Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms, Week by Week Pregnancy Guide

You could be thinking about a blood pregnancy test if you are actively trying to conceive. There are two main kinds of tests and their main point is that they offer an accurate result a lot faster than the urine tests. They can confirm a pregnancy 8-10 days after conception took place because they measure the hCG levels.

Quantitative serum test as one of the blood tests for pregnancy

The test is also called beta hCG test and its main point is that is measures the exact level of hCG in the blood. Since it can detect the lowest levels, it is a very accurate test. After conception, the hormone levels double every 2 days. The test can detect a pregnancy and it can tell whether it progresses as it should.

Qualitative serum test

This test for pregnancy with blood is a bit simpler than the previous one. This can only tell whether the hormone is present in the blood or not. This means that it can tell women whether they are pregnant but it can’t tell the amount of hormone that can be found in the blood.

How is the test performed?

There is nothing to worry about the pregnancy blood test results because it works something like the regular blood tests. First the site of the puncture is cleaned with an antiseptic. Then there will be pressure applied on the arm with a tourniquet. Then you will have the needle inserted.

The blood sample for the blood test for pregnant women is collected through the needle in an airtight vial. If there isn’t a lab in the clinic where you have the test, it will be sent to a laboratory. Here the specialists will analyze the blood and you will have the results sent to you.

Blood pregnancy test results

If the test is done by a doctor, the accuracy is of about 98%-99%. The test can be performed a few days after ovulation and the results will still be accurate. Just as in case of the urine test it is possible to have a false result. You could have a false negative or false positive.

False negative results as results of test for pregnancy with blood

This means that the blood pregnancy test gives you a negative result, but in fact you are pregnant. This usually happens if you have the test too soon. It is possible that there isn’t enough hCG in the blood yet for the test to detect it or the levels don’t reach the threshold of pregnancy.

False positive results

Such a result of blood test for pregnancy means that you have a positive result even though in reality you aren’t pregnant. It is possible to encounter such a situation if you are taking some medication that contains hormones. Usually those medications that come with hCG cause confusions of this kind.

If you think that the pregnancy blood test results could be wrong the best thing that you could do is to repeat the test after a few days.