Tell me about your home pregnancy test experiences.

In My Humble Opinion
1

So, the wife and I have finally gotten down to trying to have kids. We’ve been at it a few months with no success. This month, we got the timing down with both temperature taking and ovulation tests. And, we, um, did the best that we could during that window.

So, now, she is five days late (and generally relatively regular, though five days wouldn’t be the first time). But, testing negative on home tests.

Now, I know that there is some false negative rate for testing too early, but according to the package insert, 90% of pregnant women test positive on the day of their missed period. I would imagine that number is much higher five days later.

So, for those of you who have used these things recently, when did you get your first positive? Were you negative after the missed period?

Thanks, all.

2

[QUOTE=Fiveyearlurker]
<snipped>
So, now, she is five days late (and generally relatively regular, though five days wouldn’t be the first time). But, testing negative on home tests.

Now, I know that there is some false negative rate for testing too early, but according to the package insert, 90% of pregnant women test positive on the day of their missed period. I would imagine that number is much higher five days later.

So, for those of you who have used these things recently, when did you get your first positive? Were you negative after the missed period?

Thanks, all.
[/QUOTE]

Not a doc or any kind of medical professional, not giving medical advice, yadda yadda yadda.

To me it sounds as though it’s just too early. You can miss a period, take a home test and still get a negative even if you’re pregnant. (Yes, it’s happened to me. :rolleyes: Got a negative, was several days late but a later test turned up positive. That’s my little one - a true prankster. :smiley: )

Most likely the hCG levels in her blood, if she’s indeed pregnant, just aren’t high enough to be detected by a home urine pregnancy test yet. Some tests say they’re much more sensitive than others and can detect those levels much earlier, but it may just depend upon where her own hCG levels are right now.

A blood serum test at the OB could tell you one way or the other, but for purposes of a quickie answer at home, she may want to wait a few more days and then try another home test.

Just IMO, it sounds like it’s too early for her to be testing positive if she’s pregnant. A few more days to allow the hCG levels to start increasing to the point where a urine home test can detect them might work. A late period doesn’t always mean pregnancy of course, but given that you were actively trying and now the cycle is late, a few more days and a repeat test might work better.

The way I did it: I suspected pregnancy and had minor symptoms (I already had children by then and so knew what to look for in my own pregnancy symptoms) but had a negative home urine test. I pulled out the calendar and counted to what would be forty-five days out from the beginning of my last cycle and planned to take another home test upon day forty-five. Bingo - the test was positive.

And the next day I started throwing up. :stuck_out_tongue:

But seriously - I’d give it as many more days as you can stand (unless you just want to go straight to the doc and get a blood serum test…) and then re-test. It just sounds to me like it’s too early.

Good luck to you both!!

3

Thanks. That’s pretty much what I’ve been reading, but I was interested in personal experiences (like yours). The percentages in the material provided with the tests seem so misleading. Like I said, it claims 87% accuracy on day 0, which from what I’m reading couldn’t possibly be true.

She says she feels some symptoms, but she has said that for the past four months!

4

I was 3-4 days late and got a correct positive, both pregnancies.

I have found them to be incredibly accurate. My OB/GYN must think so too, because when I called and told them I had done two home tests that came up positive, they said “congratulations!” and started scheduling appointments before confirming with an office test.

5

The one time I used one (actually two, in the same box), it was postive. Both of them. I can not exactly remember how late I was, because I had a sort of strange light period that month and didn’t think about it.

6

I suppose I should add that the test was correct, eh?

7

A very helpful website.

8

[QUOTE=LavenderBlue]
A very helpful website.
[/QUOTE]

Thanks for that. Glad I saw that before I left for work. Don’t want to have peeonastick.com in my history on my work computer :slight_smile: .

9

Incidentally, it’s one day later and one day more without a period. God, I think she is calmer than I am!

10

We spent about three years trying. What I discovered is that they were very accurate, but I was never pregnant. I could convince myself I was pregnant very easily while we were trying - lots of late periods, lots of tender breasts, lots of “this HAS to be morning sickness.” And, of course, lots of money on home pregnancy tests because “the last one HAD to be wrong, I was just too early.”

(we did get pregnant, by surprise, later when we weren’t trying.)

Good luck.

11

[QUOTE=Dangerosa]
We spent about three years trying. What I discovered is that they were very accurate, but I was never pregnant. I could convince myself I was pregnant very easily while we were trying - lots of late periods, lots of tender breasts, lots of “this HAS to be morning sickness.” And, of course, lots of money on home pregnancy tests because “the last one HAD to be wrong, I was just too early.”

(we did get pregnant, by surprise, later when we weren’t trying.)

Good luck.
[/QUOTE]

That sounds EXACTLY like where we are at right now. Thanks.

12

Tell her to pee on a stick. This is too much anticipation! We’re all dying to know if she’s preganant or not…

13

I had a positive (Clear Blue, first pee in the morning) before I was late.

I just knew. Even the doctor’s test was negative.

14

[QUOTE=phall0106]
Tell her to pee on a stick. This is too much anticipation! We’re all dying to know if she’s preganant or not…
[/QUOTE]

Well, we got a better indication after I had already posted, and apparently the answer is no, for now.

We’re not too concerned. We’ve only been trying for about six months, and truthfully, three of those our timing wasn’t perfect because one or both of us was traveling (if both, we were traveling seperately. Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been a problem :slight_smile: ). But, we’re both going to get the pipes checked out this month anyway.