When is the best time to do
a pregnancy test? This question is of interest to the vast majority of women after sex without contraception. Someone counts the days in the hope of the treasured two strips, and someone is horrified at the result. But in any case, there is no limit to impatience, and before the onset of menstruation for so long! Is it possible to find out about pregnancy before the expected day of menstruation?
To know when it’s best to do a pregnancy test, you should first understand how it works. For each test, a chemical reagent is applied, which, when the hormone gonadotropin (hCG) enters it, changes color. That is, when a reaction occurs, a second strip appears. If only one is still visible, then there is no reaction, which means that the hormone did not appear in the woman’s urine.
HCG is present in the body of a non-pregnant woman in very small doses - not more than 5 units per milliliter of blood (even less in urine). As soon as the egg is fertilized, gonadotropin begins to be produced at a very rapid pace. So, a week after the onset of pregnancy, when the future man attaches to the walls of the uterus, its concentration reaches 10 - 15 Units / ml.
The most sensitive tests may already respond to pregnancy. If you wait two weeks after the alleged fertilization, any test will already react to hCG. Usually by this time there is already a delay. Therefore, if you do not want to wait for the onset or non-occurrence of your period, you can buy a test with a sensitivity of only 10 Units / ml in about a week, and after a few days - 25 Units / ml. If both tests show a positive result, it is time to see a gynecologist.
The question of when it is best to do a pregnancy test also includes the time of day. At first, the most correct results are obtained immediately after awakening. In the morning portion of urine, the concentration of hCG is highest, and during the day it can decrease.
Equally important for women is the accuracy of a pregnancy test. Could he make a mistake? As a rule, tests are reliable, but the possibility of error cannot be ruled out. So, a false negative result is possible in the early stages, when hCG has not yet reached the desired concentration. Moreover, the physiological characteristics of the body are different for everyone. If you suspect a pregnancy, you should go through an analysis in a few days. A positive result in the absence of pregnancy can be found if a few months before this was an abortion or if a woman is taking hormonal drugs containing hCG. It may also indicate the presence of tumors.
In general, our body is our best adviser. When it is better to do the test, the early symptoms of pregnancy will tell. In addition to the delay of menstruation, there are many signs by which a woman can understand that she will become a mother. These include morning sickness, the appearance of unusual taste preferences, increased drowsiness, and fatigue. The breast swells almost immediately , colostrum can stand out. When these signs appear, basal temperature can be measured over several days. If time moves to the beginning of menstruation, and it keeps at a level above 37 degrees, then it already makes sense to get a pregnancy test.
Thus, it is very clear when it is best to do a pregnancy test.