How Soon Can You Take A Pregnancy Test?
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Once you have made the decision to try for a baby, a million thoughts can pop into your head. One important question that will definitely come to your mind is how soon can you go for the pregnancy test. This thought becomes even more prominent if you have a strong suspicion that you might be pregnant.
There are several pregnancy tests available in the market that promise early results. There are both pros and cons to this. Of course, the good bit is that you can come to know whether or not you are pregnant soon. The earlier you get to know, the better it is, isn’t it?
But, there is also a major disadvantage to this “early” pregnancy test. It can be really misleading for a woman who suffers from an early miscarriage. Early miscarriage, also known as early pregnancy failure, is when a pregnancy fails to develop. This can happen pretty early too, even before your first period after conception (1).
So, the eggs and the sperm might have fused together to form a zygote. Soon after, the placenta creates the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which immediately enters into your urine and bloodstream (2). And, since these early tests have been designed in a manner that it identifies any change in the hCG level, it might show a positive result. But, an early miscarriage or an unexpected bleeding might leave you disappointed. So, an early positive result might raise your hopes up for nothing, which could have been avoided otherwise.
So, When Is The Right Time?
The first day that you miss your period is considered to be the most suitable time to take the pregnancy test. If you are not in a habit of keeping a tab on your monthly cycle, you can always go for the standard cycle formula used by many doctors and midwives.
A woman’s monthly cycle, on an average, is somewhere around 28 days. However, it does vary for each woman depending on several factors. The time at which she ovulates can also vary. You can try and count back these days. See, if this method works for you.
A dating scan may be offered to you if you are pregnant. This is an ultrasound scan which generally happens at around eight to fourteen weeks of gestation. The scan is offered to check how far along you are in your pregnancy and track the development of your baby (3). An internal ultrasound might be required for a dating scan in case of an early pregnancy. Since it is important to keep the number of ultrasounds you take at a minimum, go for this one only if you really need it.
There is more likelihood of a stronger result if you test your urine the first thing in your day, especially in case of an early pregnancy. This is because your urine is more concentrated soon after you wake up.
We know that it can be really hard to wait, especially when you have made up your mind to have a baby. You are always eager to hear the good news and know for sure that you are pregnant. But, it is not a really great feeling to experience a gush of excitement followed by a wave of disappointed. So, in such a scenario, it is better to wait.
What we suggest is to wait it out till your first missed period. We know that it is going to be hard. But, try to distract yourself as much as possible. We know that it might seem like a long wait. However, trust us, it is going to be worth the wait. After all, every good thing happens in life if you have the patience to wait for it. Best of luck to all of you!
