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When can I do a pregnancy test? How many days will show a reliable result? Questions

At some point in her life, a woman may begin to suspect pregnancy.

The first thing that can be done in such a situation is to purchase a special test at the pharmacy, which in an indication form will show the likelihood that a woman will soon become a mother.

In some cases, when the content of chorionic gonadotropin is still too low for it to show the correct result.

If fertilization has occurred recently, perhaps. In this case, you will need to conduct another test in a few days.

Fertilization is a complex process that takes place at the cellular level. For a woman, it goes completely unnoticed.

(even before the delay) can appear after the egg, after fertilization, has reached the uterus and attached to it.

Usually, the attachment of the uterus is carried out a week after conception. A fertilized egg merges with the wall of the uterus (its upper part) on the 21-23rd day of the menstrual cycle.

A fertilized egg already consists of several cells that close together into a single whole. They divide and form a whole cell cluster. As the cells increase, so does the size of the egg.

As a result, one of them will become the fetus, and the rest will be used to nourish and protect it throughout the pregnancy.

Change in hCG level

HCG is a human chorionic gonadotropin (hormone). Immediately after the transfer of a fertilized egg to the uterine wall, it is formed in the body of the expectant mother. The hormone is needed by the body until the placenta is formed. In the initial stages, it stimulates the production of other important hormones.

It is one of the most detailed analyzes in the twelfth week. For this, urine tests are performed. A pregnancy test may be used.

Hormonal levels change as pregnancy progresses. Until week 12, it grows (doubling every 48 hours), and then there is a sharp decrease.

The information is reflected in the table below.

Gestational age HCG level
0 - 1 5 - 25
1 - 2 25 - 156
2 - 3 101 - 4870
3 - 4 1110 - 31500
4 - 5 2560 - 82300
5 - 6 23100 - 151000
6 - 7 27300 - 233000
7 - 11 20900 - 291000
11 - 15 6140 - 103000

differ not only in their functionality, price and appearance.

The main criterion for the selection of all pregnancy tests is sensitivity.

It is from this indicator that it depends on which day after ovulation a test should be done to confirm pregnancy.

  • Tests with standard sensitivity from 25 mIU/ml.

The higher the number characterizing the test, the less sensitive it is.

These include test strips and cassette tests. As well as digital tests that show the duration of pregnancy, in particular the famous Clearblue Digital test.

  • Tests with an average sensitivity of 15 to 25 mIU / ml, such as Fraytest.
  • Ultra-sensitive tests with values ​​from 10 to 15 mIU / ml.

As an example, the Insure test (sensitivity 12.5 mIU / ml) or the Ambulance test (sensitivity 10 mIU / ml) that has recently appeared on the pharmaceutical market can be cited.

Sensitive tests can show pregnancy 5-7 days before a missed period.

The paper strip test is the cheapest option for detecting pregnancy. They are impregnated with a substance that reacts to changes in the hCG hormone.

The principle of the test strips is extremely simple. The strip is immersed in a container of urine for a few seconds. Then you need to wait 5-7 minutes and you can see the result.

With the appearance of two red stripes, the likelihood of pregnancy is high. After such testing, it will not hurt to use more modern tools or undergo an ultrasound scan.

If the reagent is unevenly distributed over the surface of the strip, an incorrect result may be shown.

Cassette or tablet tests are also standard. They do not need to be immersed in a reagent container. Such tests are cases with paper strips enclosed in them.

A small amount of reagent is enough per strip with a pipette, and the result can be seen in a special window in 3-4 minutes. The urine comes into contact with the reagent already present in the test.

Inkjet tests with high sensitivity contain special reagents that, if chorionic gonadotropin is detected in female urine, can show a reliable result in a minute.

For applying urine, containers and pipettes are not required. This is an accurate and convenient option for detecting pregnancy.

As for digital tests, they are expensive, but they provide the same amount of information.

Unless the period in weeks is additionally calculated. Electronic tests are equipped with special intelligent sensors. If the result is positive, a “+” sign and the gestational age in weeks will appear in the window.

At what time can the test be done: from how many weeks does it start to show the exact result?

After the egg has met with the sperm in the fallopian tube and conception has occurred, active cell division in the fetal egg begins, and the zygote itself moves towards the uterus.

A fertilized egg descends into the uterine cavity only for 6-7 days. For another 2 days, the embryo may be in limbo, and then deepen into the endometrium.

From this moment, the level of hCG in the woman's body begins to rise.

Considering that human chorionic gonadotropin doubles every 2 days, the most sensitive test will show pregnancy 10-12 days after ovulation.

Standard tests (sensitivity 25 mIU / ml) show pregnancy only from the first day of delay. But even in this case, the test can show a negative result, in case of menstrual irregularities or late ovulation.

Regardless of the sensitivity, the test will show an accurate result only on the 3-4th day of the delay in the menstrual cycle.

All test results before the delay are considered relative. Although with a positive result, the chances are high that a long-awaited pregnancy has come.

Does the test always show an existing pregnancy?

Often, when self-determining pregnancy through a test, the result may turn out to be false positive, that is, when conducting another study, it will not be confirmed. The test will show two stripes in the absence of the conception of a child.

An unreliable result may be the result of taking special preparations with a high content of the hCG hormone or the presence of trophoblastic neoplasms.

The results may also be false positive after a recent, spontaneous miscarriage or abortion. In this case, even with menstruation, the test may show pregnancy.

The fact is that during this period of time, an increased content of chronic gonadotropin is still preserved in the body. Therefore, the results will be false.

You can specify the data and highlight the main causes of a false positive result:

  • the use of drugs with hCG. For example, Pregnil, Profazi and others.
  • the presence of tumors;
  • minor elimination of soft tissues after early abortion.

Is the test always true: when the test may not show pregnancy?

The results of a pregnancy test can be false negative when the fertilization of the egg occurred, but it was not recorded due to the low content of the hCG hormone in the body.

According to statistics, such results are obtained much more often than false positives.

Possible causes of erroneous data:

  • Carrying out the test a little earlier than the due date, when the body has not yet produced a sufficient amount of chronic gonadotropin.
  • Excessive consumption of diuretic drugs or fluids before the actual test.
  • The test may not show pregnancy for a long time due to the pathological condition of the kidneys, heart and blood vessels, in which the hormone is practically not excreted in the urine at normal concentrations.
  • An expired or spoiled test was used.

The definition of pregnancy is also possible in the early stages of conception, but only after the egg is attached to the uterus.

From that moment on, a special hormone hCG can be detected in the urine and blood of a woman. It is its presence that is shown by various tests that differ in the level of sensitivity. Well, digital tests can immediately show approximate dates on the display.

In certain situations, test results can be erroneous - false positive or false negative. It is necessary to use only high-quality medical products to detect pregnancy and not to test ahead of schedule.

When a girl hopes to get pregnant (or, conversely, carefully avoids this position), she buys a test even at the slightest sign of conception. How long does a pregnancy test show a positive result depends on the individual characteristics of the female body and the research method.

This method of self-diagnosis is common among modern women. The main advantages of testing are:

  • low price;
  • availability;
  • ease of use;
  • anonymity;
  • reliable result.

To have an idea of ​​when to do a pregnancy test, you need to understand how it works. Any such device is programmed to search for a specific structure - human chorionic gonadotropin. This substance begins to be produced by the female body immediately after the attachment of the fetal egg in the cavity of the reproductive organ. First, the concentration of a unique hormone increases in the blood. Some time after implantation, it begins to increase in the urine. It is during this period that it is better to do a test in order to quickly find out about the new position.

Take a short online pregnancy test on our website in a couple of minutes and get an answer -.

When chorionic gonadotropin is detected, the strip strips develop a reagent. As a result of this, women see a positive result - two lines. When there is no pregnancy hormone in the urine or its concentration is not yet high enough, the device shows one line - the control one. It indicates that the study was carried out correctly.

HCG level in urine

In a non-pregnant state, the level of hCG in the blood does not exceed 2-3 IU. In urine, this amount is even less. Immediately after implantation, which occurs 3-7 days after the release of the egg, the number of the pregnant indicator begins to grow. Every day it increases by 1.5-2 times. How many days after conception the test will show pregnancy, it will help to approximately determine the norm table.

In this table, you can see what is the content of hCG by day from conception in the urine.

It should be taken into account the fact that the moment of sexual contact does not always coincide with ovulation. Spermatozoa can exist in a woman's body for up to 7 days. For this reason, it is necessary to count from the day the egg leaves the ovary. You can reliably determine the moment of ovulation using appropriate tests, measuring basal temperature or ultrasound.

Most sensitive tests

How many days the test will show pregnancy after conception depends entirely on its sensitivity. Modern manufacturers of research instruments promise a diagnostic accuracy of 99% even before the delay. However, one should not believe loud slogans and promising statements. It is necessary to understand the test systems in order to know from what period to use one or the other.

The sole purpose of pregnancy tests is to detect human chorionic gonadotropin in the research material. On what day after conception it will be installed depends on the sensitivity of the system. All characteristics of the device are indicated on the packaging. Tests with a sensitivity of 20 and 25 mUl / ml are running, but strips with a value of 10, 15 and 30 are also available. This figure shows the minimum level of human chorionic gonadotropin that is necessary to establish a new position.

  • EVA is a test that is classified as insensitive, but accurate devices. It detects pregnancy when at least 30 mU of hCG is present in the urine, which means that the chance of a false positive result is quite small for them.
  • Itest, Vera, Mon Ami, Frautest have a sensitivity of 25 mU. These tests are the most popular.
  • Lady, Evitest, Mom Check with a sensitivity of 20 mU allow you to determine pregnancy 1.5-2 weeks after conception. However, before the delay, they still sometimes give a false result.
  • Insure, Clever Girl, which detects 12.5 mU of hCG in urine, gives early results. According to the promises of manufacturers, they show two strips a week after ovulation.
  • BB test, First Sign position themselves as highly sensitive tests. They react when the level of the pregnant hormone in the urine reaches 10 IU. According to reviews, such devices often show a false positive result.

Do you trust the manufacturers?

Many manufacturers of home diagnostic devices use a marketing ploy and indicate on the packaging of their product the exact number on which day of conception a pregnancy test will show a positive result. You can buy systems at the pharmacy or supermarket that promise an accurate answer 1, 2, 4 or even 8 days before the delay. In fact, such statements cannot be trusted. The lower the sensitivity figure of the device, the less hCG it needs to establish pregnancy, the earlier, according to the manufacturer, the test will show. Most gynecologists recommend conducting a study no earlier than on the first day of the delay. In this case, the result will be the most accurate.

Before the delay of menstruation, many of the fairer sex tests show a positive result. This is evidenced by their reviews. But often the device gives a negative answer, when after a while the pregnancy is still confirmed. The reason for a false negative result is an insufficient increase in hCG or incorrect use of the test. False positives are less common. Its causes may be internal diseases, such as tumors. If the test shows 2 lines, but the woman is definitely not pregnant, then she needs to be examined.

An obstetrician-gynecologist, doctor of the highest category, candidate of medical sciences, director of the Repromed family clinic comments:

– Implantation of the embryo usually occurs on the 21-24th day of the cycle, the secretion of hormones that reflect the onset of pregnancy (hCG) begins during the first days after fertilization, but the concentration before implantation and the first stages of development of the trophoblast (future placenta) is too low to be detected during sampling (both blood and urine). Informative are the study of blood and urine on the 3-4th day of the delay in menstruation. Blood indicators (hCG) have quantitative characteristics and therefore reflect the situation more accurately.

Including they are important for the differential diagnosis of uterine and ectopic pregnancy. It is also important to determine the hCG of blood serum in dynamics (at intervals of 2 weeks) at the risk of regression of pregnancy.

Pregnancy tests (urinary) are also based on the detection of hCG, as a rule this is a qualitative study. For more accurate results, you need to donate blood. In any case, it is advisable to consult a doctor if the pregnancy test is positive (or doubtful).

How to get accurate results

When to take a pregnancy test, each woman decides for herself. If there is already a delay in menstruation, then the time of the diagnosis does not matter. When you want to do a test the very next day after conception, and you barely have the patience to wait 7-10 days after ovulation in order to examine the biomaterial for signs of pregnancy, then you need to follow certain rules:

  • choose the morning time for testing (the first portion of urine after waking up contains a larger amount of human chorionic gonadotropin, since its growth occurs mainly at night);
  • find a clean container for collecting material (if a tablet test or a strip strip is used, then the dishes must be clean, otherwise various liquid impurities may affect the result of the study);
  • observe the time (the instructions for use indicate not only when you can do a pregnancy test, but also the time that you need to keep the strip strip in the biomaterial);
  • correctly interpret the result (it is necessary to evaluate the test response within 3-5 minutes, most devices become not informative after 10, and a reagent begins to appear on their surface).

Various disorders can affect the result of the diagnosis. For example, if you use the test in the evening and before that drink a lot of water, then the answer will be distorted towards the negative. For this reason, manufacturers of all devices unanimously recommend refraining from urinating 2-4 hours before the diagnosis, and also not drinking liquids during this period of time. Under such conditions, the urine will be more concentrated, which will eliminate errors and false results.

What time to take the test

When to take a pregnancy test is not so important. If you follow all the rules, then after a delay, you can conduct a study even in the evening or at night. It is not necessary to wait for the morning portion of urine. But it should be noted: the later the diagnosis is made, the more likely it is to get an accurate answer.

Taking certain medications can also affect the test result. When planning pregnancy, women may be prescribed stimulation, which includes injections of human chorionic gonadotropin. This substance is excreted from the body after about 2 weeks. Therefore, early testing can show a positive result in the actual absence of pregnancy. Taking diuretics and certain drugs to lower blood pressure accelerates the excretion of urine from the body, as a result of which the concentration of the pregnant hormone in the biomaterial decreases.

Summing up, it is safe to say that when it is better to take a pregnancy test, it is a few days after the delay. In this case, the result will be as accurate as possible, and you can conduct a study in the morning, afternoon or evening - as it is more convenient for a woman.

If patience is not enough, and you want to find out about the conception that has taken place as soon as possible, then it is better to donate blood to determine hCG. This study will give a more accurate and early result. Analysis can be carried out already from 5-7 days after ovulation (not to be confused with sexual contact). It is important to understand how a pregnancy test works: how long it shows depends on its sensitivity. The lower the IU value indicated on the package, the greater the chances of early diagnosis.

It can be done at various intervals after unprotected intercourse, which was hypothetically able to lead to the conception of a child. The principle of operation of any pregnancy test is to determine the concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin in the urine, which increases sharply after pregnancy. Moreover, highly sensitive tests are able to determine pregnancy with an increase in the concentration of chorionic gonadotropin to 10 IU / l. On average, this concentration of gonadotropin in the urine is reached by the end of the first week of pregnancy. That is, a highly sensitive test will detect pregnancy within a week after unprotected intercourse. Thus, a pregnancy test with a high sensitivity of 10 IU/l can be done 7 days after intercourse, even if the next menstruation has not yet been missed. Currently, highly sensitive pregnancy tests include inkjet types, which are manufactured by various companies.

In addition to highly sensitive ones, there are pregnancy tests with medium sensitivity on the domestic market of medical devices. Moreover, tests with medium sensitivity represent the vast majority. Such tests have a sensitivity of 20 - 25 IU / l, that is, they are able to determine the presence of pregnancy only when the concentration of chorionic gonadotropin in the urine reaches 25 IU / l. This concentration of chorionic gonadotropin in the urine is achieved only by the beginning of the third week of pregnancy, that is, at least 15-16 days from the moment of conception. That is why when using a pregnancy test with a sensitivity of 20 - 25 IU / l, it can be done only 15 - 17 days after intercourse, that is, after a delay in menstruation.

Moreover, if there was a delay in menstruation, and unprotected intercourse was a few days before the start of the next menstruation, then a pregnancy test with a sensitivity of 20 - 25 IU / l must be done no earlier than the 15th day after sex, ignoring the estimated date of menstrual bleeding. If a woman uses a pregnancy test with a sensitivity of 10 IU / l, then it should be done 7 days after intercourse, also, not paying attention to the number of days of delay in menstruation, provided that sexual contact was a few days before the estimated date of the next menstrual bleeding.

Pregnancy test and laboratory methods for studying pregnancy

If a woman wants to have a child, then she can not wait to quickly confirm the fact that conception has occurred. Doctors recommend doing special tests to determine pregnancy at an early stage. In this article, we will tell you how many days you can take a pregnancy test in order to accurately resolve your doubts.

How the test works

If you take the test too early, you can get a negative result. Therefore, do not rush to use it immediately after sexual contact. The test works on a simple principle. It is made in the form of a strip and has two lines impregnated with a special substance - a reagent. The woman should collect some urine and dip the test strip into it. When urine gets on the strips, they appear. One becomes visible in any case, and the second - only during pregnancy. Thus, the test responds to the content of the hCG hormone or pregnancy hormone. If conception has occurred, the test will show two bright stripes.

What is hCG hormone

This is chorionic gonadotropin, which is produced after conception. It is produced by the chorion. If fertilization and implantation of the egg occurs, then the woman begins to produce a hormone. It is detected in the blood and urine of a pregnant woman. By doing a blood test, the doctor can determine the presence of chorionic tissue in the woman's body. This serves as confirmation of pregnancy. The detection of hCG in the blood makes it possible to determine pregnancy within a week after fertilization. The role of this hormone is very great. It stimulates the formation of other hormones that are necessary for the normal development of pregnancy and the fetus: progesterone, free estriol, estradiol, etc.

HCG hormone after conception

After the egg is attached to the wall of the uterus, the level of the hCG hormone begins to increase steadily. It doubles every day. There are women whose hCG levels rise more slowly than others. For example, every 36 or 48 hours. The highest level of the hormone is observed 10-12 weeks after fertilization. Then it decreases and in the second half of the term remains at the same level.

In some cases, hCG remains elevated even in the absence of pregnancy. This happens if the test is carried out after an abortion after 4-5 days or due to the use of special hCG preparations. If after a mini-abortion the level of the hormone does not decrease, this indicates that the pregnancy is ongoing. The low content of hCG in a pregnant woman indicates an incorrect term for determining pregnancy. Sometimes this indicates problems in the body:

  • pregnancy does not develop;
  • the threat of miscarriage and spontaneous abortion;
  • developmental delay in the fetus;
  • ectopic pregnancy;
  • fetal death, etc.

It is imperative to take into account the fact that a fertilized egg usually attaches to the wall of the uterus no earlier than 2 weeks after ovulation and fertilization. Therefore, test manufacturers are advised to perform them only after a delay in the next menstruation. A fertilized egg can attach to the wall of the uterus from the 3rd to the 13th day after conception. Therefore, the results may vary: in some women, a positive test is observed already a week before menstruation, while in others, even 3 days after the delay, only one strip appears. Therefore, it is difficult to give an unambiguous answer to the question: "After how many days can I do a pregnancy test?".

Pregnancy can be diagnosed only after a certain time after conception. At the time of implantation of the fetal egg, the level of the hCG hormone is very low. But it is increasing daily. Therefore, after waiting 5 days after a delay in menstruation, you can accurately diagnose pregnancy. The hCG hormone is produced with different intensity in different women, this must also be taken into account. If implantation occurred 11-12 days after ovulation, then a positive result can be rejoiced only 2 weeks after fertilization. If ovulation occurred in the middle of the cycle (2 weeks before menstruation), then it will be possible to determine whether pregnancy has occurred or not only on the first day of the delay.

When doing a test, some women are faced with a situation where one strip becomes bright and the other dim. Thus, the second strip is present, but it is faded. In this case, they also speak of a positive test result. There is still very little pregnancy hormone in the urine. The reason may also be that a woman drinks too much liquid, which reduces the concentration of the hormone in the urine.

Highly sensitive pregnancy tests

If conception has occurred, then by the first day of the expected menstrual cycle, the hCG hormone in the woman's blood rises to 100 mIU / ml. In urine, the concentration of this hormone is 2 times less. Highly sensitive test strips are able to respond to gonadotropin when its concentration is 10 mIU / ml. Therefore, such tests can be done early without waiting for a delay. The most sensitive tests make it possible to obtain accurate results a few days after the attachment of the fetal egg to the uterine lining. All tests of this type are immunochromatographic. Using them is very easy and convenient. There are test strips, cassettes and inkjet. They are highly sensitive and give 99.9% correct results. Tests can have the following sensitivity:

  • 10 mIU/ml;
  • 20 mIU/ml;
  • 25 mIU/ml.

The lower the sensitivity index, the earlier you can find out about pregnancy using a test. In the early stages, tests can tell about conception, the indicator of which is 10 mIU / ml.

Any test must be repeated. Whenever it is done, it must be done again. After how many days can I take another pregnancy test? Do this procedure 2-3 days after the first test. This will allow you to be confident in the results. You should also definitely visit a gynecologist if menstruation has not come.

How to properly perform a pregnancy test

To get accurate results, it is recommended to do the test on the morning (first) urine. The amount of hCG hormone in the urine during this period reaches a maximum. If you did not manage to use the first urine, then the test can be done at any other time. Before this, it is advisable to refrain from visiting the toilet for several hours. This advice is relevant for those who want to know about pregnancy even before the delay of menstruation. Also, you can do some tests. At least one of them will be able to determine pregnancy at an early stage.

Despite the fact that manufacturers offer highly sensitive tests, experts say that they are not as effective as diagnosing a laboratory blood test. Therefore, if you want to find out about an interesting situation as early as possible, you should donate blood for analysis. In the blood, the hCG hormone is detected much earlier than in the urine.

If a woman performs the test 3-4 weeks after conception, then the result is beyond doubt. By this time, the content of hCG in her body is very high. Test strips are equally clear and bright. If the pregnancy is multiple, then the level of the hormone will be much higher. This allows you to diagnose pregnancy earlier.

Of course, the process of pregnancy is exciting for every woman. But a lot of stress is brought by the first weeks of waiting and the constant question: am I pregnant or not.

In each cycle, a woman has only 6 days to become pregnant: 5 days before ovulation and 2 days after it. So how do you know when you can already determine your pregnancy? What methods of determination are available and are effective? I am often asked such questions in the comments on the site, so I will tell you in detail.

Even if you are sure that in this cycle you determined the ovulation period and did everything to fertilize the egg, this does not mean that a couple of days after the intended conception you need to go to the pharmacy for a test and the next day to the gynecologist with complaints of infertility. You can detect pregnancy after starting the secretion of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), and this launch does not occur before the egg is fixed to the uterine wall.

How many days after PA can I take a pregnancy test

There are 2 types of tests that will help determine whether it is worth starting preparations for the arrival of a new family member.

Blood analysis

This method will help to quickly determine the presence of pregnancy.

positive moment. You can donate blood as early as 7-12 days after the intended conception.

negative moment. testing takes about a day (the timing of the result varies, depending on the laboratory).

Usually, qualitative and quantitative hCG is determined: the first will show the presence of this hormone in general, and the second indicator will indicate the exact figure for determining the period.

In general, if you are pregnant, a blood test will show a positive result 3-4 days after direct implantation or 9-10 days after fertilization and ovulation.

Analysis of urine

This test is easy to use and shows the result in 5 minutes. This is definitely a huge plus.

The disadvantage of such tests is that they will not always show you a reliable result. Manufacturers claim that the test can be performed 24-48 hours before the delay. But in fact, no more than 25% of pregnant women who took the test 2 days before the start of the expected menstruation received 2 strips on it. Under the same conditions, 1 day before the delay, already 40% of expectant mothers confirmed their position with the help of such a test. However, this number is still quite low. It turns out that women received false information and could rely on its result.

On average, most women get a second line on their test about 2 weeks (day 13-14) after ovulation. Those. just on the day of delay.

IMPORTANT! Despite the research, there are cases that the test shows a positive result only 3 weeks after ovulation. We indicate this data for the reason that often the result on the day of the delay is negative and the woman is 100% sure of this, but it is necessary to double-check or donate blood for hCG.

Do tests always show the correct result?

Manufacturers indicate on the packaging of a home pregnancy test an efficiency of 99%. But this is far from true. All studies that confirm this figure were carried out 3 weeks after ovulation, i.e. 7 days after delay. But in the early stages, the test often shows one strip, which confuses the expectant mother.

You can find out the reasons why the most common test may turn out to be false positive in our other article.

What are the reasons for a false negative test? :

  • test taken too early
  • the test has expired;
  • you do not follow the instructions for use;
  • you are not using morning urine.

What Factors Affect Test Results

Implantation period. Although the test result depends on the presence of the pregnancy hormone (hCG), long implantation periods can lead to negative results, since it takes about 7 days for a fertilized egg to travel to the uterine wall. So if you test too early, be prepared to get a negative result.

HCG level in urine. The score may decrease if you drink too much liquid. In concentrated urine, the level of hCG is higher and the test result is accurate.

Sensitivity of a home pregnancy test. Read the test instructions and compare the sensitivity of several products of this type: the higher it is, the sooner and more accurately you will know the answer to your question.

Other methods for determining pregnancy

Basal temperature


Minuses. it is necessary to measure BBT within 3-4 cycles, to have a more or less stable menstrual cycle.

Pros . if you measure BBT for several days after the delay, then it will invariably be above the norm - this will most likely indicate the presence of pregnancy, but you must definitely take into account the “cons” of this method.

ultrasound


Minuses. in the first weeks of pregnancy, it makes no sense to use this study, an ultrasound specialist is unlikely to see a fetal egg, which is still very small; besides, I insist that it is impossible to disturb the embryo at the stage of formation, and this is done only according to the strict indications of the attending physician.

Pros . you can be sure that you do not have an ectopic pregnancy, and the presence of a second strip on the test is not the result of hormonal disorders.

Already the initial stage of delaying menstruation makes women think about the question: after how many days can a pregnancy test be done? If future motherhood causes only pleasant thoughts, then you should not rush, otherwise you need to detect pregnancy as early as possible

The onset of pregnancy is evidenced by the appearance in the blood, and then in the urine of a woman of hCG - human chorionic gonadotropin. Normally, this hormone begins to be produced by the cells of the fetal membrane almost immediately after conception. HCG is designed to protect the embryo from rejection (for this, the hormone reduces the immunity of the mother's body).

It is under the influence of hCG that the corpus luteum of the ovary produces the right amount of progesterone, the hormone of motherhood (this substance helps the female body to endure pregnancy and prepares the uterus for bearing the fetus).

Immediately after fertilization of the egg, the level of hCG is minimal, but every day it increases by 2 times. This figure grows up to 6-8 weeks of pregnancy, and then begins to gradually decrease (but by no means to the initial indicators - the average hCG value before childbirth reaches 28,000 mU / ml).

The level of hCG depends on the number of embryos, as well as on the presence of pregnancy pathologies (with an ectopic pregnancy, the level of hCG is low - it is 2/3 of the norm established for certain periods of pregnancy). Pregnancy with complications is difficult to detect in the early stages (the exception is blistering drift - with this pathology, an increased level of hCG is observed). A multiple pregnancy can be determined earlier than a singleton - the first blood test will show 300-400 mU / ml.

It is worth remembering that the level of the hormone in the blood and in the urine is different (in the first case it is 1.5-2 times higher) - pregnancy can be determined by a blood test at an earlier date. Well, when using home tests in the first days of pregnancy, there is a high probability of an erroneous result.

Blood test for pregnancy

If you want to determine pregnancy at the earliest possible date, it is better to test the blood. Modern high-precision methods make it possible to identify an “interesting position” already 2-3 days after implantation of the embryo (usually such prompt testing is prescribed for artificial insemination).

Blood for analysis is taken from a vein. The test can be done at a private medical center or at a antenatal clinic. A day after the test, the result is handed out. Please note: if the hCG level is 5-25 mU / ml, you can neither deny nor confirm the pregnancy (you will have to donate blood again in a few days).

Urinalysis for pregnancy

In order not to spend extra money and save time, you can use express pregnancy tests sold in pharmacies. Today, a wide range of tests is being produced - depending on the degree of accuracy, they allow you to determine pregnancy either by the morning portion of urine (it must be collected immediately after waking up, when the hCG level is maximum), or at any time of the day.

Types of tests and terms

Three types of tests can be distinguished:
The first type is a test strip soaked in reagent. You can check the presence or absence of pregnancy from the first days of the delay (it is better to do this on day 3-4, which minimizes the possibility of error). You can evaluate the result within 5 minutes after removing the test from the container with urine (after 10 minutes, the result is considered invalid).
The second type is a test cassette. In this case, the check can also be carried out from the first days of the delay. Urine (4 drops) is applied to the window with a pipette. You can evaluate the result in 5-10 minutes (not later).
The third type is inkjet tests. It is believed that they give the most truthful results. A stream of urine is applied to the window indicated by the arrow. A minute later, a “wave” should appear in the window, if this does not happen, then there is not enough urine for analysis. Pregnancy can be determined at the earliest possible date (even before the onset of the expected menstruation, since the lower level of test sensitivity is 10 mU / ml). The test can be done at any time of the day.

After how many days can I take a pregnancy test? The use of highly sensitive methods (jet test, blood test) allows you to determine within a few days after unprotected sex, and cheaper and less accurate tests should be used only after the first days of a missed period. Whatever method you choose, remember that none of them guarantees 100% accuracy in the early stages.