Pregnancy Tests

Pregnancy tests are one of the most essential steps to confirm a pregnancy. But most of the women are not sure what kind of pregnancy test to take and how early is too early or the appropriate time for different pregnancy tests. In this section we will take a look at the different possible options for pregnancy tests and how each of these tests work.

Most of the pregnancy tests whether home pregnancy tests or lab ones work on a certain hormone in urine or blood of a pregnant woman. This hormone is called human chorionic gonadotropin or hCG. This is the pregnancy hormone that’s made when a fertilized egg implants in the uterus. Most pregnancy tests will show accurate results if taken after the first day of the missed period. By this time the amount of hCG in the body is enough to give the right result in the pregnancy test.

Home Pregnancy Tests

A home pregnancy test is one of the most common forms of pregnancy tests available today, and most of the time they are pretty accurate. Home pregnancy tests measure the presence of chorionic gonadotropin or hCG in the urine. A home pregnancy test should generally be taken by the first day one miss their period. If you get a negative result then it’s quite a probability that the hCG haven’t reached the desire level and one can take the test once more after a few days.


Home pregnancy tests can be taken any time in the day but it’s most effective if tested on the first urine of the day. Avoid drinking too much fluid when you take the test as it could dilute the pregnancy hormone in the urine. It’s best to read the instructions on the pack carefully and then take the pregnancy test accordingly.

The most common question in a home pregnancy test is ‘are home pregnancy tests accurate?’ well most of these pregnancy tests are 97% accurate. But if you want a second confirmation you can always get a lab conducted pregnancy test or can take a home pregnancy test of a different brand.

Blood Pregnancy Tests

Blood pregnancy tests are more accurate as compared to home pregnancy tests or urine tests. A pregnancy blood test measures the exact amount of pregnancy hormone in the bloodstream of a pregnant woman. There are two types of blood pregnancy tests namely quantitative blood test that measures the exact amount of hCG in the blood and qualitative hCG that simply gives a yes or no to whether you are pregnant or not.

Blood pregnancy tests can detect the pregnancy hormone from about 7-12 days from possible conception. In a pregnant woman the hCG increases throughout the first trimester and then gradually decreases over time. Blood tests are more sensitive and hence in case of any pregnancy problems or an uncertainty in the pregnancy tests, blood test is the best option to go for.

So all the hopeful and expectant ladies out there take your pregnancy test and welcome a new life in your world.