Got naughty and forgot to take the pill? Missed your periods? Vomiting? Seeing symptoms of early pregnancy in you? Whether this was intentional or not there are high chances that now you are pregnant. It is the time that you take the pregnancy test now. But before that, you need to know how to take the pregnancy test and the best pregnancy test tips?
It is crucial that you know everything about a home pregnancy test before taking it for the first time.
20 best pregnancy test tips
1) Always chose the pregnancy test brand based on your comfort level
The market has a vast number of pregnancy tests with everyone claiming to be better than the other. You should read reviews of all major brands of PT. After researching, you can select the one according to your budget, condition and comfort level.
2) Take the pregnancy test at the time when your urine is concentrated
The reason for taking the pregnancy test early morning is that it is a concentrated sample. hCG levels are low during early pregnancy, so you need to take the test with concentrated urine.
3) Follow the instructions given in the instructions manual
The instructions provided on the box of a pregnancy test are general instructions. Some details are not present there. Hence you need to read the entire the instructions manual insert before using the pregnancy test.
To enhance the accuracy and perhaps for distinguishing itself from other brands, every brand’s pregnancy test has slight variations.
4) Be very vigilant of the timing of pregnancy test
A major part of the accuracy of the pregnancy test depends on the timing. Expose the test to urine, allow the results to develop and read the results within the allotted time.
5) Keep the pregnancy test on a clean counter in the correct position for allowing the results of pregnancy test to develop
It is essential to keep the pregnancy test on a clean counter. Some pregnancy tests work with upper side facing upwards. Others require the tip pointing towards the ground. Some of them would instruct you to place the cap on the pregnancy test while the results are being developed.
6) Never eat any foodstuff that has coloring agents or is naturally coloring before taking the pregnancy test
Eating foods like carrots, beetroot, saffron, food color can color your urine. In this case, there will be color in evaporation lines. Your chances of getting a false positive result will be very high. Hence don’t eat such things before the test.
7) Always duplicate a pregnancy test after one day
Your body is producing hCG at increasing rates. Every day the amount doubles. So you might get a negative result even if you are pregnant. It is a false negative pregnancy test result. It happens because your body needs time to generate hCG hormone.
8) For midstream test place the kit at the right position
It is critical that one keeps the pregnancy test kit at the right place. A wet pregnancy test is unfit for use. Hence you need to place the kit in the correct position and then pee. Don’t keep the kit before your stream comes out. In this case, the chances are that you will wet the entire kit.
9) While taking the dip strip test never leave the strip touching the cup
You have to dip the strip only till a particular depth and also in the center of the cup. If the strip comes in contact with the cup, then the capillary action of the hCG strip is blocked. As a result, the urine doesn’t rise properly, and the result gets corrupted.
10) Always take a standard pregnancy test before taking a digital pregnancy test
We recommend taking the dip strip or midstream pregnancy test before an expensive digital pregnancy test. If the result is negative, then you need not spend on a digital pregnancy test.
11) Use a disposable cup for collecting the urine sample
Always use a fresh disposable cup for urine sample instead of a used one. This will ensure totally contamination-free pregnancy test. A disposable cup is also ideal because you can throw it away after the pregnancy test is over.
12) Store urine in a cup with a lid in the refrigerator
When you have to store urine sample for the test later, then you should use a cup which has a lid. This stops the urine sample from getting contaminated from the fridge moisture. Also, this prevents spills and other issues.
Most of us might not feel like keeping urine in our refrigerator. So it is advisable that you take the test then and there.
13) If you’ve any vaginal infections, then wash with medicinal soap before taking the pregnancy test
Yeast infections or any other inflammation might affect the pregnancy test. Before a pregnancy test, you should wash your vagina with an intimate wash in case of any diseases. Hygiene plays a crucial role in the accuracy of a pregnancy test.
14) Set stopwatch alarms which will ring after every time slot for a pregnancy test
Set your mobile phone to beep after every time slot. This way you can concentrate on the procedure of the pregnancy test. You won’t have to spend your time toggling between multiple things.
A big fat positive pregnancy test result can spread to cover the entire result window. The chances of getting a wrong pregnancy test result minimize.
15) Never refrigerate your pregnancy test
Refrigerating will harden the hCG strip making the pregnancy test kit unfit for use. The refrigerator has a lot of moisture and that is not good for the pregnancy test.
16) Stock pregnancy test which are six months away from the expiry date
Once a pregnancy test expired it is no more usable. The detector hCG antibodies have a life and become nonfunctional after a time. Hence if you get a big pack of pregnancy test strips then use them as soon as possible.
For this always buy a pregnancy test that is six months younger than the predicted expiry date of it.
17) Always get your pregnancy test result cross-checked with a doctor
No matter how lazy you feel, doctor’s appointment is mandatory. A plastic kit solely detects a hormone. It doesn’t even quantify the hCG hormone. Certainly, it cannot be more accurate than a careful and full-fledged medical examination.
Always double check the pregnancy test result with a doctor for your and your little one’s safety.
Be careful of the evaporation lines
After urine evaporates from the hCG strip, marks appear as evaporation line. Evaporation line comes after the urine has completely dried up. The result reading time for the pregnancy test is over by the time.
Women who are not vigilant of the timing read it as a positive pregnancy test. And that later turns out be a false positive.
19) Always hold the pregnancy test from the tip of the handle
Try to get a pregnancy test that has a handle. A grooved handle is thus a better feature. A grooved handle is thus a better feature. So hold the pregnancy test from the tip of the handle, allowing you to move the pregnancy test easily. Clasping the entire pregnancy test kit will restrict your movement.
20) Never touch the hCG strip of the pregnancy test
The hCG strip of the pregnancy test is the most sensitive part of the pregnancy test kit. The more sensitive is a pregnancy test, the lower level of hCG is detectable.
If you touch the hCG strip, the microbes and enzymes present on your hand will degrade the hCG bodies. These are detector particles that sense and estimate the hCG present in your urine.
21) Never keep the pregnancy test on the pot lid
Even if you have the cover on the toilet seat, it is thriving with bacteria. It can risk the credibility of your pregnancy test result.
Hope you won’t find it difficult to take the pregnancy test if you will follow these tips.
ALWAYS buy two tests. Unless you are a relentlessly optimistic person or a happily naive person, one test will not be enough.
Couldn’t get more accurate!