When yous're waiting for a positive pregnancy examination fourth dimension seems to tiresome to a standstill. Maybe you're experiencing early signs of pregnancy, but y'all just have to know for sure . But where to begin? You probably take a lot of questions about pregnancy tests, including:

If you lot're asking these questions, read on…

Positive Pregnancy Test Video:

How to Take an At-Home Pregnancy Test

Taking a habitation pregnancy test is easy and painless, but you need to follow the directions exactly. The overall process is the same:

Urine is practical to a strip of litmus newspaper to determine if human being chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), the hormone produced once the embryo implants into the uterus, is nowadays in your urine or not.

If the HCG is non detected, you will become a negative pregnancy test. If HCG is detected, you'll get a positive pregnancy test.

An HCG level of less than 5 milli-international units per milliliter (mIU/mL) is considered negative, an HCG level higher than 25 mIU/ml is considered positive, and annihilation betwixt 6 and 24 mIU/mL is considered possibly pregnant. — source

Simply these are only general guidelines. HCG doubles every 48-72 hours in 85% of normal pregnancies, but some women don't produce much of the hormone and still get on to take a healthy pregnancy. Other women produce very big amounts of the hormone. For this reason, the "normal" range of HCG levels in early pregnancy varies greatly.

Is Your Positive Pregnancy Test for Real? – HCG Chart

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Types of At-Dwelling Pregnancy Tests

Depending on the type of pregnancy examination you purchased, in that location are slightly different methods for taking a pregnancy test:

  • Stream of urine: The test is taken by holding the tip of the test under a steam of urine for a few seconds.
  • Dip: The test is taken by dipping the test into a cup of urine for virtually 20 seconds.
  • Driblet: The exam is taken by urinating into a cup and then using a syringe to apply simply a few drops of urine to the test.

Regardless of which examination you purchased, read the directions thoroughly before outset and grab a stopwatch before y'all begin.

Positive Pregnancy Test Pictures

Positive meaning tests can range from very obvious, solid lines to and then faint yous wonder if you're imagining things. Take a peek at my positive pregnancy tests:

Is Your Positive Pregnancy Test For Real Detect Out Now – Mama Natural – Genevieve

When to Accept a Pregnancy Test

Home pregnancy tests give the most accurate results almost a week later your missed period, but WHO CAN WAIT THAT LONG? When y'all're hoping for a positive pregnancy examination, waiting ane full calendar week afterwards your missed catamenia seems downright cruel. The adept news? You can get a positive pregnancy examination earlier. Many women post pictures of positive pregnancy tests as early every bit 10 days by ovulation (DPO).

Thanks to the increasing sensitivity of calm tests, many pregnancy tests can discover HCG equally early as 7-10 days after formulation.

But every adult female's body is different, and some women produce more than HCG than others. Because of this, you lot can definitely get a false negative if y'all exam too early. If you lot have the self discipline to expect till at least the day of your missed period, it may help avoid the emotional ups and downs of seeing a negative and wondering if it'south just too early on.

Testing in the morning, or with starting time morning urine (FMU), can also help ensure a pregnancy test's accuracy, since this is when your urine generally has the highest concentration of HCG.

What if I Become a Faint Positive Pregnancy Test? Tin can a Faint Line Be Negative?

The simply thing harder than waiting long enough to take a pregnancy test is trying to translate the pregnancy test.  Unless yous are using a digital examination, which displays the words "Pregnant" or "Not Pregnant," you may take to whip out a magnifying glass to assess your examination. ?

Many pregnancy tests show pink or blue lines to indicate whether a test is positive or not, andsometimes those pink and blue lines are so faint that it can be hard to tell if they are even there in the starting time place! Merely to make matters even more confusing, faint lines tin besides be negative. Ahh, what gives!?

Here's the scoop on faint tests:

  • Positive: Yes, a faint test usually ways a positive outcome! When a test is taken properly, a faint line often means pregnancy and is notjustan evaporation line.
  • Negative: However, a very faint line can *sometimes* indicate an evaporation line, which is nada more than your urine drying on the test. (It is usually more of a grayness colour than pinkish or blueish.) In this case, the test would be negative. Your chance of seeing an evaporation line is greatly decreased if y'all read your test within the proper timeframe listed in the directions. The longer you lot look to read the test, the more than time the urine has to dry and create that evaporation line, and so don't walk away and come back later to bank check.

Positive faint lines are more mutual when testing earlier your missed period. However, if y'all exercise test well past your expected menses date and y'all nevertheless see a super faint line, there are a few other considerations:

  • Your body may not be producing adequate amounts of HCG
  • You may be experiencing a chemical pregnancy
  • You lot didn't employ your first morning urine
  • You may have a hormonal imbalance (Hormonal imbalances take funny ways of presenting themselves. For instance, this homo produced plenty HCG to produce a positive pregnancy test.)

How Accurate Are Pregnancy Tests?

When y'all're hoping for a positive pregnancy test and you finally see i, you lot probably want to know how accurate that result is before you celebrate. When all directions are followed properly, today's pregnancy tests are upwards to 99% accurate when used after your missed menses. These tests are only as accurate every bit the urine tests used at doctor'due south offices.

Note: While you can take pregnancy tests earlier a missed period (and many women exercise), the accurateness charge per unit is non 99%.

The closer you lot accept the test to your missed period, the more accurate it will exist. Using expired tests tin besides touch on a test, so e'er cheque the expiration dates before using a test.

Which Pregnancy Tests Are the About Authentic?

You're set up to purchase a pregnancy test, but which one should you get? You'll have a lot of options to choose from, and they vary quite a bit in price. Are the expensive ones really that much amend than the cheap ones? Do yous demand a two-pack? A three-pack? Consumer Reports tested 18 brands of pregnancy tests and discovered not all tests are created equally. The two best were:

  • First Response Early Effect: Kickoff Response Early Result was rated as the all-time pregnancy test. because it was able to detect very low levels of hCG—concentrations every bit depression as 6.5 mIU/ml.
  • ClearBlue Easy: ClearBlue Easy made the list, because even at lower concentrations, this exam produced thicker, easier-to-read lines.

Tin You Get a Positive Pregnancy Test and Not Exist Pregnant?

Although false negatives are far more mutual than faux positives, it is possible to receive a positive pregnant test outcome and not be pregnant. However, a imitation positive is usually non a random consequence; often an underlying condition causes incorrect results. Fake positives tin can be acquired past:

  • Certain medications: If yous are taking fertility medications, y'all may see a simulated positive. (In this instance, information technology's best to follow the directions of your fertility specialist and test when s/he recommends). Other medications that touch results include HCG (when used as a weight loss medication), medication for Parkinson's disease, some anxiety medications, certain diuretics, and promethazine.
  • Certain conditions including UTI and cysts. In the instance of a UTI, blood and protein may enter your urine, which can cause the test results to be erroneous.
  • Recent miscarriage: The exam may be picking of HCG from the former pregnancy. Even if you miscarry, HCG does not render to aught immediately—information technology takes fourth dimension for HCG to get out the body. For this reason, many doctors exercise not recommend trying to excogitate subsequently a miscarriage until you have confirmed HCG levels of naught. This makes information technology much easier to date the following pregnancy, as well as eliminate confusion every bit to whether the HCG is from the previous pregnancy or a new pregnancy.

Tin can You lot Get a Negative Pregnancy Examination and Still Be Pregnant?

One negative pregnancy examination doesn't necessarily mean you're out of the game. There are a few reasons why you may be receiving negative results, simply still be significant:

  • You took the test likewise early on
  • You didn't follow the instructions (i.e. possibly enough urine didn't go onto the applicator tip of the test)
  • Your trunk doesn't make every bit much HCG as other women. Some women only get positive pregnancy tests via a blood exam at the doctor'south role.

If your menses is more than two weeks belatedly and you still aren't getting a positive pregnancy exam, it'southward time to visit your md or midwife.

Should Pregnancy Tests Get Darker Each Day You Test?

If you tested early and got a faint line, don't worry! As HCG increases, a positive pregnancy test will look darker. Many mamas who take daily tests to brand sure the line darkens, swear past the First Response Early Result.

Do realize that it won't exist a perfect scientific discipline so don't await a perfect unfolding of darker lines. As you can run into from the tests above, some days you won't notice a darkening as much equally other days. It can too depend on the room's lighting and how much pee made it on the stick!

If, at whatever point, y'all're worried well-nigh continued faint lines, speak to your md or midwife. She'll exist able to check your HCG levels (blood test) and bank check your progesterone level every bit well.

So You Got a Positive Pregnancy Test, At present What?

Showtime off, congrats! ? Now that you lot know there's a baby on board, you've got a few things to do:

  • Showtime taking a whole foods-based prenatal vitamin if you haven't already
  • Sign up for our free week-to-week pregnancy updates!
  • Achieve out to your healthcare provider. Unless you are loftier-risk, nearly providers won't schedule your first prenatal date until you are most 8-x weeks pregnant. Brutal, I know. In the concurrently, you can read up about pregnancy on our site and in our bestselling volume, Calendar week-By-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth.

OK, I Want to Know: How Many Pregnancy Tests Did You Take?

I took about 3-4 each pregnancy, but I know some mamas who took 8 or nine! Why and so many? Sometimes it's hard to believe that the thing you lot've wanted for so long is really happening, and you just want validation (many, many times)!

What about you lot? When did yous outset receive a positive pregnancy exam? Were you able to expect until after your missed period? How many tests did you take? Annotate below!

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