Taking a Pregnancy Test (7)

Chapter Seven

Taking a Pregnancy Test

So you think you might be pregnant?

If sperm has reached an egg during ovulation and the egg has been fertilized and attached itself to the uterus, you body starts to produce a Hormone called HCG (Human chorionic gonadotropin). This hormone will not be present in the body unless you are pregnant.

The only way you can get pregnant is from sperm. (I know duh!)

So unless you have had sex, and there was a penis inside you, then sperm is not inside you. (Unless you got sperm on the outside of the vagina, had sperm on anything that went inside the vagina (i.e. fingers), or took a bath together in which he ejaculated into the water you were sitting in)

Factors including small holes or leaks in the condom, him failing to properly pull out in time, or fertilized precum can all pose a risk of pregnancy.

If you think you may be pregnant you can get a test from just about every store. (even the dollar store, but those are not as accurate)

The best tests you can get are “First Response”, “Clear Blue”, or “EPT”.

They will cost you around $4-$8 each. So it’s important not to waste them!

It is possible to get a false negative test. If you take the test too soon and there is not enough HCG in your body for the test to pick up, it will say you are not pregnant when you are. Take a test 25-30 days after the first day of your last period. (no sooner than 2 or 3 days before your period should arrive)

It is pretty unlikely that you would get a false positive because the Only time HCG is produced is when an embryo is attached and growing inside the uterus.

The best way to take a pregnancy test is to find a place you can be alone and have some privacy. (Where no one will be banging on the door or stressing you out.) Get a small cup to pee in (like a disposable cup for brushing your teeth, or even a solo cup. Just make sure it is 100% clean) Depending on the instructions on the test you may need to leave the test in the cup- however most tests just have you dip it for a few seconds, then take the test out, put the cap on, and lay it on a flat surface for 3-5 minutes.

The best time to take the test is in the morning for your first pee.

One line on the test it the “test” line, that shows up as the pee first absorbs up the test. It is just there to show that there was enough pee to test, and to have a guide as to what the other line should look like. The other line will not show up for 3-5 minutes (which will be the longest 3-5 minutes of your life)

Two lines means that you are pregnant. One line means that you are not. If you have a very faint second line, then you should wait 3-5 days and test again, the HCG might not be strong enough, or the test might have been defective.

If the test is expired, defective, or you waited too long to check the test and it has set for longer than 10 minutes- you may see two lines even though you are not pregnant. So the first test gives you a guess, but it is important to test multiples times, at different times throughout the day/week, to know for sure. If you period is over a week late, you can take multiple tests during the same day. Just make sure they are spaced out during different urine samples.

If you test early (day 25) and get a positive test result, but then get your period a week or so later than you probably had a “Chemical Pregnancy”, which is where the fertilized egg reaches the uterus and attached itself, but was unable to properly grow and develope because it lacked the necessary DNA information to become a baby. So once your body realized that it was not a baby, and only a growth of cells, it passed it through menstruation. Technically this is a form of “Miscarriage”, but it was never alive nor would have it become a baby even if it had stayed there.

5 weeks into the pregnancy (3 weeks 1 day after ovulation fertilization) is when the embryo develops organs and its heart starts beating. (2 weeks after missed period) If you get a positive pregnancy test, but you get a heavy period 2 weeks after your period was supposed to arrive, you may be having a miscarriage and you should contact an OBGYN.

If you have 3 or more positive test results (taken at different times) and you are 3 or more days late for your period, it is safe to assume you are indeed pregnant- and you should read THIS.