Trying to conceive or had unprotected sex? Then the one question that pops in your mind, if you have a missed or delayed period will be, “Am I pregnant?”. You would want to take the home pregnancy test immediately due to the feeling of restlessness. But a home pregnancy test can be a little difficult if you do not do it properly. In this article, Mommunity helps you understand the best time to take the pregnancy test, and what the different lines on the kit indicate.
Pregnancy tests are designed to determine if your urine consists of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This hormone is released just after the fertilized egg implants on the uterine lining and it keeps on multiplying every two to three days. You may choose the pregnancy test at home or visit an OB-GYN. If you take the test at home, please ensure to follow all the instructions properly. However, if you are seeing an OB-GYN, she will collect your blood samples as blood tests are more accurate than the urine tests.
TYPES OF PREGNANCY TESTS
Here are two kinds of pregnancy tests:
1. Non-Digital Pregnancy Tests: These tests come in many various forms, including standard sticks and test strips. Women usually pee on the stick, while test strips are supposed to be dipped in a cup of urine. For the results to appear on the screen, the urine must soak on the pregnancy test for several minutes. Pregnancy tests contain antibodies coated with a chemical that bonds to hCG, hence delivering a positive result. A positive result is usually indicated by a plus sign, a faint line, or a color change, depending on the specific test. You may get a negative result, if the molecules do not bond with any hCG.
2. Digital Pregnancy Tests: Digital Pregnancy tests look like a pen-shaped instrument and they rely on a method called “rapid assay delivery,” which might give results in only three minutes. With digital tests, there is no guesswork or wondering whether it’s a line or a color. The test simply displays “pregnant” or “not pregnant.”
THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO TAKE THE PREGNANCY TEST:
These are some early signs of pregnancy that you check before going for the home test:
- Spotting or light bleeding
- Strange feeling of pull in the tummy or cramping
- Tenderness or swelling of your breasts
- A feeling of tiredness. You might get exhausted without any reason
- An intense sense of smell
- A sudden change in dietary habits
- Awful taste in the mouth.
Usually, within the first seven to ten days after ovulation, is the time when you notice the above signs and symptoms. You should take the test sooner or later if you are unsure about your ovulation, but still notice some or all of the symptoms.
HOW LONG WILL THE TEST TAKE TO WORK?
You can get the results within five to ten minutes. If you notice any lines posted ten minutes it could be misleading. Also, reading earlier than five minutes could give you an inaccurate result.
WHAT DOES A POSITIVE PREGNANCY TEST LOOK LIKE?
In case of a positive test result, you will notice a second line along with the control line that is already present. This second line will appear right after the urine sample passes through the strip. Some tests have two individual windows, the lines appear in both the windows, in case of a positive result. While some kits have a cross design to depict positive pregnancy results. Sometimes the kit shows a false-positive result even though you may not be pregnant in real life. Following could be some of the reasons:
- Your urine may contain traces of blood or protein
- You are consuming medicines such as anticonvulsants, tranquilizers, and hypnotics
- When your LH (luteinizing hormone) is at peak, the hCG may be released from pituitary
- A false pregnancy could be detected if you take a very early test.
- Women at their perimenopausal stage, would have elevated levels of hCG hormone.
- Women undergoing infertility treatment may get the false positive result if they test within ten days of their last hCG treatment
WHAT DOES A NEGATIVE PREGNANCY TEST LOOK LIKE?
In case the result is negative, the kit will display only the control line. You can double-check by taking a retest, a week later. In some cases, the test could give you a false-negative result. Which means you could be pregnant even after getting a negative result. Following could be some of the reasons:
- The test kit has expired
- The instructions were not followed correctly
- You let the urine sample sit for a long time, i.e., 30 minutes or more
- You test at an initial stage when sufficient hCG may not be produced.
- If you have consumed large amounts of fluids just before the testing and your urine is highly diluted.
- If you are consuming any medicines such as antihistamines and diuretics.
One of the most convenient ways to find out if you’re pregnant is a home pregnancy test. You can test privately and get the result almost instantly. However, it can go wrong sometimes. Though blood tests are more accurate they are tedious. Therefore, you need to decide which one is the best for you. Once you get the good news, make an appointment with your healthcare provider to find out more about your pregnancy. Congratulations! We’re really excited for you.
