How early can you take a pregnancy test?

Getting pregnant is a beautiful feeling which only a woman can understand. Sometimes it seems like trying to get pregnant is all about waiting. Waiting to get the positive news is like you’re waiting on the edge of your seats for the results. Most women trying to conceive, whether it be naturally or with the aid of fertility treatment, have taken a pregnancy test at some point. Regardless of the method, be it a home pregnancy test through pregnancy kit or through a blood test at the fertility center, almost every woman is on pins and needles while waiting to learn when they’re are going to be a mother.

In the fertility world, the time between a pregnancy attempt and a pregnancy test is commonly called the ‘two week wait’. Why so long before testing?  The reason women should not take home pregnancy test until two weeks after possible conception is because several days are required for a fertilized egg to implant in the uterus and start emitting enough hormones to be detected by a pregnancy test.

How to deal during the two week wait:

1.      About your body:

The best way to make decisions about what kinds of things to do and not do during this time is to act as if you’re already pregnant, see below points:

• eat a well-balanced diet,
• avoiding foods that are not recommended during pregnancy like raw fish and soft cheeses
• take a preconception supplement daily.
• avoid alcohol and caffeine as well as over-the-counter drugs that are not recommended during pregnancy.

In terms of physical activities, especially for fertility patients, it’s a good idea to;

• Rest as much as you can, specifically 24 hours of “couch rest” after an embryo transfer. Fertility patients are asked to take the day off, put their feet up and rest as much as possible the day after this procedure like an embryo transfer.

• Take it easy and try to be restful and relaxed for three or four days after an insemination or embryo transfer to allow the embryo the best chance for implanting in the uterus.

• They can go back to work and lead their normal lives but strenuous exercise, chores and even sex should be avoided. Anything that causes uterine contractions could affect the implantation process.

• After those few days, patients can go back to light aerobic activities like yoga, swimming or walking. It’s alright to get the heart rate up; they just need to avoid high impact activities like running.

• Also it’s best to avoid travel during the two week wait so that they’ll be near their doctor should any complications, like bleeding, arise.

2.     About your Mind:

Probably the hardest thing about the two week wait is the Waiting period –will I or Will I not be pregnant? keeps on ticking in your mind. This is where we could all use some real support and strategies for coping.

Do read our blog about: Relax & Reboot-tips to relax during IVF Treatment

Here are some tips you can use to calm your mind:

• Try not to obsess about symptoms. Don’t spend all day online reading articles and chatboards about pregnancy symptoms. The hormones surrounding pregnancy attempts can produce feelings in your body that can be confusing – either making you think you are or aren’t pregnant.

• Treat yourself by spending time doing the things you enjoy the most: preparing a nice meal, going to the movies or curling up with a good book.

• Try deep breathing, it will help calming your mind. A few minutes of intentional breathing with your eyes closed can really lower your stress level and clear your mind.

• Use positive thinking. If you’re anxious and, especially if you’ve been trying to get pregnant for a while, you may be having negative thoughts, like “The results are going to be negative. I’m never going to get pregnant.” When you hear yourself saying or thinking these kinds of things, try re-stating them as positive or neutral statements such as, “I don’t know the outcome yet, but I’ve done all I can to make it happen.”

The key thing is to remind yourself that you can’t control the outcome. You’ve done everything you can to make it happen, and now you just have to let go and let nature take its course.

The Pregnancy Test- Home Pregnancy Tests Vs Blood Pregnancy Tests

1. Both home pregnancy tests (HPTs) and pregnancy tests done at a lab measure the amount of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) being made by the developing embryo. The home pregnancy test uses urine while the lab test uses blood. Home pregnancy tests work well when they are used on the right day, but the results of the blood test are always more accurate.

2. If you use a home pregnancy test, be sure to read all the instructions and try to use morning urine, which will be the most concentrated. HPTs usually tell consumers how accurate they are depending on the day you use them. For example, four days before the first day of your missed period, the HPT may only be 45% accurate

3. The blood pregnancy test is frequently called a “beta.” That’s because the test actually measures a beta chain portion of the hCG hormone molecule and is officially named a “beta hCG” test.

4. Whereas a home pregnancy test only tells you positive or negative, a beta hCG test provides the level of hCG in the blood. This level is important to checking the growth of the embryo.

5. Fertility patients are advised not to use home pregnancy tests and to wait for the date they can have a beta test done. Home pregnancy tests can render false results for fertility patients, either negative or positive. A false positive can be the result of the fact that in many fertility treatments, hCG is given to “trigger” ovulation and may remain in the blood. A false negative might occur because a low level of hCG may be undetectable in a urine test despite a pregnancy starting.

DON’T WAIT TOO LONG BEFORE GETTING THE HELP YOU NEED

If you’re a woman trying to get pregnant on your own, don’t let the months pile up for too long, especially if you are 35 or older. For women over the age of 35 see a specialist after 6 months of trying on your own and if you are over the age of 40 see a fertility specialist now. Mother’s Lap IVF Centre, the best IVF Centre in New Delhi are committed to helping you conceive in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible.

A patient who’s been unsuccessful after several cycles of the same treatment should speak to Dr. Shobha Gupta, best IVF Specialist in New Delhi-NCR about considering a more advanced form of fertility treatment. We have treatment options that will help almost everyone. With the right help, you won’t be “waiting” much longer.

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT

If you are having trouble conceiving and would like to schedule an appointment. You can call us on +91 9205268976 and you can also visit our Facebook page and website: https://www.motherslapivf.com/for more information to schedule a consultation with one of our fertility specialists and learn more.