My Tips and Advice: Home Pregnancy Tests |
| 1. HPT´s That Detect 20-25 mIU/hCG |
AimStick Pregnancy Test detects 20 mIU
Clearblue Easy (U.K.) detects 25 mIU
Confirm 1-Step detects 25 mIU
CVS detects 25 mIU
Day Seven (CDN) detects 25 mIU
Health Check detects 25 mIU
Insta Test hCG detects 25 mIU
Lifesign One-Step detects 25 mIU
LifeSign 1 Midstream detects 25 mIU
One Step Be Sure detects 25 mIU
Rapid Self-Test (U.K.) detects 25 mIU
First Response detects 20 mIU |
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| 2. Cheap Brands |
| Are cheap/generic brands of home pregnancy tests any good? Yes, a lot of physician´s offices use these generic brands. Why pay more for a home pregnancy test when the cheaper tests are just as good. |
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| 3. A False Negative |
| The chances of receiving a false negative test result is greater than that of a false positive. The reasons for a false negative are that your body may not be producing enough hCG for that particular test to detect. Some women have gone as long as 17 days post ovulation before receiving a positive home pregnancy test result. |
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| 4. False-Positives? |
If you´ve received a false positive on a home pregnancy it is one of two things. 1. The hpt was faulty.
2. You were indeed pregnant and suffered an early miscarriage (chemical pregnancy) - one that occurs around the time the menstrual cycle is due. |
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| 5. HPT´s That Detect 100 mIU/hCG |
Answer detects 100 mIU
Conceive detects 100 mIU
Equate (Wal*Mart) detects 100 mIU
First Response (U.S.) detects 100 mIU
Precise detects 100 mIU
QTest detects 100 mIU
Walgreens detects 100 mIU
These test detect 150+ mIU/hCG
Fact Plus detects 150-250 mIU
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| 6. HPT´s That Detect 40-50 mIU/hCG |
Boots (U.K.) detects 50 mIU
Clearblue Easy (U.S.) detects 50 mIU
Early Bird One Step (U.K.) detects 50 mIU
early Pregnancy test detects 50 mIU
e.p.t. detects 40 mIU
Hannaford detects 50 mIU
Predictor (U.K.) detects 50 mIU
Rite-Aid detects 50 mIU
Selfcare detects 50 mIU
Target detects 50 mIU
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| 7. When To Test |
| Given the fact that implantation normally takes place from 7 to 10 days after ovulation - an extremely sensitive test can give a positive test result 1 day after implantation. Most directions say that you can test on the day your cycle is due. However you can test much earlier if you can pinpoint ovulation and possible implantation. I received a positive test result 4 days before my menstural cycle was due. |
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| 8. Testing Advice |
When doing an HPT, make sure that you discard the test after a specified time. When I was doing a HPT, I waited 5 minuts after the time stated and it came up with a faint +ve. When I went to the DR to confirm the pregnancy it was -ve, what I had actually seen was the evaporation line. So PLEASE PLEASE don´t be like me, always follow instructions carefully so that you can save yourself heartache.
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| 9. Normal hCG Levels In Pregnancy |
The levels are mIU/hCG
3 weeks - 5 - 50
4 weeks - 3 - 426
5 weeks - 19 - 7,340
6 weeks - 1,080 - 56,500
7-8 weeks - 7,650 - 229,000
9-12 weeks - 25,700 - 288,000
13-16 weeks - 13,300 - 254,000
17-24 weeks - 4,060 - 165,400
25-40 weeks - 3,640 - 117,000
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| 10. Testing Early |
| You can test several days before your missed period if you use a sensitive brand of pregnancy test. |
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| 11. Which brand? |
| There are many different brands of home pregnancy tests out there. Which brand you choose depends upon your preferences. Some brands are the one-step type you urinate directly on - others are cassettes which require the use of a specimen cup. Each brand differs on the sensitivity ratings - some you can test earlier than when your cycle is due - others you may need to wait until the day after. |
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| 12. Lifesign Brand |
| Geodesic Meditech`s Lifesign test detects 15 mi/hcg and can be used as soon as the first day of a missed period. It is available here - http://www.geodesicmeditech.com/index.html?id=100 |
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