PREGNANCY @ HOME REPORT CARD!

Are you feeling pregnant and cannot wait to know the good news?

I was in the same state of mind when I purchased my first pregnancy test kit. I was late by 10 days and wanted to know if it was good news for us. But to my surprise it wasn’t! 

The next cycle my curiosity grew like a cat and I bought 3-4 kits upfront just after a couple of weeks of ovulation 😉 but I ended up using only one and that was good news.😀

Here are quick tips on testing your pregnancy at home!

• PREGNANCY TEST KIT - WHERE TO BUY:

Ideally you will get pregnancy kit at every medical store. If you are feeling hesitant to buy it from a chemist, please click at the following link to buy it on Amazon. 😊

Link: 

Fine note: if you purchase this kit I will get a very tiny commission. This commission is not being charged to you anyway – so please do click to buy the kit without hesitation.

• WHAT TO CONSIDER WHILE BUYING THE KIT?

The kit detects the hormone called hCG. Dr. Shipra explains the home pregnancy test as measurement of hCG (Human chorionic gonadotropin) hormone which is produced and detected well in urine only a few weeks after egg has been implanted in the uterus.

Ideally what you should look at is that the kit is sealed properly when you purchase, as air exposure might get you false results.

Next would be to check the sensitivity of the kit. Few kits available in India have high sensitivity with detect-ability of 6 days earlier. You just have to check miu/ml while purchasing. On an average the sensitivity of 20 -25 miu/ml is available in market which detects pregnancy 3- 4 days after a missed period. The lower the count the earlier is the detection of pregnancy. 

• WHEN TO TAKE THE TEST?

As explained by majority of unicorn mothers as well as Dr.Sathe, 3 - 4 days after a missed period is ideal for taking the pregnancy test as pregnancy hormones are on the surge and could be detected just after a missed period.

For a curious soul like me 3 weeks after ovulation which is somewhere just couple of days before your cycle date could give you positive results as well!  - It’s my personal experience. 😉

So, the pregnancy test window is between 1 and 2 days just prior to your cycle up until 5 to 10 days after the missed cycle.

• WHY NOT TO TAKE THE TEST PRIOR?

An early test would mean that egg might not have been implanted or hCG production is not in a detectable range which is 5miu/ml.

Also, a negative pregnancy test acts as a negative stimulus to your brain which brings in negative emotions which may lead to an undetectable miscarriage as well in the form of periods.

Like other unicorn mothers suggested one should repeat the tests every alternate day if they get an earlier negative result till the next cycle or 8^th week of the pregnancy – I think that explains my move to buy 3 - 4 kits. 😉

• HOW TO USE THE PREGNANCY TEST KIT?

Step 1: Happy Mornings: Mornings are best to take the tests because your hormones are set to give you best results in the morning. So, the first pee of the morning needs to be collected in a small clean container. I would suggest you to keep the container ready in the night itself so you don’t mess around your house while you are a sleepy head. 😉

Step 2: Place well: Once you are done with the first morning routine get the collected sample in the area where you have your kit placed. Open the kit and place the kit on a flat surface. Place the collected sample next to the kit. 

"DO NOT OPEN THE KIT BEFORE YOU COLLECT THE SAMPLE."

Step 3: Fill up Drop out: Fill in the dropper with 4 -5 drops. Add 3 -4 drops into the circular section of the test card, indicated as S in few test cards.

  Step 4: Yeh 3-minutes😉: 

“Yeh teen minute aapse koi nahi cheen sakta!! 😉”

Wait time of 3 -5 minutes as instructed on the test card package is the longest time for any women. It seems like endless span of time that is full of butterflies inside you! These 3 -5 minutes as explained by most of the unicorn mothers is filled with anxiousness, nervousness and a lot of hope!

Well it is difficult to stop your mind from wandering but what you can do is just sit / stand next to the test card to just see the moment come alive – with both the strip turning color! Trust me it is the best feeling in the world!

Step 5: It’s time for results:

Read the results as-

1. 2 Strips as Positive – Congratulations! Welcome to the club.
2. Only C Strip – Negative result – Please don’t be disheartened – try it after couple of days. 😊
3. Only T strip – Negative / Invalid – there had been some mistake in the test. Please do repeat your test.

• FURTHER ACTION:

Well if you get it positive I would suggest thrilling your husband with the news and then scheduling an appointment with a gynecologist!

If you have T strip and very faint C strip, I would suggest you to schedule the appointment with your doctor to get the pregnancy verified. In many cases when the conception happens in the latter half of the cycle the test card could show false results.

Enjoy deducing and popping unicorns!

रिchie