How to Test If I'm Pregnant

How to Test If I’m Pregnant

For many women, a home pregnancy test may just be the most significant piece of plastic in the world. It is crazy to think about how such a small device can yield such life-changing results. For many women, the plastic stick signifies hope and excitement, yielding almost immediate results.

1. What Kind of Tests Should I Buy?

Mothers often reminisce about how they found out they were pregnant. That memory usually begins with the purchase of their first home pregnancy test – or tests! Some women want the most simple and inexpensive device that they can find, while others are more particular and feel like the more money they spend on it, the more accurate the results will be. There are tests that simply use lines or plus signs to indicate pregnancy. Others are digital, and some even show happy faces. As different as they may be, they all work pretty much the same way: by using a urine sample.

False negatives can occur, especially if you take the test incorrectly. Although it is a simple process, there are some instructions to follow in order guaranty accuracy. Therefore, purchasing a pregnancy test with easy instructions is important. It may also be beneficial to purchase multiple tests, as some women retake the test a few days later, just to verify the results.

2. When Should I Take My Pregnancy Test?

As excited as you may be to take your pregnancy test, most tests advise that you wait at least until the day that your period is expected. Some manufacturers sell tests that you can use days before your expected period, if you cannot wait that long. But you still might want to take another later on. This is because a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) builds up in a pregnant woman’s body, increasing throughout her pregnancy. Since home pregnancy tests detect hCG levels, it is advised to take the pregnancy test no sooner than the day that your period is expected, when it has had more of a chance to do so.

How to Test If I'm Pregnant
How to Test If I’m Pregnant

3. Take the Test in Morning Time

In addition to waiting until the day of your expected period, you should try to take the pregnancy test in the morning. Your first morning urine is more likely than urine taken at the end of the day to contain large enough amounts of hCG. This is because it has had a chance to build up while you were sleeping (unless you used the bathroom in the middle of the night).

4. No Interrupts while you take Pregnancy Test

You should make sure you take the pregnancy test when no one else can interrupt you. Open the box and get acquainted with the contents and the instructions, but do not open the sealed items until you are absolutely ready to take the test. Prepare the area around you so that it is clean and cannot contaminate the testing stick, possibly affecting the results. Since the tests require that you wait a few minutes (depending on the type of test) before reading the results, be prepared with a watch or an egg timer. These may be the longest few minutes of your life. You might want to walk away and complete a chore to keep yourself busy. Checking too soon can possibly indicate that you are not pregnant, when you actually are. So get ready to wait!

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