Homemade Pregnancy Test

The first thought that can come to mind after unprotected intercourse (or in some cases, also through protected intercourse) is whether pregnancy has occurred. Sometimes this may be a feeling of mixed emotions for many woman.

There are likely signs that pregnancy has occurred. Some of these are:

• Being late for a normally regular period
• Nausea and some vomiting on and off
• Going to the toilet to pass urine more often
• Feeling like eating different or unusual foods
• More tired than usual, with yawning
• Developing more sensitive breasts

Often the first thing that women notice is that their period is late or that it does not arrive at all. This begins the suspicion that perhaps the woman is pregnant. Many women wonder when to take a pregnancy test, if they have any question in their mind.

There are definite guidelines to follow as to when to take a pregnancy test.

• Wait 1 week till after the period has been missed
• Repeat the test 1 week after the first test to confirm the result
• If using a homemade pregnancy test and this shows positive both times, confirm this with a registered doctor
• Test the urine first thing in the morning
• Avoid drinking more fluids before taking the urine test in the morning

The reason why it is advisable to wait a week after the period has been missed is because our bodies need this amount of time to begin producing a hormone known as HCG which only occurs if the woman is pregnant. It is not the best time to take the test before the period is missed (and just a few days after intercourse) because the hormone is not concentrated enough to register in the tests. Usually after 1 week, the HCG level is recognisable at around 5-10 mUI

Because the concentration gets higher and higher as each week passes, obviously the more weeks after the missed period the test is taken, the more definite the results will be. Also, different pregnancy tests are designed to recognise different levels of HCG. For example, some can detect levels as low as 5-10 mUI and others can only measure 150 – 200 mUI.

As the weeks pass,  some of the other physical feelings mentioned will start being more and more noticed, and this also confirms to the woman that her body is letting her know that she is pregnant.