| Home pregnancy tests can be tricky little things. | | | | However, women who are using IVF to get pregnant |
| Although technology is making them accurate earlier | | | | shouldn't rely on the information a home pregnancy |
| and earlier during normal pregnancies, they can still | | | | test provides. There are a couple of different |
| give false negatives for most women until they're | | | | reasons for this. |
| several weeks pregnant. If you're undergoing fertility | | | | First off, HCG is often injected into a woman's body |
| treatment, pregnancy tests can also give you a false | | | | before her eggs are harvested because it causes the |
| positive, which is incredibly unusual for women who | | | | body to ovulate when the doctor needs to harvest |
| are not using any fertility medications at all. A | | | | the eggs. A high dose of HCG in some women can |
| pregnancy test looks for HCG. IVF can affect the | | | | stay in the body for two weeks, which means that a |
| levels of HCG in the blood dramatically, so it's | | | | couple of days after an egg transfer, you could test |
| important not to rely on a home pregnancy test if | | | | positive for pregnancy even if the egg hasn't |
| you've just gone through a cycle of IVF. | | | | implanted. |
| How a Home Pregnancy Test Works | | | | Secondly, even if HCG injections aren't a factor, a |
| When a woman becomes pregnant, it can be a few | | | | doctor's blood test will be a much more accurate |
| days before the egg actually moves from the | | | | indicator of whether or not you're actually pregnant |
| fallopian tubes to the uterus to implant. It's not until | | | | and are liable to have a viable pregnancy. Although |
| implantation, though, that the body begins to product | | | | there is no such thing as a key HCG level that |
| HCG, human chorionic gonadotropin, which is what | | | | indicates a pregnancy that won't miscarry, there are |
| happens during a normal pregnancy. Depending on | | | | certain ranges that doctors look for in order to give |
| what point in her cycle a woman ovulates, HCG can | | | | you the best indication of how your first trimester |
| be detected in the blood and urine before a missed | | | | will turn out. A pregnancy test can only tell you |
| period, although this is unlikely for women who | | | | whether or not there is HCG in your blood, and it |
| happen to ovulate just a few days before they | | | | won't tell you the levels of HCG like a blood test will. |
| normally start their periods. | | | | Basically, using a home pregnancy test against your |
| Home pregnancy tests have special chemical | | | | doctor's advice is simply setting yourself up for |
| compounds involved that allow them to test for HCG. | | | | disappointment. When dealing with a long struggle |
| As soon as the egg implants, HCG starts to form, | | | | with infertility, it's probably best that you know the |
| but it isn't detectable by a home pregnancy test for | | | | truth as soon as possible instead of crushing yourself |
| a few days. This is why you can sometimes take a | | | | or building up false hope with a home pregnancy test. |
| pregnancy test one day and get a negative result | | | | So, if you're undergoing a cycle of IVF, and especially |
| but get a positive result just a couple of days later. | | | | if you've been given an injection of HCG, you're |
| For those who aren't undergoing infertility treatment, | | | | better off waiting a couple of extra days to get the |
| a home pregnancy test can be a fairly accurate | | | | results from your doctor's blood test. If you can't |
| indicator of pregnancy, and the newest technology in | | | | keep your eyes and hands off those tempting little |
| these tests makes them accurate within just a few | | | | plastic sticks, toss them out or give them to a friend. |
| days of implantation. | | | | You'll only be helping yourself. |
| Why You Shouldn't Use One | | | | |