Normally, a pregnancy test can be taken up to five or six days days before your expected period is due. Tests that can detect pregnancy at this early stage include the First Response Early Results Pregnancy Test, the Clearblue Early Detection Pregnancy Test, the Clearblue Digital Early Detection Pregnancy Test, and the Conceive Plus Pregnancy Test.
Your hCG levels will rise rapidly at the beginning of a pregnancy, so if you need as accurate a result as possible, take a test on the day of your missed period. Whatever the results, be it negative or positive, your result will be over 99% accurate.
When To Take A Pregnancy Test – Morning, Afternoon or Evening?
If possible, do the pregnancy test in the morning, as soon as you can. At this time, your hCG levels will be at their highest. If this is not possible (or perhaps you prefer to do a test sooner rather than later), try not to go to the toilet for a few hours. Then take the test.
One thing you should avoid doing is drinking lots of fluids to make yourself wee. This can cause the hormone levels in your urine to be diluted, increasing the chances of an incorrect result.
How To Read The Results
Always read the instructions carefully before taking any pregnancy test. This will help you clearly understand how those little blue lines work! Also, check the expiry date on the test, as they generally can only be stored for 1-2 years before going out of date.
Most tests are similar in that they normally have two windows for results. One window is a control window, which will usually show one line before taking the test to indicate it is working. Many Clearblue pregnancy tests are designed like this.
After urinating on the test and waiting the correct amount of time, you will see a single line or two lines forming a cross in the results window. The cross means you are pregnant; just one line means you are not.
If your test has only one window, a test line and result line will usually appear side-by-side if you are pregnant. If there is only one line, you are not pregnant. Even the faintest line in the results window can indicate pregnancy.
When Is It Too Late to Take a Pregnancy Test?
While most pregnancy tests are accurate from the day of your missed period, it’s wise to wait a week after before considering the result definitive. During the first few weeks, hCG levels can fluctuate, leading to potential false negatives. If you receive a negative result but still suspect pregnancy based on symptoms, retest a few days later. Conversely, a positive result is typically reliable even at this early stage.
Dealing With Conflicting Results
Occasionally, you may get two different results when testing within a short timeframe. This bewildering scenario calls for patience – wait 2-3 days and retest. If results continue to conflict, make an appointment with your doctor, who can run a blood test for confirmation. Though frustrating, resist rushing to conclusions and allow your body time to establish a clear hCG pattern.
Photo credit; “When To Take A Pregnancy Test” by Anthony Cunningham for Zoom Baby
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