Pregnancy Girl » Pregnancy Tests

I got a negative result on a home pregnancy test. Might I still be pregnant?

Administrator — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 13:00:56 +0000

Yes. So, most home pregnancy tests recommend women take the test again in a few days or a week.

Every woman ovulates at different times in her menstrual cycle. Plus, embryos implant in the uterus at different times. So, most home pregnancy tests (HPTs) suggest women take the test again in a few days or a week.

Sometimes women get false negative results (when the test says you are not pregnant and you are) when they test too early in the pregnancy. Other times, problems with the pregnancy can affect the amount of hCG in the urine.

If your pregnancy test is negative, test yourself again in a few days or 1 week. If you keep getting a negative result but think you are pregnant, talk with your doctor right away.

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Can anything interfere with home pregnancy test results?

Administrator — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 12:59:06 +0000

Most medicines, over-the-counter and prescription, including birth control pills and antibiotics, should not affect the results of a home pregnancy test. Only medicines that have the pregnancy hormone hCG in them can give a false positive test result. A false positive is when a test says you are pregnant when you’re not.

Sometimes medicines containing hCG are used to treat infertility (not being able to get pregnant). Alcohol and illegal drugs do not affect home pregnancy test results. But women who may become pregnant should not use these substances.

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How to Use a Home Pregnancy Test

Administrator — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:50:30 +0000

There are a wide range of home pregnancy tests available. Most drugstores have over-the-counter home pregnancy tests for sale between $8 to $20 USD, depending on brand and the number of tests in a single box.

The most popular home pregnancy tests on the market today all work in very similar ways. While each pregnancy test will come with a set of instructions that will enable to you to understand the test and how to perform the test, the following is a general outline of how to use a home pregnancy test.

Urine Stream: By placing the pregnancy test stick in your urine stream, the test will absorb the urine and give a reading based on the amount of the hCG pregnancy hormone that is detected in the urine.
Collection Cup: A collection cup is placed into your urine stream and then with a dropper transferred to a special container on the pregnancy test.

For the most accurate results, most home pregnancy tests will recommend that the first morning’s urine is used for testing.

When reading the test of your results, you may find that the majority of tests have a “result window.” In this window, the results will display one or two lines or a plus symbol, typically meaning you’re pregnant. A line or plus symbol, whether bold or faint, provides a positive result.

You may also find that your test has a “control indicator” in the result window. This line or symbol shows if the test is working. Should the control indicator not appear, the test is not working accurately and the results should not be trusted.

Recommendations included with your pregnancy test may suggest that a second test, regardless of the first result, is performed within the next few days. One negative result, especially soon after a missed period, does not always mean that you’re not pregnant.

If you have any questions about your pregnancy test, consult the instructions provided with your test or look on the packaging for a toll-free phone number to call.

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Which brand of pregnancy test is the most accurate?

Administrator — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:49:35 +0000

Some brands of tests can pick up lower levels of hCG than others. But limited research makes it impossible to say for sure which one is the best. Even so, two studies suggest that First Response, Early Result Pregnancy Test may be more sensitive than others. So for women who want test early, this may be a good choice.

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Urine vs. Blood Pregnancy Tests

Administrator — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:44:16 +0000

Generally speaking, there are two types of pregnancy tests. One pregnancy test tests your blood for the pregnancy hormone, hCG. The other checks your urine for the same hormone. Commonly women first learn of their pregnancy by conducting a home pregnancy test (HPT). However, for a blood pregnancy test, a visit to your doctor is required.

Home pregnancy tests are inexpensive, private, and simple to use with the ability to detect the pregnancy hormone about 2 weeks after ovulation has occured. Some more sensitive urine tests make a claim to detecting the pregnancy hormone as early as one day after your first missed period.

At a doctors office, there are two types of pregnancy tests used. The first tests blood for the human chorionic gonadotropin (hcG) pregnancy hormone and can detect this hormone earlier than a urine home pregnancy test, typically 6 to 8 days after ovulation.

The second test used, a quantitiative blood test (or beta hCG test) only measure the exact amount of hcG present in your blood, detecting even the smallest amount of hormone present in your blood. For this reason, the quantitive blood test is the most accurate by detecting if the hCG hormone is present or not. The result is a simple yes or no answer.

If you conduct a home pregnancy test and discover a positive result, contact your doctor right away for an appointment. Your doctor will confirm your pregnancy with a more sensitive pregnancy test along with a pelvic exam. Remember, seeing your doctor early in your pregnancy will help you and your baby remain healthy.

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How Pregnancy Tests Work

Administrator — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:11:09 +0000

Pregnancy tests look for a special hormone in the urine or blood that is only present when a woman is pregnant. This hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), can also be called the pregnancy hormone.

The pregnancy hormone, hCG, is made in your body when a fertilized egg implants in the uterus. This usually happens about 6 days after conception. But studies show that the embryo doesn’t implant until later in some women. The amount of hCG increases drastically with each passing day you are pregnant.

Many home pregnancy tests claim they can tell if you’re pregnant on the day you expect your period. But a recent study shows that most don’t give accurate results this early in pregnancy. Waiting one week after a missed period will usually give a more accurate answer.

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How soon after a missed period can I take a home pregnancy test?

Administrator — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 22:49:29 +0000

Many home pregnancy tests (HPTs) claim to be 99% accurate on the day you miss your period. But research suggests that most HPTs do not consistently spot pregnancy that early. And when they do, the results are often so faint they are misunderstood. If you can wait one week after your missed period, most home pregnancy tests will give you an accurate answer. Ask your doctor for a more sensitive test if you need to know earlier.

When a home pregnancy test will give an accurate result depends on many things. These include:

How long it takes for the fertilized egg to implant in the uterus after ovulation. Pregnancy tests look for the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) that is only produced once the fertilized egg has implanted in the uterine wall. In most cases, this happens about 6 days after conception. But studies show that in up to 10 percent of women, the embryo doesn’t implant until much later, after the first day of the missed period. So, home pregnancy tests will be accurate as soon as one day after a missed period for some women but not for others.
How you use them – Be sure to follow the directions and check the expiration date.
When you use them – The amount of hCG in a pregnant woman’s urine increases with time. So, the earlier after a missed period you take a HPT, the harder it is to spot the hCG. If you wait one week after a missed period to test, you are more apt to have an accurate result. Also, testing your urine first thing in the morning may boost the accuracy.
Who uses them – The amount of hCG in the urine at different points in early pregnancy is different for every woman. So, some women will have accurate results on the day of the missed period while others will need to wait longer.
The brand of test - Some home pregnancy tests are more sensitive than others. So, some tests are better than others at spotting hCG early on.

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