Pregnancy tests measure the levels of a hormone that is released after the egg is fertilized and implanted. This hormone is called HCG (Human Chronic Gonadotropin) hormone. The HCG hormone doubles each day of your pregnancy. Logically, because this hormone doubles each day of your pregnancy, it becomes easier and easier to detect the longer you are pregnant.
Different home pregnancy tests promote the ability to detect pregnancy sooner than others because they are more sensitive, and in most cases this is true, as they are testing for the lower levels of the HCG hormone. A test that is testing for 20 mIU/ml (measured International Units) is more responsive and will register a reading quicker than a test that detects 50 mIU/ml. However, most pregnancy tests do not advertise the mIU that they are testing for, rather, they advertise how many days before your menstrual cycle that they can accurately detect a positive pregnancy and it becomes confusing. The tests that test for lower amounts of HCG are generally marked as "ultra-sensitive", though comparing the mIU between brands is still a good idea.
Home pregnancy tests check your urine for this hormone, and many will seduce a possible-mother-to-be into testing before a missed period by appealing to her enthusiasm for possible motherhood. However, doctors strongly advise that a woman waits until at least one to two days after a missed cycle for testing. Your doctor also has more sophisticated and sensitive tests that can be done by blood to check for pregnancy.
Having the doctor test for pregnancy by blood work is not an absolute necessity unless you take a home pregnancy test that delivers a positive result. The home tests available on the market today have an accuracy rate of 97% when administered properly, and they are readily available in most all grocery and drug stores, as well as online. There are two types of home tests, a mid-stream and a dip test. The mid-stream test is performed by holding the test strip in the direct flow of urine for a predetermined amount of time, whereas the dip test is performed by collecting the urine in a container and dipping the test strip into it.
Following the instructions carefully you can avoid 'false negative' and 'false positive' results - which are basically mis-readings due to taking the test too early or not following the instructions (such as, waiting too long to read the test strip). It is widely accepted to consider even a faint 'positive line' as a positive result when you are testing early, due to the low levels of HCG in the early days of pregnancy. Should you think that you are pregnant and your test reveals faint line or negative result, it is recommended that you repeat the testing a second time after a couple of days time. The morning urine is best to use for home testing. 90% of women who are pregnant will detect their pregnancy when testing the day after their missed cycle, with 10% getting a false-negative, needing to retest two days later.
Many women notice flu like symptoms when they become pregnant, including feelings of nausea, aching, aversions and cravings to or from certain foods or smells, unexplained fatigue and tiredness, vomiting in the waking hours and tender or swollen breasts. Light spotting, often mistaken for a light period, may occur for, some women, during the implantation process as well. These symptoms can all be indicators of a positive pregnancy. so he can help guide you through your pregnancy.
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