If you can hardly wait to get pregnant, waiting two weeks to take one of the early pregnancy tests may seem like forever. The good news is that due to modern technology there are some other tests that you can use sooner to know whether you are pregnant or not.
When can you take a pregnancy test that is early?
The good news is that the new home pregnancy tests can measure very low hCG levels, as low as 5 mIU. Since the test is so sensitive, it is possible to get a positive result about a week after your ovulation. Keep in mind that implantation usually takes place 7-10 days after ovulation.
After this period of time you can use the early pregnancy kits because this is the time when women start producing hCG. The amount of hCG found in the body doubles every two days during the early stages. Although theoretically it is possible to have an accurate positive result 7 days after ovulation, you should know that implantation might not have taken place yet or the hCG levels may not be high enough for them to be detected by the kit.
In order to have the most accurate results possible with the pregnancy kits that are early, you should wait about two weeks after your ovulation, or wait for your first missed period. If you feel like you can’t wait any longer, you could start testing 7 days after your ovulation.
How do the home pregnancy kits work?
No matter what kind of test you are using, all of them rely on measuring the hCG levels of the body. Although there are different kinds of tests that can be performed in a lab, the doctors usually use the same tests as you can find in pharmacies. These tests come with an agent that changes its color when it bounds with hCG.
If you are using a urine pregnancy kit for home you will get a yes or no answer to the question regarding your pregnancy. However if you go to your doctor and have a blood tests you can find out about the hCG levels of the blood. It is said that the pregnancy test is positive if the hCG levels are above 5 mIU.
What is the hCG hormone and when do you produce it?
As you know early pregnancy kit searches for hCG and it stands for human chorionic gonadotropin and this is a hormone that supports the baby’s development by stimulating the production of progesterone and estrogen.
You can use the kit for early pregnancy test after the fertilized egg travels to the uterus and gets implanted into the lining of the uterus. This is the time when the placenta starts developing and this is what produces hCG during the pregnancy. This is the hormone that the pregnancy home kits measure.
As you can see the earliest pregnancy test can only be used a week after ovulation and it is still not certain that you will get accurate results.
