Pregnancy Test – Symptoms, Causes, Types and Treatment
Pregnancy Test
When to expect a pregnancy test?
A normal sexually active woman, who is around the age group of 30, has a 20 percent chance of getting pregnant each month. Some facts about the pregnancy test are:
- Even with the most effective birth control methods, there is always a tendency and chance for error. At the end of the day, it just takes one single sperm to fertilize the egg.
- As per various clinics and diagnostic centers, 99% of the tests done after a missed period are effective and offer adequate results. The procedure for performing such test is simple and convenient. The best part indeed is that you can do it in the privacy of your own home. The process is very simple, as you just have to open the test kit, place the tip under your urine flow, and then wait for the recommended amount of time to view the results.
- Most of the negative results may be false, especially if the test is taken too early in the cycle. The probability of false positives is rare and indicates a defective test.
Let us have a look at some of the signs that might make your doctor believe that you are pregnant. These can be also considered as the symptoms of pregnancy.
Early symptoms of pregnancy
Missing periods
Considering the symptoms of pregnancy educates that one of the first and most eligible signs of pregnancy is a missed period. In most cases, the doctors suggest a pregnancy test solely based on this symptom. If you do not track your menstrual cycle closely, it might be hard to determine whether you are late or not. Moreover, many women have a 28-day menstrual cycle. In all such situations it is important to consider taking a test if there has been more than a month since your last period.
Other reasons that can lead to missed periods are stress, diet and even consumption of few types of medicines. It is essential also to pay attention to all your flow if you actually suspect pregnancy. It is also very common to experience the light amount of bleeding or spotting in the early weeks as all the egg buries deeper into the uterine lining, during the process of implantation. Make a note of any difference in the color, texture, or even the amount of blood to.
Hence, if you encounter missed periods or slight spotting, then you should immediately consult your doctor, as he may suggest you with a pregnancy test.
Occurrence of cramps
Implantation produces a feeling that is similar to menstrual cramps. In fact, it is also in early pregnancy, that you may feel all this discomfort and even think that your period is just around the corner, but then it turns you down and never comes.
Nausea
Many females even experience feelings of nausea and fell sick repeatedly. Such situation is commonly known as morning sickness and is seen only in some of the cases. Nausea can but also occur due to prevalence of other types of illness.
Pains and aches
Pregnancy also leads to headache and back pain. Even few women suffer from tenderness in breasts.
Alterations in toilet habits
A pregnant woman may go to the toilet often as compared to a normal woman. There are chances, when few females have to go to urinate in the middle of the night. Like other symptoms, it might also be a sign of the presence of a disease and not of pregnancy
If you encounter all these, or few of the symptoms, then you should go for a pregnancy test. It is better to hand over your pregnancy case to a specialist, known as gynecologist.
The accurate time to take the pregnancy test
According to reputed medical clinics, it takes 7 to 10 days from original and successful implantation until the pregnancy hormone (HCG) to be detectable in urine. The balanced hormonal levels may also vary in women and so the time taken for the results to be delivered can also differ. Although, there is no fixed duration to take the test, but still you may perform it on accurate time to obtain adequate results. It is because different pregnancy test may reveal results on the basis of varying durations.
The sensitivity of these tests is listed on the packaging. The more sensitive a test, the more early it can detect the results. Despite this fact, it is still viable to not opt for the test too early. There are chances that even a highly sensitive test is not able to reveal adequate results. The perfect time to get the pregnancy test done is after two weeks of missing period. Your test may come up with negative results due to numerous reasons, like you might be not pregnant, you ovulate later than you thought or your HCG have not developed properly. In a negative test result, you can go for the test, second time, again after two weeks, that is four weeks after the ovulation.
Know the different types of pregnancy test
Don’t worry as you don’t have to go through a long test procedure to confirm the status of your pregnancy. There are two major types of pregnancy evaluations and you can undertake any one, as per your convenience, to confirm your pregnancy status.
- Blood tests – This type of test is performed only at the doctor’s clinic or at a laboratory, but are less common as compared to the urine tests. These examinations can detect pregnancy earlier than the home testing kit. You can go for this test right after a week, which is 6 to 8 days of your ovulation. You but have to wait for two to three days to obtain the test results.
- Urine tests – You can go for the urine test either at your home or at your doctor’s office. Many females, opt for the home testing kit, as they feel it more convenient and private. The home testing kits are available with instructions and offer immediate confirmation of the pregnancy status. These are most common and rapid pregnancy test that delivers instant results.
- Quantitative HCG test – This pregnancy test measures the precise amount of HCG in the blood. Since, this test can measure the concentration of HCG in the blood, so it is also supportive to diagnose the presence of any ailment during pregnancy. It is also useful to detect
- Qualitative HCG test – This type of evaluation checks to identify the presence of HCG. It is because HCG is a hormone that is generated and found only in pregnant women. You should take the test after 10 days from your ovulation to obtain adequate results.
Pregnancy Test – Accuracy and Affordability
Now far, you must have known that you need to wait for at least a week after ovulation to obtain accurate test results. The precision of the test results can be higher if you go for it as the first thing in the morning, when the concentration level of the urine is high. The home pregnancy test, which detect the urine sample for identifying the HCG hormone is high and 99% accurate. Blood test can deliver you with more accurate results.
The other fact is that the blood test is the costliest type of test out of the various types. The home testing kit is however the cheapest and can offer you with similar accurate results, as any other type of test would offer. If you are afraid of testing for your pregnancy on home, and also you do not want to spend too much money, then you can opt for the urine pregnancy test in a laboratory or clinic.
Home pregnancy test – what makes it so convenient?
Is the suspense, how can you get pregnant killing you? How could I be pregnant? If these are some of the questions haunting you completely, then you must think about buying a home pregnancy test kit, and hence do the work by yourself. Rather than waiting for the doctor’s appointment, it is always better to take the test immediately and hence get your answer by yourself.
It is very important to ask yourself a question! When to take a test? Alternatively, when should you test your pregnancy results? You can in fact always take the most of the home pregnancy test three to four days prior your missed period — but it is also true that, if you test too early, you are always more likely to get a false negative, where this entire test says you are not pregnant but you really are. Hence, that most of the home pregnancy tests are authentic, but must be done as per the regulations.
Whichever is the test you buy, be it the home pregnancy kit, or even the doctor’s urine test, first thing in the morning, is to decide which one you should opt for. Hence, it can be concluded that a pregnancy test is one of the most complicated tests. As discussed, there are many aspects, which needs to settle down before you can opt for the correct manner.
Pregnancy Test – What does the results imply?
Your pregnancy test can either result in negative or in positive. It is but important for you to know, what does both these results mean and what significance they hold.
A positive test result – If your test result in positive, then the answer is straight, you are pregnant. It is true, no matter even if you do not encounter any symptoms of early pregnancy. There are chances that when a female does not reveal adequate pregnancy symptoms , but this does not imply that you are not pregnant. After getting the results, you should visit immediately your doctor and ask for what comes next. In very rare situations, you may end up having a false test result. Such a situation occurs, if there is protein or blood present in your urine sample.
A negative test result – If your test results negative then it does not confirms that you are not pregnant. There are still chances that you are pregnant. There are various reasons that why your test may result in negative, such as:
- You does not perform the test accurately.
- Your urine is too much diluted. It happens if you consume too much amount of fluids right before the test. A concentrated urine sample is always the best to obtain accurate test results.
- You took the test too early. It is essential to perform the pregnancy test at right time in order to obtain accurate results. There is a perfect time to get the test done.
In case of negative test result, it is viable to go for a second round of test. If still the results are same, then you should consult your doctor and follow as per his recommendations and suggestions.
Ovulation is one such aspect that may not occur at the exact, predictable time in the menstrual cycle. Indeed a number of factors are present which may cause an excessive and unexpectedly early or late ovulation, even for such women with a complete history of regular menstrual cycles. It is, therefore, the usage of the ovulation predictor kits (OPKs), or even charting the so called fertility signs of cervical mucus or basal body temperature that simply gives a more accurate idea of what and when to test than day-counting alone.
Hence, it can be concluded that the pregnancy test is definitely not an easy one and requires the best and the most authentic way to continue with the process. It is also true that when it comes to the process of checking the best and the most authentic kit, you must have some assistance from the experts. Therefore, in order to take the next pregnancy test, it is better that you should take the assistance of an expert.