What is it needed for?
Even 50 years ago, women could not even think about how simple it is to take a pregnancy test at home and find out whether the concept has come or not. Similar studies were carried out exclusively in hospitals. So far, in the late 60s, the 26-year-old designer of one of the US pharmaceutical companies Margaret Crane did not come up with a home version of the laboratory test. Of course, it was not as small and compact as modern ones, but starting from the 70s women from Canada, the USA, and then from other countries could buy pregmate pregnancy test in a regular pharmacy and find out about their “interesting” situation.
Today, millions of women around the world learn about pregnancy in this way. The advantages of modern tests are their high sensitivity, in most cases, they give reliable results. A woman can learn about conception at the earliest possible dates, without going to a doctor for this purpose, if, of course, nothing bothers her.
When can I do it?
To answer this question, you need to understand how the test works, and what happens in the body of a woman at the time of conception and in the very early stages of pregnancy.
When does it show?
It makes sense to do a pharmacy pregnancy test 12-14 days after conception, as a rule, this period coincides with the first days of menstruation delay and corresponds to 4-5 obstetric weeks of pregnancy.
“The sensitivity of the test you use to determine pregnancy is also very important,” notes Alla Pashkova. The most sensitive tests are digital. Pay attention to the numbers indicated on the package: 10, 25, 30 honey ml. The smaller the number, the more sensitive the test, which means it will show a positive result with a lower hCG content in the urine.
Could it be wrong?
If you use a good test with high sensitivity, not too early, but inadequate time to determine the level of hCG in the urine, you have a regular menstrual cycle, pregnancy is normal, and you are healthy, then the probability of an erroneous result is very small. Nevertheless, both false positive and false negative results from pharmacy pregnancy tests can give.
“There can be many reasons, starting from the expired shelf life of the test, its conduct too early, and ending with taking certain medications and the presence of certain diseases,” says Alla Pashkova. For example, a false-positive test result may be when taking infertility drugs that contain hCG. A false-negative result can be if the woman did the test too early, or, for example, has kidney disease.
In any case, if you doubt the test results, something bothers you, you must consult a doctor.
Does an ectopic pregnancy show?
It is impossible to determine an ectopic pregnancy only by a pregnancy test. A reliable method for diagnosing this condition is blood dynamics for the hormone hCG, ultrasound or diagnostic laparoscopy. Nevertheless, a “strange” test result may indirectly indicate the occurrence of ectopic pregnancy and become an occasion for urgent medical attention. A woman should be alert for a situation when a pregnancy test is positive, while she will be bothered by spotting, usually minor, smearing, as well as pain in the lower abdomen, usually more on one side, explains Alla Pashkova. In this case, you must urgently consult a doctor. To make an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to pass a laboratory blood test for hCG in dynamics and conduct an ultrasound study.
What to do if the second strip is weakly visible?
If during the pregnancy test the second strip is visible but very weak, then it is worth repeating the test after 2-3 days. With a normally developing pregnancy, the level of hCG doubles every 2-3 days. Perhaps you did the test too early, and the concentration of this hormone in the urine was very low, so the strip was barely noticeable. If the pregnancy develops normally, then with the next tests it will become brighter.
If the strip still remains pale, including repeated tests after a few days, this may indicate insufficient production of hCG during an improperly developing pregnancy, including a frozen or ectopic one. Normally, its value is rapidly growing, with an ectopic and frozen pregnancy, it practically does not change.