to lactate. Also, you might experience cellulite or your legs swelling. This is generally more common for the first trimester. The reason is mainly because of the weight of the baby and also because of the hormonal changes that make the water content in your body head towards the pelvic area. Another common sign is that you have a frequent urge to use the toilet. This is because of the swelling in your uterus and also it moves the bladder that makes you lose all the urine.
It is said that the best pregnancy symptom is a missed period. However, there are several early signs that might give your body away. These include changes in your breasts, a frequent urge to use the toilet, tiredness, and even morning sickness. However, these could also be due to other issues or just that you are coming down with the flu. A pregnancy test will be the only way you can find out for sure. If you’re on the lookout for early signs of pregnancy, you might be feeling terribly frustrated – especially if you’re experiencing PMS-like symptoms.
Timing of the Test
The best time to take a pregnancy test is after your period is late. However, sometimes women do not know when they ovulated or conceived, making it difficult to date the pregnancy. Some people can accurately know within a few weeks of conception, but determining how far along a pregnancy is can be problematic. If a woman has a long menstrual cycle or does not know when she ovulated, she may want to try a pregnancy test. Consider talking to a medical professional if the 2-line home pregnancy test reading about pregnancy test is faint or unclear. A thin crimson trace may be visible during the bleeding stage in some situations, which may indicate that a woman is not really pregnant, but instead is just menstruating. A woman might have a condition other than a miscarriage.
Blood tests are a little bit more accurate than urine tests. They can detect pregnancy sooner than a urine test, and you can have it performed at your doctor’s office. When your pregnancy is confirmed, your obstetrician/gynecologist will help you determine a due date. A urine test for pregnancy is normally not needed during a doctor’s appointment. Use a urine test kit for pregnancy at home. A urine test kit is capable of being used at home as an at-home diagnostic tool to detect unit levels of hCG in a woman’s urine. If hCG is detected in the woman’s urine, the results from the urine test kit for pregnancy will indicate that a woman is pregnant. Blood tests and ultrasound tests can also serve as pregnancy tests.
How to Take a Pregnancy Test
Suppose you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant, and you’re pretty sure that you wouldn’t want to go through with the pregnancy and be a parent. How can you let your parents/someone know what you are going through? It would be best to have your parents by your side when you take the pregnancy test or that the only other trusted adult (which could be your school nurse or the doctor) that you could actually go to would be extremely understanding of your situation.
You want to know what to do next. Missing Your Period – If you’ve missed your period, you might want to take a pregnancy test. You can use a store-bought test. These tests are usually over 99% accurate. You can take the test right away if you have used birth control, since the earlier the test is performed, the more accurate the result will be. Also, you will know what to do, either one way or the other, about a baby. If you haven’t used birth control and have late periods quite often, you could have an imbalance of hormones that affects your period. This can be normal, but if you don’t tell your parents your fears of pregnancy, they won’t know if you are pregnant and maybe they should take you to your doctor for a checkup.
Taking the Pregnancy Test – If you’ve been close to a boy for a few months and think you might have had a chance of being pregnant, or if you’ve missed your period, you might think you could be pregnant. You could have some normal (or even not so normal) signs of pregnancy. If any of this is true, you have a few choices of what to do next. Check through these choices, and then you can see what answer is right for you, and what you want to do about your situation.
If you think you may be pregnant, it can be a very emotional experience to take a pregnancy test. If you get a negative result, it doesn’t mean that you might never be pregnant, it might just be a little too early to test. You can get the most accurate results if you wait a few days before you test. This page from the kids’ health site talks about what being pregnant means, and answers a few common questions about what might happen next.
Step-by-Step Instructions
The test has worked if the Wait symbol is flashing. When your result is ready to be read, the Wait symbol stops is displayed permanently. If the Test Ready symbol was shown and then disappeared, your test was not performed properly or has gone wrong. If this happens, remove the test stick, reapply the cap, and retest straight away. Be sure to wait 3 minutes for the result. Be careful not to remove the absorbent tip. Do not hold the test stick with the absorbent tip pointing downwards. Keep the test stick upright. If you have not followed these directions please call the toll-free number on the bottom of the test stick.
When you are ready to test, remove the test stick from its foil wrapper and take off the blue cap. Use the test right away. Keep the absorbent tip pointing downward. Place the absorbent tip into your urine stream for 5 seconds. Be careful not to get the rest of the digital pregnancy test stick wet. Or you can instead collect a sample of your urine in a clean, dry cup. Keeping the absorbent tip pointing downward, place the absorbent tip into the urine for 20 seconds. Keep the tip in the urine for the full 20 seconds. The Hourglass “Wait” Symbol will flash to show you that the pregnancy test is working. When the Wait symbol stops flashing, your result is ready to read in just 3 minutes. After doing the pregnancy test, note the flashing “Test Ready” symbol. If the “Test Ready” symbol has shown on the Display, your result is ready to be read in 3 minutes. If the test result window does not show a Not Pregnant or Pregnant result, wait for 3 minutes, then confirm your result.
If you’ve decided it’s time to start a family, trust Clearblue to provide all the information you need. Please remember that only your doctor can confirm your pregnancy. Clearblue is here to help you every step of the way! If you’re going to test today, it is important to bring your first morning urine to get the most accurate results.
Interpreting the Results
Results from a blood pregnancy test are usually available within three days. You will be informed within three days if the test is positive. If the test is negative and you do not get your period or if you miss two periods, you should retest. Some blood pregnancy tests can detect the positive result of a pregnancy as little as six days after conception, with the levels of hCG in the blood doubling about every two days.
Read the pregnancy test instructions, then set a timer or check the clock as recommended on the test window. Although some pregnancy tests allow you to check the results in minutes, others may require you to wait longer. Different tests have different ways of telling you if you are pregnant or not. If you have looked at the instructions and are unsure what the test results say, read them again or wait until the appropriate time to read them again. Sometimes you may need to reexamine the test in different lighting or to compare it against a different background. If you have taken a urine pregnancy test and you are unable to interpret the results, please see our related article, “The accuracy of home pregnancy tests,” and then contact your healthcare provider.
Reading the Results
You finally decided to take a pregnancy test, and you hate waiting for nothing. You made sure you followed the directions as best you could so you would know whether you were pregnant or not. The results are finally ready, you feel a wave of nervousness and excitement come over you, and you look at the test strip. As you go from your first response test to standing in your kitchen, you start to see a faint pink line and can no longer be sure if you read it correctly. What if it’s just an evap line? You ask yourself. You need to re-check your test and possibly go back over some pointers mentioned in the beginning to be sure you have read it right. I have made a few points below that may help some women when they check for the results.
Be sure to leave the test in the required time as specified in the instructions (see the section “Are you following the directions?”) for the most accurate result. Reading the results of a home pregnancy test can be a little tricky for some women. If you do not read the results in the specified time, the results will most likely be inaccurate. Most tests leave you with either a plus (pregnant) or a minus (not pregnant) symbol, two lines, or a different color. If your test is positive (shows you are pregnant), I would suggest calling your doctor to have a blood test to confirm and schedule an appointment. An at-home pregnancy test is not 100% accurate and may give you a false positive or negative. It could also be your body’s natural changes going on. If the test comes back negative and you got your period, I would suggest keeping watch to see if you feel any signs of pregnancy as the weeks progress. If your period never comes, repeat the test.
