when to take pregnancy test?

Question

i got a clearblue pregnancy test but im unsure of when to use it. my period is normally irregular and it says to use from the day your period is due, but if it's normally irregular how am i meant to know when to take it? i would prefer not to go to the doctors if i can take a test at home. thanks :)

Answer 1

I took 2 pregnancy tests a full 7 days before my period was due and got accurate and true positives.
How soon can I test? Well, first you gotta know how the test works. Briefly: the home pregnancy test (HPT) works by detecting a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG.) When an egg is fertilized, it takes about 6 to 12 days to implant in the uterus, and then it begins to secrete hCG. It takes another day or two for enough hCG to build up and make its way into your pee. So, generally speaking, the earliest you can expect a positive HPT is 8 days past ovulation ("DPO") and the latest would be about 16 DPO. It is possible to get a positive test earlier or later, but not as common. In my experience, if you use a sensitive "early" test (anything that detects 25 mIU/mL of hCG or less) you can test around 12-14 DPO and feel reasonably secure with your results (the later you test, the more secure you can feel in its accuracy.)

If you do not chart or monitor your fertility in any way, and you think you may have conceived, you should wait 19 days (or longer) after having sex to test. Why 19?! Sperm can live approximately 5 days in the proper environment; if the sperm managed to live until you popped an egg, the actual conception could have taken place several days after the sex act that got the sperm there. To make sure you're not testing too early, assume the sperm had very long lives (5 days is considered a very long sperm life) and that conception occurred then. Then allow 14 days for the embryo to implant and develop enough hCG to show up on a pregnancy test (96% of pregnant women will test positive by then.)

Note: some HPT's say "test 5 days before your period is due!" or some such thing. Please note they are assuming a textbook 28-day cycle, with ovulation on Day 14. "5 days before your period is due" thus really "translates" to 10 DPO.

Essentially, you should remember that your high school biology textbook was WRONG. NOT all women have 28-day cycles and NOT all women ovulate on Day 14. For more info on this type of thing, see the Fertility Info section.

Here's an example. This is the textbook-perfect 28-day cycle with ovulation occurring on day 14 (in pink.) 10 DPO and later are reasonable days for testing (in green.) This is the cycle the HPT companies have in mind when they say "test 5 days before your period is due!"



Well, not everyone's body works this way. Here's another 28-day cycle-- but this one has ovulation occurring a little bit later, still well within the normal range. Watch what happens to your (green) testing opportunities!



All of a sudden, "5 days before your period is due!" is way too early for you to expect a positive test! (I tend to ovulate later myself, so by the time the "gold standard" of testing at 14 DPO is applicable, my period is already 3 days late! I needed to use an "early detection" test on the first day of my missed period. A "regular" test would probably have been negative-- even though my daughter is living proof that I was, indeed, pregnant ;)

Of course, it works in reverse, too. If you're an early ovulator, you're lucky! Check it out:



In this scenario, you could test even sooner than 5 days before your expected period.

Ultimately, it's important to remember that implantation is a variable thing. You may be able to detect a pregnancy very early on, but then again, you may not! If you can't, don't despair.

http://www.peeonastick.com

Answer 2

Wait as long as you can stand it. You could also go a week later than the longest your period has been recently (if you vary between 4 and 5 weeks, take it at 6 weeks). You'll also get your best result if you test in the morning with the first urine of the day since the hormone concentrations are higher in the a.m.

You also need to see your doctor about the irregularity of your periods. It's possible there's a medical reason behind it that needs to be addressed.

Answer 3

Don't use it until the time when you would have got your period on a short cycle. If it is negative and you still think you are pregnant, keep testing every few days.

Answer 4

its possible, some people dont find out they are pregnant until at least 6 weeks gone which is usually when youre about 2 weeks late. retest in a few days if its still negative then go to your doctor and get a blood test done.

Answer 5

go to its a pound and get there pregnancy tests 2 for a pound, least you havent wasted too much money,and can just keep testing until you can use your clearblu one, they usally detect after first day of a missed period and there very good for cheap ones.my daughter found out she was pregnant from one of them


good luck

Answer 6

Take it 28 days from your last period

Answer 7

apparently you should use it on the day your period is due in your longest cycle. If it's negative and there's still no sign of our period take another a week later (most kits have two tests for this reason), if it's still negative see your docor.

Answer 8

Since you don't know when your period is due and don't know when you ovulated then it would be best to wait 19 days since you last had unprotected intercourse to test. Go to this website for a more detailed explanation-- www.peeonastick.com

Answer 9

i had an irregular period and i woiuld find the average days that my cycle was and test on that day. it always worked for me.

Answer 10

your best bet is to count 6 weeks from the end of your last period and take it then