Early home pregnancy Test

There are numerous early home pregnancy test kits on the market. For the consumer, the great number of pregnancy kits and varied prices does become very confusing. Does it mean that if a pregnancy kit is cheap that it will not work, and likewise, is an expensive pregnancy kit more reliable?

First the facts- all available pregnancy tests work in the same way. They all measure human chorionic gondaotropic hormone (HCG) in the urine. HCG is hormone which is produced by the body when a pregnancy results. The level of this hormone double every few days. The majority of kits are very sensitive at detecting HCG in the urine at around 5-7 days after a pregnancy has occurred. The only difference is that some kits can identify the HCG in the urine a few days early. Most available kits are not very sensitive in identifying HCG in urine at day 1 or 2 and those that are sensitive are also expensive.

The early home pregnancy test kits, which measure HCG within 1-2 days after a pregnancy has occurred, work in exactly the same way as all other kits. You only pay extra for the convenience of knowing if you are pregnant a few days earlier. If you are in no hurry to know if you are pregnant and can wait a few more days, then you have lot more options and can save a lot of money. In the last few years, many generic early pregnancy test kits have become available and are a lot cheaper than brand name products.

In terms of prenatal care, there is absolutely no difference if a pregnancy is detected on the first or the seventh day. The only reason women buy the expensive kits is to get rid of the anxiety of knowing if they are pregnant or not, right after sexual intercourse. Irrespective of the kit you buy to check for pregnancy at home, this test must be confirmed at a doctor’s office by measuring HCG levels in blood. This is by far more sensitive than any urine test. 

Sometimes the home pregnancy tests can also give you a “false negative” reading- meaning that the result is negative when in fact you are pregnant. The most common reasons for this are 1) use of dilute urine, 2) checking for pregnancy very early after intercourse or 3) using the kit inappropriately. The instructions on all pregnancy kits are easy to understand and must be read before using the strips. The strips will either  denote a “positive” or “negative” sign, others say “pregnant” or “not pregnant” and some change colors.

If it makes no difference in knowing whether you are pregnant on day 1 or 7, then consumers should go buy generic pregnancy home test kits that cost significantly less than the brand names. The cost of pregnancy kits range in price from $3-$25.

What is the best pregnancy test for home use?

There is no such thing as the best pregnancy test. The fact is that all pregnancy tests are sensitive when used to detect HCG in urine after 7 days. 

All pregnancy tests for home use measure the hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) in the urine. This hormone is made on the very first day the fertilized egg attaches on to the uterus. The levels of HCG double every other day and by days 5-7, most pregnancy tests can detect HCG in urine. All kits involve using a strip and dipping it into the urine for a few minutes. However, there are some tests that are designed to identify the HCG in the urine the very next day after a successful pregnancy.

In general, tests that can detect HCG after 1-2 days are more expensive than those that detect HCG later. 

All manufacturers claim that their kits are the best and most sensitive for detecting early pregnancy. However, this is not true, as the majority do not identify HCG early in the urine. Recent tests indicates that perhaps the best early pregnancy test is the “First responder Early Result Pregnancy” kit. This test kit can pick up HCG within the first 24 after implantation of the fertilized egg. There is no other kit that comes close.

Two other relative fast and reliable pregnancy kits are the “Answer Quick & Simple” and “Clear Blue Easy”. These two tests also produce reliable results and are sensitive at days 2-4.

Women who would like to know if they are pregnant on the first day after intercourse should know that these early detection tests also cost slightly more. The “first responder early result pregnancy” test costs $19 for two tests. Confirms pregnancy test costs $12 but has a very low sensitivity. The two other most reliable so called “best pregnancy test kits” are Answer Quick & Simple and Clear Blue Easy.

However, women should know that all tests have limitations. Moreover, besides the technical limitation of the tests, there are also variations in pregnancies. Some pregnancies may produce only a low amount of HCG and that may not be detected by any home test. In some cases, even after a fertilized egg has implanted it may then fail and consequently HCG levels will be low.

Experts recommend that women who are comfortable waiting, then the best time to check for a pregnancy is at least a week after unprotected intercourse. At this time period, all most all kits have good sensitivity and are easy to use. Always remember that if you test early, then chances of a false negative are high. If you do test positive then it may mean a viable pregnancy or a pregnancy that may abruptly terminate.

What is ovulation and when does it occur?

Ovulation cycle is essential for a female who wants to get pregnant. Ovulation is basically the process by which an egg is released from the ovary. Ovulation generally tends to occur on day 14 of the menstrual cycle. However, the exact timing of ovulation is slightly variable among women of different ages and ethnicities; and also may vary from woman to woman.

Even though many signs and symptoms of ovulation prediction have been described, most women never notice them because these features are very subtle. Some of the classic ovulation symptoms include a sudden increase in clear vaginal secretions. The secretions may feel like a viscous liquid and often has the texture of honey. These secretions persist for 1-3 days and then disappear. In some women, these secretions may appear cloudy or sticky but in all cases, the secretions are gone within 24-48 hours.

It is a known fact that the basal body temperature is a useful sign of ovulation predictor. There are specially designed sensitive thermometers to measure temperature during the ovulation cycle. The temperature must be taken at the same time every morning before getting out of bed. When you make an ovulation chart and plot these readings, you will note an emerging pattern. The majority of women will be fertile just 48-72 hours prior to the spike in temperature. Measurement of basal body temperature is frequently used by infertile women as an ovulation calculator when they should have sexual intercourse.

Some women may also develop ovulation pain that may present as mild abdominal cramps and/or bloating. The cramps are usually well-tolerated and last 24-48 hours. For women who are trying to get pregnant, other ways of knowing if ovulation has occurred is to measure the surge of hormones in urine during day’s 12-15. One can record the levels of these hormones on an ovulation chart.

A woman who desires to get pregnant should make sure that she has sexual intercourse at least once day starting from days 12-14. The more frequent the intercourse during this time period, the greater the chance of conceiving. Some women also use an ovulation calendar as a means of birth control- while this is an easy method; it is not one hundred percent effective.