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The Right Way to Take a Home Pregnancy Test

When a woman suspects that she is pregnant, whether the pregnancy is wanted or not, it is important to find out as quickly as possible whether there is, in fact, a baby on the way. A home pregnancy test is often the quickest way to find out.

In the past, after a missed period, it was necessary to see an obstetrician to test for pregnancy. This was either done by testing the urine or taking a blood test. In the last 10 years, doing a home pregnancy test has become more and more common and accurate. They allow for more privacy and quicker results than waiting for the doctor to detect pregnancy.

Taking Accurate Readings From A Home Pregnancy Test

Today, these home pregnancy tests are virtually foolproof and almost as accurate as those given in the doctors office. According to manufacturers they are about 99% effective when used as instructed. Those last four words "when used as instructed" are the basis of the 99% effectiveness.

In other words, in order to get an accurate result, you must follow the instructions as closely as possible. The chemical reaction that home pregnancy test use requires certain conditions. These home based pregnancy tests detect the pregnancy hormone that is excreted in the urine when a woman has conceived a child. In order to accurately measure these hormones, the test must be done correctly.

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), the pregnancy hormone, becomes detectable in the urine approximately 10 days after conception. A pregnancy test done before this time ends up being a false negative pregnancy test. This means the test will show no pregnancy when in fact the pregnancy test results should be positive.

These Are Fast Pregnancy Tests

Even though home pregnancy tests, such as the ept pregnancy test, are designed to be accurate 10 days after conception, most experts recommend waiting 5 to 10 days after a missed period to take one. This ensures accuracy.

There are a few things you can do to ensure that your home pregnancy test is accurate.

• Take the test in the morning. That is when hCG levels are highest.
• If you cannot wait until the morning, make sure you hold your urine for as long as possible before taking the test. Drinking extra water is not really helpful because it can dilute the amount of hCG and skew the results, possibly resulting in a false negative.
• Be sure to read the directions thoroughly. Although home pregnancy tests seem pretty straightforward, they DO have their differences. Also check the package to see if there are any medications you may be on that could interfere with your results.

Getting pregnant and having a baby is a very blessed event, but can also be a stressful one. Home pregnancy tests minimize some of the stress by letting potential parents test for pregnancy early, in the privacy of their own home.

Taking the proper steps and precautions will ensure the accuracy of early home pregnancy tests. So the appropriate things can be planned for, like what color the nursery will be.

The previous article is on Infertility Treatment.

Other wiki resources:  improve fertility; ovulation period; infertility causes; preparing for pregnancy; getting pregnant