Women who dream of becoming mothers are looking forward to the moment when they can see the "striped" test. The agonizing wait for a “late” period seems like an eternity, so they use a pregnancy test even before the delay. After all, manufacturers of highly sensitive devices assure that it is quite possible to “detect” the long-awaited conception at such an early date. How true these statements are and why expensive and reliable tests are still wrong, we will tell in our article.
Devices for diagnosing pregnancy have become so widespread and popular that manufacturers are constantly improving them, making them more convenient, practical and more sensitive. The last criterion, according to them, is the most important, since it is thanks to him that conception can be detected at the earliest possible date.
Thanks to a variety of forms, a woman can take a pregnancy test wherever she wants, and when she pleases. Nevertheless, regardless of the price and type of devices, all tests that determine pregnancy work according to a single method: human chorionic gonadotropin is isolated from other hormones in a woman's urine. It would be more correct to say its quantity. After all, this hormone is always present in the body of men and women, but in extremely low concentrations.
At the moment when the process of implantation into the wall of the uterus of the future embryo occurs, a rapid increase in hCG begins. Every day after conception, the amount of the hormone becomes twice as much. It is produced by the shell that covers the fetal egg, which in a few weeks will become the placenta of the fetus.
The first day after conception, the "sign" hormone can only be detected in the blood. In other biological fluids, its amount is minimal. However, the closer the time of the menstrual cycle approaches, the more the hormone will accumulate in the urine. When its amount reaches 10 IU, especially sensitive specimens will be able to "calculate" pregnancy. The table below reflects the amount of hCG in the blood. The level is a little off.
What day to take a pregnancy test
It would seem that everything is very clear, and sensitive tests will determine the presence of pregnancy already on the seventh day after fertilization. However, in practice, things are not so clear cut. The fact is that the time to reach the concentration of hCG in the urine of the desired level in all women will be different. It depends on the following factors:
- The duration of the menstrual cycle;
- Day of ovulation;
- The day when fertilization occurred;
- Physiological characteristics of women.
Moreover, you need to know that a positive result of a highly sensitive test may be the result of a biochemical pregnancy. In this case, the positive result of the diagnostic device does not deceive the woman: the conception really happened. However, for some reason, the pregnancy stopped developing, which was reflected in the onset of menstruation.
Express tests with a high degree of probability will calculate the true state of affairs 2 weeks after the conception has taken place. And gynecologists agree that home diagnostics should not be carried out earlier than 2-3 days after the expected menstruation is delayed. Then the possibility of an erroneous test result is minimal, since the level of hCG will already reach the desired level in any woman.
However, numerous testimonials from women who found out about their pregnancy before the start of the delay “drive” ladies dreaming of a child to purchase expensive tests that promise to show conception as early as possible. How true are these statements? Can a test show pregnancy before a delay and when should diagnostics be started? We will understand the causes of hormonal changes in the expectant mother after conception, as well as how the test recognizes them.
Will the test show pregnancy before the delay
The fact that a positive true test result before a delay in menstruation is possible is evidenced by numerous life examples, which we have no reason not to trust. Women claim that they intuitively felt the onset of conception or were guided by the physiological signs of pregnancy when they decided on such an early diagnosis.
Regardless of your reasons for early conception detection, the test can indeed be done before the delay begins. Considering that devices cannot harm a woman in any way, they can be used at least every day. But in order for their result to be true, you must adhere to the following rules:
- Before the delay, it is recommended to use only highly sensitive tests that can already determine 10 IU of hCG in the urine (the smaller the number on the package, the more sensitive the device);
- Diagnosis should be carried out in the morning: at this time, the concentration of the hormone in the urine is maximum;
- The results of the first study cannot be considered reliable, they must be confirmed by re-diagnosis.
In the event that a long delay is accompanied by a negative test result, you need to contact a gynecologist to find out the reasons. This situation is typical for inflammatory processes in the reproductive system or hormonal failure.
5-6 days after conception
Is it possible to find out about pregnancy 5 days after fertilization or even earlier? Definitely not.
Everyone knows that fertilization can occur only during the period of ovulation. After it takes place, the egg begins its journey through the tubes, slowly approaching the walls of the uterus. There, the future embryo is securely attached. But this event will occur no earlier than 5 days after conception. Usually, implantation occurs on the 7th day, and sometimes on the 10th.
Only after the egg is securely "introduced" into the uterine cavity, its shell begins to produce hCG. Since the concentration of the hormone increases once every two days, simple calculations lead to the fact that tests can detect pregnancy only on the 20th day of the cycle.
So, on the 5-6th day after conception, it is pointless to do a pregnancy test.
7-8 days after conception
It is also not worth using the test a week after conception. After all, the process of migration and implantation of the egg lasts an average of 7 days. Consequently, the shell of the egg will begin to produce the desired hormone only on the 8th day after ovulation.
Pregnancy a week after conception cannot be determined. This time is the beginning of the production of hCG, and its amount is still minimal.
9-10 days after conception
10 days after conception - the period of the beginning of the active production of hCG. Let us assume that implantation occurred a week after fertilization. So, on the 7th day, the hCG level is 2 IU.
Let's start some simple calculations. Every day, the concentration of the hormone doubles. This means that by day 10 it will be only 8 IU. No pregnancy test yet recognizes.
11-12 days after conception
Simple examples, in which every day after conception is multiplied by two, allow us to determine that tests can only calculate pregnancy on the 11th day after ovulation. However, these data are not absolute. After all, it is impossible to say with accuracy when the journey of the egg ended with the introduction into the uterine cavity. So, if implantation occurred on the 10th day after ovulation, then the test will calculate the pregnancy only on the 25th day of the cycle.
Accordingly, the less days left before the start of the menstrual cycle, the more likely it is to see a striped test. Moreover, the majority of women who found out about their conception before the "term" say that this happened 5 days before menstruation. 4 days before the delay, the ghost strip looked much brighter.
See feedback on early diagnosis.
1-2 days before period
It would seem that 2 days before menstruation, the exact result, provided that a highly sensitive test is used, is guaranteed. However, even in this case, the diagnosis may be false. This is all due to the same reasons that we mentioned above: the individual characteristics of the cycle and the time of ovulation.
If late ovulation has occurred or the egg has “traveled” through the tubes for a long time, the day before the expected menstruation, the device will not respond to the hCG level, because it is still too low.
Let's summarize.
You can use a pregnancy test before your period. But the sooner you start using it, the greater the chance of error.
What tests are used before the delay
Despite the fact that many experts agree that the marks on the packages of devices in 10-15 IU are nothing more than a publicity stunt, it is better to choose tests with high sensitivity for early pregnancy diagnosis.
Pay attention to the sensitivity level indicated on the package
You can do a pregnancy test before the delay and 7-8 days after ovulation, as the manufacturers advise. However, it must be clearly understood that the reliability of such a diagnosis is highly questionable. Modern pharmacy chains are filled with diagnostic tools of different price categories and types. It is impossible to give unequivocal advice: every woman has her own proven “favorite”, which she considers better than others.
Many ladies opt for inkjet pregnancy tests before the delay. Given their ease of use and the ability to diagnose in almost any environment, this choice is fully justified. However, their cost is quite high, so not every woman can afford such devices. It is worth noting that ordinary strips impregnated with a highly sensitive reagent most often have a more affordable price. And given that you will need several of the earliest pregnancy tests, it is better to choose the cheaper option.
If the financial condition allows you to purchase expensive devices, but you don’t want to buy the entire pharmacy in the hope that the tenth test will be striped, it’s better to pass it. This diagnostic method never shows false results.
Other early signs of pregnancy
In those days when tests for determining pregnancy did not yet exist, women managed to determine their "interesting position" by the signals of their body. Their experience can be used by modern ladies. However, even in this case, it is impossible to talk about a standard set of physical sensations: each woman has her own. Even several pregnancies in one mother can proceed in different ways. Here are some of the most common signs that indicate that conception has occurred:
- Enlargement, soreness and special sensitivity of the breast;
- Slight dark discharge from the vagina during implantation of the egg in the uterine cavity;
- Drowsiness;
- Sudden mood swings;
- Decreased blood pressure;
- Symptoms characteristic of a cold;
- Drawing pains in the lower abdomen;
- short diarrhea;
- Changes in taste: desire for unfamiliar food.
Despite the fact that there are many characteristic symptoms indicating the onset of pregnancy, some women do not notice any changes in their body at all.
