Pregnancy tests can determine if a woman has fertilized her body. This is what we reach for when we suspect that we are pregnant. They detect chorionic gonadotropin in the urine, i.e. the HCG hormone, produced by the developing embryo and the placenta during pregnancy.
HCG appears in a woman’s body around day 8 after conception. It is best to do the test on the first day of your period, not the day after you have sex. Sperm usually remains fertilized for up to 72 hours, and the fertilized egg has yet to reach and implant in the lining of the womb. The most reliable result will be if you do the test about 10 days after intercourse. You can buy stream, strip and plate pregnancy tests at pharmacies or drugstores. The concentration of HCG in urine is highest shortly after waking up. Read the package insert for the test before use. Follow the instructions in it. Are you trying to have a baby or you don’t know if your contraception has worked properly? Do you suffer from morning sickness, mood swings, fatigue, pains in the lower abdomen resembling menstrual or ovulatory ones, pollakiuria? Your appetite has changed and you have cravings for new culinary novelties, your sense of smell has increased, your breasts are slightly swollen and irritable to touch, are you low-feverish and you are late in your period? You could be pregnant. Find out what pregnancy tests you can buy and when and how to do them correctly.
Pregnancy test – types
There are three types of pregnancy tests on the market: Stream, Strip and Plate Pregnancy Test.
- The strip pregnancy test is performed by dipping the strip into the urine for a few seconds only up to the arrows on it. Urine should be collected e.g. in a special container for its examination (you can buy it at a pharmacy). Place the strip on a flat surface. We read the result from the colored stripes that appeared on the strip after a few minutes. The exact time of waiting for the result depends on the test, information about it is in the leaflet.
- The plate pregnancy test is the most popular pregnancy test. It is performed by instilling the urine with the included pipette into the smaller round window on the rectangular test plate. From the second window, we read the result, for which we wait a few minutes. Remember that the test urine should be fresh and must be in a clean, sterile container. One red line shows a negative result and two a positive result.
- The stream pregnancy test, also known as the marker test, is performed by removing its cap and placing the tip under the urine stream. Optionally, it can be immersed in a urine container. The streaming pregnancy test is also available in the digital version of the test, which is additionally equipped with a Weeks Indicator. Instead of dashes, the words “pregnant” or “not pregnant” or plus or minus signs appear on it.
Try the pregnancy tests available on Medonet Market. We recommend:
- Pink pregnancy test – super sensitive streaming test,
- Pink pregnancy test – plate test,
- Pink pregnancy test – super sensitive plate test,
- Pink DUO pregnancy test – stream test + plate test.
You can also buy a home test kit for women planning a pregnancy.
If there is a single line on the test, you are most likely not pregnant. However, in the event that menstruation does not appear within the next few days, be sure to repeat the test. Two dashes indicate pregnancy. The next step is to go to the gynecologist to confirm the result and to conduct a possible pregnancy further. Sometimes a second paler bar appears on the test and the result is inconclusive. This shows that the concentration of HCG in the blood was too low at the time of the test. The result of the pregnancy test can be negative or positive. In addition to home tests, there are also laboratory tests that are completely reliable and detect the presence of chorionic gonadotropin in the blood. It is up to you to decide which test you will ultimately choose.
The stream, plate and strip pregnancy test is not expensive. You can usually buy them for 5-20 zlotys, although there are also more expensive ones on the market. Pregnancy tests differ from each other in the sensitivity of the detection of chorionic gonadotropin, which affects their effectiveness. Some of them show the correct result only when the HCG concentration exceeds 1000 IU / l. Their use is extremely simple, but you should fully follow the instructions in the leaflet.
We recommend the Diather hCG streaming pregnancy test available on Medonet Market at an affordable price.
Vaginal ultrasound – when to do it?
However, pregnancy tests are not 100% reliable. Unfortunately, many women do it much too early and do not take into account the last ovulation date, but the date of the last intercourse. Often the result is distorted. First of all, it is important to know your monthly cycle. The most reliable way to find out if you’re pregnant is to have an intravaginal ultrasound (ultrasound) scan. They are performed around the 6th week after the last menstruation, because only then is the HCG concentration level sufficiently high and the gallbladder is already visible. If the patient is pregnant, the doctor obtains an image of the embryo on the screen. You can also hear his heartbeat.