When to take a pregnancy test: a calm, clear guide

The question that hovers over the whole two-week wait is simple: when can I test? It is tempting to start early, sometimes very early. Knowing how home pregnancy tests work can save you from confusing results and unnecessary heartache, and help you choose a testing plan you can live with.

How pregnancy tests work

Home pregnancy tests detect a hormone called hCG in your urine. Your body only starts making hCG after a fertilised egg has implanted in the womb, which usually happens around six to ten days after ovulation. The level then rises over the following days.

This means that if you test too early, there may not be enough hCG yet to show up, even if you are pregnant.

When is a test most reliable?

Most home pregnancy tests are most reliable from the first day of your missed period. Some tests are marketed as able to detect pregnancy a few days earlier, but a negative result before your period is due is much less certain. If you test early and get a negative, it may simply be too soon.

If you have irregular cycles and are not sure when your period is due, many people suggest testing around three weeks after intimacy in your fertile window.

Tips for testing

• Read the instructions for your particular test, as they vary.
• First morning urine is more concentrated, which can help if you are testing early.
• Don't drink lots of fluid just before testing, as this can dilute your urine.
• Read the result within the stated time. Lines that appear long after the time window may be evaporation lines and are not reliable.
• Check the expiry date.

What does a faint line mean?

A faint line that appears within the time stated in the instructions usually means hCG has been detected. It can be faint because it is early. Many women test again two or three days later to see if the line is darker. If you are unsure, contact your doctor or clinic.

If the test is positive

Contact your doctor, midwife or antenatal clinic to let them know and to book your first appointment. Keep taking any folic acid supplement you have been advised to take. If you have any pain, especially on one side, shoulder-tip pain, bleeding or feel faint, seek medical advice straight away.

If you have experienced pregnancy loss before, a positive test may bring as much fear as joy. That is completely understandable. Let your doctor or midwife know about your history. They can talk you through what support is available.

If the test is negative

If your period has not arrived, wait a few days and test again. You may have ovulated later than you thought. If you have had several negative tests and your period still hasn't come, see your doctor.

If you had a positive test followed by a negative test or a period, you may have experienced a very early loss, sometimes called a chemical pregnancy. This is a real loss, and it is all right to grieve it. Please talk to your doctor if this happens, and be gentle with yourself.

Choosing your testing plan

There is no right or wrong approach, but it can help to decide before the wait begins:

• The patient plan: test only once your period is late.
• The middle plan: test once, a day or two before your period is due, and accept that a negative may not be final.
• The no-test plan: wait to see if your period comes, and test only if it doesn't.

Many women find that testing early and repeatedly increases stress. Choose what protects your peace.

Your times are in His hand

Waiting to test can feel like your life is suspended between two possibilities. David, in a season of great uncertainty, wrote:

“My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.” (Psalm 31:15, KJV)

Your times, including the day you test and the result you see, are held in God's hand. You don't have to rush to find out. Whatever the result, you will not face it alone.

Before you test

Lord, my times are in Your hand. Calm my heart as I wait to test. Whatever the result, help me to receive it knowing that You are with me and that Your love for me does not change. Amen.