- Even when your period is one day late, some women begin to consider the possibility that it’s a pregnancy
- The first way to verify that they are right is with a publicly available pregnancy test
- However, you should know that the test will not detect pregnancy if you take it too soon.
When is the best time to take a pregnancy test?
Hello, I know there have certainly been a lot of questions about pregnancy, and pregnancy tests already. I’m 27 years old, I’m healthy, I’m active in sports, and I go regularly to my gynaecologist for check-ups, but my period is a few days late, which is starting to worry me because it’s happening for the third time.
I have all the symptoms that come before a period, but this month I think my lower abdomen hurts more, it’s a stabbing pain but also a spreading pain. Of course, I also think I might have gotten pregnant, so I’m wondering after how many days to take a pregnancy test? There are a lot of types of pregnancy tests in pharmacies, which one should I choose, and which one will be the most sensitive?
I have signed up for a gynaecologist appointment, but it’s only next week, so I want to confirm or rule out pregnancy by doing a pregnancy test. Could the lack of a period also be due to the fact that I play sports and am very physically active? I would like to know after how many days to take a pregnancy test and whether to choose a particular type of pregnancy test.
Doctor tells you when is the best time to take a pregnancy test?
A pregnancy test can be taken on the first day of the next monthly cycle, which is theoretically 28 days (this can vary from woman to woman) after the first day of your last period. However, to get the most reliable result, it is best to wait 7 days from the planned first day of your period.
The most accessible test is the home pregnancy test. Regarding the decision of which one to choose – plate, streaming, strip or digital: although they may differ at first glance, the method is the same in all of them – testing the concentration of beta-hCG in urine. Chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone produced by the trophoblast, which is part of the placenta.
As for the sensitivity of the test – all companies write about sensitivity even above 99%, and there are no objective scientific studies comparing different types with each other. It should be noted that the sensitivity of these tests is not tested by “ordinary” test users, i.e. pregnant women, but by laboratory workers, so the sensitivity of the test may in fact be lower than stated on the leaflet.
It is for this reason that I suggest you familiarize yourself with how each type of test is done and choose the one that would be easiest and most accessible for you to perform. It is also important to note that when taking a pregnancy test, following the leaflet is absolutely the most important thing to do to find out if you are pregnant.
To increase the sensitivity of the test performed, the first-morning urine sample should be used, as it contains the highest concentration of the hormone. This does not mean, however, that in evening measurements the result will be negative, although the number of false negative results is then higher compared to morning measurements.
If the test was negative and you still think you may be pregnant, it is worth waiting a few days before testing again – the beta-hCG level may still be too low, the urine may be too dilute or you may have simply miscalculated when your next menstrual period is due. The concentration of hCG doubles by 50% every day at the start of pregnancy, so if in doubt it is advisable to test again.
As for the effect of sports on the presence of menstruation – yes, it can have an effect, for the percentage of body fat can be a reason for the absence of menstruation (as in anorexics or sportswomen), but also obesity can cause heavy menstrual bleeding.