The moment you are convinced you are pregnant, your first thought is taking a home pregnancy test. Convenient, quick, simple to use and easily available, it seems like the ideal thing to do. Here is what you must know about home pregnancy tests before you take off for the nearest pharmacy.
Pregnancy tests, by the way, are US FDA regulated. There are several over the counter home pregnancy tests available that you can use in private to get immediate results. There are pregnancy tests that tell you that you are pregnant barely six days after you conceive or immediately the day after you miss your period. For you, this means that as soon as you know you are pregnant, you can start planning the kind of prenatal care you want.
A Look At How Home Pregnancy Tests Work
You have probably wondered how a home pregnancy can tell you so quickly whether you are pregnant. Here is what happens. Pregnant women, once they conceive, produce a hormone called hCG or human chorionic gonadotropin. Even tiny traces of hCG are immediately identified. All you need is that urine sample and the antibodies in the test detect the pregnancy hormone in the urine. What you do is add your urine sample to a special container that has the antibodies and wait for the specified time as indicated in the test. Then, you watch for the color change that tells you whether you are indeed pregnant.
There are home pregnancy tests available that will even warn you if you have not done the test in the right way. These tests produce results in three minutes or so and are available as pen-like instruments in which the hCG is detected by the antibodies.
Is My Home Pregnancy Test Accurate?
Naturally, the maker of the home pregnancy test will claim 100% accuracy. Invariably the reasons why results could go wrong are if the test is not done properly or if the product is well past its expiry date. Sometimes if the test is exposed to sunlight, it may not function properly. If the user has cancer, the test may not show up the right result. Most of all, instructions provided must be followed.
With home pregnancy tests, accurate results are best got when the test is repeated again after a few days. This is simply because as soon as you conceive, the hCG hormone levels can be low. Also, depending on the test, if it is not that sensitive, it may not really detect the hCG even though you might actually be pregnant. Therefore, wait for a few days and do the test again. The moment you think you are pregnant, arrange to see your doctor because the sooner your prenatal care begins, the better for you and your baby.
Note: This is for information only. For any concerns, issues, diagnosis and treatment please get your doctor's advice.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pregnancy-articles/what-you-must-know-about-a-home-pregnancy-test-923555.html
The joy of pregnancy begins with that positive result on your home pregnancy test. Everything you want to know about a pregnancy test is here.
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