How Soon Can I Take A Pregnancy Test?


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For the most part, the most reliable result that you can expect on a pregnancy test will be if you wait until after your period is supposed to have started to take the pregnancy test. Having said that, if you have been trying to conceive you are probably a lot more anxious than this, and won’t want to wait until you are late for your period to take a pregnancy test. You will likely want to know as soon as possible. So, to know how soon you can take a pregnancy test, it is important to understand a little bit about how the actual process of conception occurs.

Generally speaking, it will take somewhere between 7 and 10 days for the fertilized egg to implant into your uterus. This means that your body won’t start producing hCG, the hormone that is measured when you take a pregnancy test, until 7 to 10 days after you ovulate. After this, when your body is producing hCG, it can still take some time before your pregnancy test is able to detect the hCG, and to give you an accurate reading when you take the pregnancy test.

Pregnancy tests vary somewhat in their sensitivity. The more sensitive your pregnancy test is, the sooner you can take a pregnancy test and get an accurate result. The sensitivity of a pregnancy test is measured in units called mIU. Some pregnancy tests may be able to detect as little as 20 mIU of hCG, whereas other pregnancy tests may detect 150 mIU or more. Tests with the lower sensitivity can, then, be taken sooner. Some women with the more sensitive tests may be able to take a pregnancy test and get a positive result somewhere around 6 to 8 days after ovulation, although most women won’t be able to get a positive result until at least 9 or 10 days after ovulation.

The best approach would seem to be, then, to use a test that is at the lower end of the sensitivity scale, and then wait until 9 or 10 days after you ovulate to take the pregnancy test.



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This entry was posted in Getting Pregnant.



 



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