At a time when laboratory tests were not so diverse, alternative means of determining pregnancy were used. Moreover, they are used now, because, according to the older generation, their reliability has never failed. One such remedy is iodine.
First signs of pregnancy
The first signs of pregnancy appear long before laboratory tests or tests can confirm it. Particularly sensitive women already in the 2nd week notice changes in their body, while the test will give a positive result only at the 6-8th week. However, such sensitivity is not characteristic of everyone. Some flesh may not notice their position until the second trimester, although a number of signs indicate it, such as:
- Lack of menstruation.
- Pain, severity of the mammary glands.
- Drowsiness, fatigue.
- Nausea as a reaction to certain smells, tastes.
- Frequent urination.
- Exacerbation or, conversely, in case of toxicosis, lack of appetite.
- The appearance of brown spotting.
- Heaviness in the lower abdomen.
- Darkening of the areoles, increased sensitivity of the chest.
Not all symptoms may be present during pregnancy. In special cases, a woman may even have a menstrual period. Therefore, having noticed at least three symptoms, we can assume the completed fertilization of the egg and conduct a pregnancy test with iodine.
Chemical properties of iodine
The bottles that everyone is used to seeing on the drugstore shelves are a solution of iodine. In its pure form, it has a crystalline form. The crystals of this substance have a purple hue, and when heated, they turn into purple vapor.
Immediately it is worth saying that to determine pregnancy with the help of iodine you will not have to look for it in its pure form. Alcohol solution is perfect for these purposes, since it also has its own special chemical properties. These include:
- Change in shade upon contact with oxygen to a darker one.
- Adding starch will color the solution blue.
- Upon contact with gasoline, the iodine solution will acquire its natural color - purple.
The chemical properties of the solution helped to find iodine during pregnancy. Moreover, in comparison with other folk remedies, it has a lot of advantages.
The advantages of the method
Iodine during pregnancy as its identifier is a very interesting element. Even skeptics who doubt the effectiveness of alternative diagnostic methods try to use it for the sake of experiment. But in addition to originality, it has other advantages:
- Availability.
- High speed result.
- Security.
- Effectiveness even in the early stages.
- The simplicity of the procedure.
- Low cost.
Pregnancy iodine can be determined simply out of idle curiosity. It's simple, because iodine is an essential component of any home medicine cabinet.
disadvantages
Despite all the charm of iodine testing, you should not perceive its results as the only true ones. And there is a reason - checking pregnancy with iodine has its drawbacks, which can affect its reliability. These include:
- Lack of warranty for 100% correct result.
- The need to clearly follow the instructions.
- Time limit - the duration of the test cannot exceed 25 minutes.
Before proceeding to how to determine pregnancy with iodine, a woman should clearly understand that this method will work as an initial check, after which you must definitely consult a specialist. After all, even pharmacy tests can give a false result.
What will be needed for the test?
To experience how to check pregnancy with iodine, you need to prepare everything you need for this. The list of materials is so modest and simple that everything you need can be found at home. So, for the test you will need:
- iodine solution;
- urine collection container;
- pipette;
- paper napkin.
This list can be shortened by removing a paper towel from it, since there are two ways to determine pregnancy with iodine. Photos will not be able to fully describe the essence of the procedure, so for each of them will be given detailed instructions.
Test Rules
A strict adherence to the instructions is the main condition for conducting an iodine test. Therefore, it is very important to comply with all the rules and the sequence of actions. First you need to familiarize yourself with the rules:
- Due to the high content of hormones in the morning urine, the test should be carried out in the morning.
- Before collecting urine, you can not use cosmetic and hygiene products with a high content of fragrances, dyes. Because with the chemical interaction with iodine, they can distort the result.
- After collecting urine, it should not be stored for more than 25 minutes.
- The paper and napkins needed for the dough should be clean.
- The container, as well as the pipette, must first be sterilized.
- Iodine during pregnancy will show the most reliable result only until the 10th week.
The rules are quite simple, but some may have problems sterilizing the instrument. There is nothing complicated here. Just a pipette and a small glass container should be placed in a pan and boiled a little, after which they will be ready for use.
Determination of pregnancy by iodine: method 1
Having prepared everything you need, you can proceed directly to testing. To do this, you must clearly follow all the steps indicated in the step-by-step instructions.
Instruction:
- Collect morning urine in a sterile container.
- Put a paper towel on a clean plate.
- Using a pipette, draw a few drops of urea.
- Put a few drops on a napkin so that it is saturated.
- Top with a few drops of iodine solution.
- Rate the result.
Performing these steps, you need to remember that iodine reacts even with oxygen. Therefore, the pipette should be brought as close to the napkin as possible, and not dripped from a height. Thus, the probability of a possible error is reduced.
How to determine the result?
The most reverent and exciting moment is to check the result. Unlike pharmacy tests, you don’t have to wait, the result can be evaluated instantly. The decoding is as follows:
- The spot turned purple or lilac - pregnancy has come.
- The spot has acquired a brown or bluish tint - there is no pregnancy.
It is recommended to check the result obtained with a pharmacy test. Today, there are especially sensitive tests for hCG hormone on sale, which can determine pregnancy in the second week after conception.
Since there is no research on why iodine turns purple, for the sake of experiment, you can check the effectiveness of the method during a period when pregnancy is definitely not there. If he gives the correct result, it makes sense to try it after the moment of conception.
Method 2
For the second method, a paper towel is not needed. It is enough to have a clean container and a pipette. Next, do the following:
- Collect urine in a clean, sterilized container.
- Using a pipette, drop a few drops of iodine solution into a container.
- Rate the result.
If a spot with clear edges has formed on the surface, the test result is positive. It should be noted that the resulting spot should hold on to the surface for at least 2-5 seconds. Otherwise, the test result must be considered negative.
This verification method should be carried out more carefully. Use a pipette in close proximity to the contents of the container. Since, if you drip the solution from a height, the probability of obtaining the reliability of the result is significantly reduced. A drop, regardless of the presence of hormones in the urine, simply flattens on the surface, which will give the woman a false indicator of the absence of pregnancy.
Credibility
As for iodine, there are a lot of myths. On the Web, you can even find an opinion about the termination of pregnancy with iodine, while this substance is one of the most harmless. The same goes for tests carried out with iodine solution.
Some users note that after verification, the result was successfully refuted with the help of pharmacy tests and laboratory blood tests for the content of hCG. Reliability of iodine is also undermined by positive results after testing children and men.
If we consider the effectiveness of the method from a scientific point of view, then iodine is also in a losing position. The doctors explain the discoloration of the iodine solution in the first method by the fact that the paper taken for the test can contain a large amount of starch, which, as mentioned above, turns iodine purple. Also, the content of amyloids in urine can affect a positive reaction. Amyloids are protein compounds that can be found in the urine with pathologies and diseases of the kidneys. Therefore, the alleged pregnancy, which was identified by the iodine test, may be the reason for going to the doctor.
As for the second method, it also has no scientific validity. Some consider it effective, since the density of the urine of a pregnant woman and non-pregnant is supposedly different. However, laboratory studies on this subject have not been conducted, therefore, the effectiveness of the iodine test remains in doubt.
The opinion of experts
Of course, obstetrician-gynecologists oppose folk methods for determining pregnancy. And indeed, in the twenty-first century there is simply no such need. Today, tests and laboratory tests are available for absolutely all women. But why the "grandmother" methods do not lose relevance?
The fact is that folk methods, in particular iodine test, are used by women who have long been trying to get pregnant. They simply do not have the patience to wait for a delay in their periods to find out the status of their situation. While traditional medicine promises to determine pregnancy almost immediately after conception.
If the iodine test showed a positive result and thereby improved a woman's mood, then some experts are absolutely not against it. Moreover, such experiments are completely safe. But at the same time, a woman should be aware that the result can be false. Otherwise, the next moral shock may turn out to be crushing for her condition.
Summing up, it should be said that today, checking pregnancy with iodine is fun, which should not be taken seriously. When planning pregnancy, it is better to focus on other indicators: basal body temperature, hCG level and the results of modern pregnancy tests.