SPEAKING OF INCONCLUSIVE RESULTS: READ ARTICLE THAT WAS ADDED FOR THOSE WHO QUESTION THE FAINT LINE

I have a question, can it be too early to test if you are preggo, If you have not missed your period yet, but wanted to know. Can you test before you miss your period?? Could you be pregnant but it be too early for a test to show it??

some tests claim to let you test 4 days before you expect your period.
I will tell you that I had a blood test a week before my period was due- and it was negative. The day after my period didn't arrive I tested with a HPT, and got my +, so yes, it can be too early to tell.
It totally $ucks to wait every single month, but I promise you the BFP (big fat positive) is worth all the time it takes to get

So not even the Dr or the HPT can really be conclusive, I guess someone could wait 9 mos before really knowing j/k thanks for responding. I was just curious from reading about all these inconclusive results and what not.

My home pregnancy test showed a faint line. Am I pregnant?

Expert: Tracey Telles, M.D. [See Biography]

Question: My home pregnancy test showed a faint line. Am I pregnant?
Tracey Telles, M.D.: That depends. For a home pregnancy test to give you a positive result, your body has to be making a detectable level of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). But not all pregnancy tests can detect the same amount of hCG; a sensitive test is one that turns positive even if a low amount of the hormone is present. The more sensitive a pregnancy test is, the earlier it will show a positive result.

If the test you're using is only faintly positive, it may not be very sensitive. If you still have the box, it should say somewhere what the test's sensitivity is — the lower the number, the better the test. For example, a test with a sensitivity of 20 IU/L (milliInternational Units per Liter) will tell if you're pregnant sooner than a test with a sensitivity of 50 IU/L. A good rule of thumb is that the more expensive a pregnancy test is, the more sensitive it's likely to be. But you should still read the side of the box to see what the kit says.

Many women get a faintly positive result if they're not as far along as they expected. If this turns out to be the case for you, taking another test in two or three days should give you more exact results. Most home urine tests should be positive by the time your period is due if your body is making the normal amount of hCG.

If your test is faintly positive for a few days and then turns completely negative, you may have had a very early miscarriage. Experts estimate that about 20 to 30 percent of all pregnancies end in miscarriage, so unfortunately this is very common.

What is a home pregnancy test?
A home pregnancy test measures the presence of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in your urine. HCG, which is produced in the placenta shortly after the embryo attaches to the uterine lining, builds up rapidly in your body in the first few days following implantation. Usually hCG can be detected by a home pregnancy test eight to 11 days after ovulation occurs — a couple of days before your period is due. HCG levels peak between the 60th and 90th days of pregnancy.
Some pregnancy tests are more sensitive than others because they can detect pregnancy a little earlier — that is, when you have a smaller amount of hCG in your system. Concentrations of hCG are reported in milliInternational Units (mIU) or amounts equal to 1/1000th of an IU per milliliter. A prenancy test with a sensitivity of 20 IU/L is more sensitive than one with 50 IU/L. Unfortunately, you can't tell how sensitive a particular test is until you open it and check the information on the insert. But they should all work equally well by the first day of a missed period.



How do I use a home pregnancy test?
First, read the directions carefully, because the instructions will vary with different brands. Some require you to urinate in a cup and then, using a dropper, place a small sample into a testing well. Others let you pee directly onto a stick. But, fundamentally, all pregnancy tests work the same way — they measure the amount of hCG in your body. What's different is how they display results (positive or negative): Some show pink or blue lines on the test strip, while others reveal a red plus or minus sign in a window or change the color of the urine sample.

How long does it take to see the results?
You can check the results in about five minutes — the longest five minutes ever. If you're testing in the bathroom, you may want to go to another part of the house and find something else to do. A watched pot never boils, and a watched pregnancy test is just excruciating.

Are home pregnancy tests accurate?

If you follow directions to the letter, home pregnancy tests are 97 percent accurate. But mistakes do happen, which is why some kits come with two tests. There are several reasons why a home pregnancy test may be negative: You may not be pregnant or your body may not be making a normal amount of hCG. If you test too early (before the first day of your missed period), you may get a false negative result because not enough of the hormone has built up in your system. If the test comes back negative but you still suspect you're pregnant, wait a few days, read the directions carefully, and try again. False positives — when the test says you're pregnant but you're not — are rare.
One tip: Perform the test first thing in the morning when your urine is most concentrated.

Where can I buy one?
Home pregnancy tests may be purchased without a prescription at most drugstores. They run between $8 and $18.

How are home pregnancy tests different from ones performed in doctor's offices?
Many clinics use home pregnancy tests to verify pregnancies, in which case, they're exactly the same. Occasionally, women are given blood tests, but those aren't all that different from home pregnancy tests, either. Both types look for hCG in your body. A blood test is much more sensitive than any over-the-counter kit, which means it can determine whether you're pregnant just six to eight days after you ovulate, but it's more expensive.

Three pregnancy tests say no, but my period's more than two weeks late. What's going on?

Expert: Tracey Telles, M.D. [See Biography]

Question: I took three home pregnancy tests and they were negative, but I still haven't gotten my period — it's more than two weeks late. What's going on?
Tracey Telles, M.D.: If all three tests were negative, you're almost certainly not pregnant. Women can stop having regular periods for many reasons, including stress and excessive exercise. Your ovaries normally release one egg every month or so, and about 14 days after the egg is released, if it's not fertilized, the inner lining of your uterus sheds and menstruation starts. If your ovaries aren't releasing eggs the way they should, then your uterus may not be receiving all the signals it needs to start your period. Sometimes women have to take birth control pills to help their ovaries and uterus communicate so they can have regular periods. If you miss more than three periods in a row and pregnancy tests are negative, your doctor should give you a thorough evaluation in case something's wrong. Two possibilities are:

• Thyroid problems. If your thyroid gland (which controls your body's metabolism) isn't working properly, it could interfere with your periods. Other symptoms of a thyroid problem include extreme tiredness, hair loss, weight gain, and a constant feeling of being cold when everyone else is comfortable. A simple blood test will determine whether your thyroid is doing its job; you can correct the condition with medication.

• Too much prolactin. You might miss a period (or more than one) if your brain is producing an abnormally high level of the hormone prolactin. A woman's body usually makes prolactin when she's breastfeeding, which is why menstruation generally stops when she's nursing. If this is what's happening to you, you may notice a milky discharge from your nipples. This condition can usually be treated with medication.

When can I test to see whether I'm pregnant?

Expert: Tracey Telles, M.D. [See Biography]

Question: When can I test to see whether I'm pregnant?
Tracey Telles, M.D.: That depends on whether you're using a urine test (the most common kind) or a blood test. All pregnancy tests measure the amount of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) — the pregnancy hormone — in your body, but the two types of tests differ in how (and when) they detect it.

Most home pregnancy tests are urine tests. They detect the amount of hCG in your urine, but only when it reaches a certain level. If you use one of these tests too early in pregnancy, the amount of hCG in your urine may not be high enough for a positive result. But almost all urine pregnancy tests will give you accurate results if you test at around the time your period would normally be due — about two weeks after you ovulate. A test may be negative for several reasons: You may not be pregnant, you may have ovulated later than you thought (and so not be far enough along for the test to detect your hCG), or your pregnancy may have complications affecting the amount of the hormone in your body.

The other kind of pregnancy test measures the amount of hCG in your bloodstream, not your urine. Blood tests can measure much smaller amounts of the hormone, and so can detect pregnancy earlier than urine tests, usually about six to eight days after ovulation. Unfortunately, blood tests are more expensive, must be ordered by a physician, and require you to give a blood sample. Most women use urine pregnancy tests since they're much easier.

Every month I feel like I'm pregnant, but I test negative. Is it all in my head?

Expert: Tracey Telles, M.D. [See Biography]

Question: Every month I have what I feel are pregnancy symptoms — sore breasts, frequent urination, etc. — but the tests are negative. Is it all in my head?
Tracey Telles, M.D.: Sometimes wishful thinking can make the normal changes your body goes through each month seem new and unusual, especially if you're actively trying to get pregnant. It's natural to get your hopes up and think your body is doing something different. But home pregnancy tests are usually very good, and if multiple tests come up negative, believe them.

There is an unusual condition called pseudocyesis; women who have it experience real symptoms of pregnancy but aren't actually pregnant. The symptoms can be very dramatic — abdominal enlargement, breast changes, fetal movement, and even labor pains. No one knows why this happens. Pseudocyesis seems to be more common in women who are married, who have been pregnant before, or who are in their second marriage. Women diagnosed with the condition seem to improve with counseling and support from family and friends.

Chances are you don't have pseudocyesis; you're probably just going through normal premenstrual changes. Monthly symptoms can vary significantly from person to person, both with pregnancy and with regular periods. Unfortunately, some women experience debilitating cramping, bloating, pelvic pain, or nausea and vomiting with their periods, to the extent that they have to miss work or school several days each month — but they're not pregnant. Many researchers believe that it's the fluctuating levels of estrogen and progesterone (the two main hormones produced during the menstrual cycle) in the bloodstream that create these side effects.

If you weren't trying to get pregnant and wanted to alleviate any menstrual symptoms, you could try taking a birth control pill. Because the pills regulate the amount of hormones in your body, this often reduces dramatic fluctuations in your cycle. Other simple things that can help: reducing your caffeine intake and exercising regularly throughout the month.