How soon can I take a pregnancy test? The soonest you can take a pregnancy test is after 12 days from ovulation. Counting backward from the missed period it is 2 days before missed period. Taking test sooner than that will increase the chance of false negative.
After intercourse, you might be wondering how soon can I take a pregnancy test. No one can decide this for you. This is because it is difficult to be able to predict the time when a sperm fertilizes the egg.
Also taking pregnancy test requires some input about your routine like do you get up to use the washroom at night. In this case, your urine will not concentrate and taking a pregnancy test in the morning will not benefit. How soon to take the pregnancy test is a question that also depends on how fast your pregnancy progresses.
You will have to pay close attention to what is going in your body. You’ll have to track your menstrual cycle, ovulation, sex habits, and implantation day.
There are very few indicators to be able to find out how soon you can take the pregnancy test. They include implantation bleeding and missed period.
You can test for pregnancy soon after implantation bleeding. How soon will depend on how fast your body picks up hCG level.
You can read the article “When should I take the pregnancy test?” to find out more about this. You need to take the pregnancy test compulsorily after a week of implantation bleeding.
When can you take a pregnancy test?
You can take a pregnancy test at any time when your urine hCG is more than the sensitivity of pregnancy test. A home pregnancy test at night or morning is a question most women TTC ask.
A pregnancy test isn’t affected by night or day. The point is only the concentration of your urine. If your urine has enough hCG, then any time of the day is suitable for the pregnancy test.
However, at early pregnancy stage, it is essential to have a sample of urine with high concentration. Right now your hCG levels are too low for the pregnancy test to detect. So it is necessary that you take a concentrated urine sample. Overnight the urine concentrates because you don’t empty your bladder. So taking a pregnancy test at morning ensures a positive pregnancy test.
You can take a pregnancy test after a week from implantation.
Can you take a pregnancy test after the day of missed periods?
Yes, taking the pregnancy test after the day of a missed period is the best way to get the most accurate pregnancy test results.
Most pregnancy tests achieve an accuracy of over 99% after the day of missed periods. So once you have missed periods it will be a good time to take the pregnancy test.
However, those of you who don’t want to bear a baby as yet then you should not wait until the day of missed periods for taking the pregnancy test.
There are pregnancy tests like First Response Pregnancy test, Clearblue pregnancy test, etc. detect pregnancy 6 days before missed period. If you are not ready for pregnancy and fear being pregnant, then every day counts for your safety and fertility.
Medical termination of pregnancy MTP needs to be done as soon as possible after detecting an unwanted pregnancy. MTP is only allowed and safe until the first trimester of pregnancy.
The earliest you can get an abortion is better for future pregnancies too.
Can you take pregnancy test post ovulation?
You can take it, after all, it’s you who has to decide when to take the pregnancy test. But it is not sensible at all.
The egg stays for 24 hours after ovulation in your Fallopian tubes, and hence that is the only time when fertilization can take place. A pregnancy test will work only when you’ve got the embryo implanted in your womb.
This time comes at least a week post ovulation. Even after that, it will take time for the body to produce enough hCG for detection by a home pregnancy test. And it is a waste of money, time and energy that you keep rushing to the doctor for getting yourself tested.
One should wait for at least a week after ovulation before getting a pregnancy test.
How soon can you take the blood pregnancy test?
A Blood pregnancy test is done by doctors for detecting pregnancy. If you cannot detect pregnancy using your home pregnancy test, then you can head to the doctor for taking the blood pregnancy test. It is a quantitative pregnancy test. It doesn’t detect the presence of hCG in your urine but also quantifies it. The amount of hCG present in blood also tells the stage of pregnancy.
From the 3rd week of pregnancy hCG levels are considerable
| Pregnancy Stage | hCG Level |
|---|---|
| 3rd week of pregnancy | 5 - 50 mIU/ml |
| 4th week of pregnancy | 5 - 426 mIU/ml |
| 5th week of pregnancy | 18 - 7340 mIU/ml |
| 6th week of pregnancy | 1080 - 56,500 mIU/ml |
| 7th- 8th week of pregnancy | 7650 - 2,29,000 mIU/ml |
| 9th - 12th week of pregnancy | 25,700 - 2,88,000 mIU/ml |
| 13th - 16th week of pregnancy | 13,300 - 2,54,000 mIU/ml |
| 17th - 24th week of pregnancy | 4060 - 1,65,400 mIU/ml |
| 25th - 40th week of pregnancy | 3640 - 1,17,000 mIU/ml |
So you can go to the doctor as soon as you see visible symptoms of early pregnancy in you.
Nevertheless one should wait for three days after ovulation minimum. If you have sex in this window period called fertility window then you then there are high chances that you’ll get pregnant.
Your sperms can survive in the vagina for about 5 days. Having sex between the period from a day before ovulation to three days after ovulation can get you pregnant.
Also if you see the levels of hCG at different stages of pregnancy then after the 3rd week, it is best to go for a hospital pregnancy test.
How soon can I take a pregnancy test after getting irregular menses?
You can take the pregnancy on the day of missed periods. Irregular menses, however, have infinite possible reasons. So it is difficult to tell when to take the pregnancy test if you experience irregular menses and there is no other symptom of pregnancy. But if you are sexually active, then one must take a pregnancy test.
Reasons for irregular menses include:
- Hormone imbalance
- Birth control pills
- Medications like antidepressants
- Illness
- Cervical or uterine diseases
If you have irregular menses, but you did not have sex within a week before that, then there are fewer chances that you are pregnant. When you are getting irregular period make sure it is not spotting. Spotting during pregnancy is normal, and it happens during the first trimester more frequently.
How soon can you take a pregnancy test after IVF?
During IVF treatments a woman takes fertility drugs. These drugs elevate the hCG in your body even before you get pregnant. Taking a pregnancy test after egg collection or taking a fertility drug is going to give a false positive pregnancy test after IVF.
It is best to wait until your doctor allows you to take a pregnancy test. After IVF, a pregnancy blood test is recommended. It will prevent getting any false positive pregnancy test.
Taking a pregnancy test is very easy. With accurate timing and exact procedure, one can get the correct pregnancy test result. The best way to take the pregnancy test is to follow every pregnancy test instruction. Also, take the early pregnancy test with a morning urine sample. Avoid drinking caffeinated liquids before taking a pregnancy test.
