Nine Months : Home Pregnancy Test Kits
Home Pregnancy Test Kits
How soon after my missed period can I confirm my pregnancy using home pregnancy kits?
Most of the pregnancy kits available in the market today enable you to test your pregnancy as early as the first day of when your next period was due.
How do the kits work?
All home pregnancy test kits test your pregnancy on the basis of your urine sample. The procedure may vary from one kit to another. Some kits have a chemical solution which you mix with a few drops of urine (preferably early morning sample). Others have a tube which can be either dipped in a sterile container with your urine sample or can be held in your urine flow while urinating. Depending on the type of kit used, a positive result could either be a change of colour or a line in a specific window in the tube. All tests check for the presence of hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin) hormone in your body. This hormone is produced by the growing embryo about a week after conception. The presence or absence of this hormone in your body determines a positive or a negative result.
Is it essential to have an early morning urine sample?
If you are pregnant, the growing embryo produces a pregnancy hormone called hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin) about a week after conception. All pregnancy tests are carried out by determining the presence of this hormone in your body. An early morning sample of your urine contains the highest concentration of this hormone. If you are testing quite early (like first day of expected period), it may be useful to have an early morning sample to avoid the remote possibility of an inaccurate result. An early morning sample is by no means essential in all home kits. Read instructions before use.
Can I trust the results of a home pregnancy test?
The home pregnancy kits are fairly accurate and have been used successfully for many number of years. They allow you to experience your precious moments in the privacy of your home. The tests are reliable as long as you follow the instructions very carefully and test at the right time. However, once a positive result is obtained, it is difficult to believe its true and I know of very few women who have not repeated the test after it showed positive! (I repeated mine three times before going to the GP!)
