Can you test positive 2 weeks pregnant

Identifying Early Signs of Pregnancy

Am I Pregnant?

Missing your regular period is one of the most obvious signs of early pregnancy which usually leads women to take a pregnancy test and confirm their suspicions. At this stage, some women may have already experienced other early symptoms of pregnancy, sometimes as early as within 1 week of conception.

These early signs of pregnancy may continue throughout the first trimester:

• Raised basal body temperature
• Nausea and vomiting, also known as ‘morning sickness’ (often happens anytime pf the day)
• Tender or swollen breasts
• Fatigue
• Headaches and dizziness
• Low back pains
• Bloatedness
• Food cravings or aversions
• Mood swings
• Weight changes
• Sensitivity to smells
• Heartburn
• Constipation

In addition, some women report having an intuition about being pregnant which may later be proven right. However, these symptoms are not unique to pregnancy and could be due to hormone changes or other conditions. Some women do not experience any symptoms early in their pregnancy.

Using a Home Pregnancy Test Kit

If you think you are pregnant, you can purchase an over-the-counter pregnancy test kit at most major retail pharmacies. These kits test for pregnancy by detecting the quantity of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) hormone in the urine. hCG is produced during pregnancy and can be found in the blood and urine of pregnant mothers. Here are some common FAQs about the use of pregnancy test kits:

1. When should I test for pregnancy?

Take a pregnancy test approximately 1 week after your missed period. Try to perform the test first thing in the morning when you wake up, as your first urine of the day would be the most concentrated. This facilitates the detection of hCG.

2. How accurate is a home pregnancy test kit?

The pregnancy test kits are more than 99% accurate. However, if the test is administered too early on in pregnancy, where hCG levels are too low to be detected, the result may be a false-negative. The test may be repeated a few days later. There are also instances of false-positives, where there is a temporary rise in hCG hormone, and a subsequent fall in levels. This is also known as a “biochemical pregnancy”, and its exact cause is unknown.

Confirming Your Pregnancy with a Gynae

What’s next after your pregnancy test kit shows a positive test result? You can confirm your pregnancy with a gynaecologist 6 to 8 weeks after your last menstrual period (first day of your last menstrual cycle). However, if you experience bleeding, consult a gynaecologist as soon as possible. At your first checkup, your gynae may repeat the urine pregnancy test, and also conduct an ultrasound to scan for the foetus.

Once your pregnancy is confirmed, your obstetrician will be starting you on supplements such as folic acid, calcium and iron to prepare your body for a healthy pregnancy. At the same time, you will be advised on your diet, such as avoiding raw food, alcohol and caffeine.

Tips on Choosing a Gynae for Your Pregnancy:

• Think about what is important to you — personality of the doctor, ease of travelling to clinic, cost etc.
• Seek recommendations from friends or family
• Choose a female gynecologist in Singapore who is accredited to deliver at your hospital of choice

Could you be pregnant? Get answers to common questions about home pregnancy tests.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Taking a home pregnancy test can be nerve-wracking, especially if you're not sure you can trust the results. Know when and how to take a home pregnancy test — as well as some of the possible pitfalls of home testing.

When should I take a home pregnancy test?

Many home pregnancy tests claim to be accurate as early as the first day of a missed period — or even before. You're likely to get more accurate results, however, if you wait until after the first day of your missed period.

Why wait? Shortly after a fertilized egg attaches to your uterine lining (implantation), the placenta forms and produces the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). This hormone enters your bloodstream and urine.

During early pregnancy, the HCG concentration increases rapidly — doubling every two to three days. The earlier you take the home pregnancy test, the harder it might be for the test to detect HCG.

Keep in mind that the timing of your ovulation might vary from month to month, and the fertilized egg can implant in the uterus at different times. This can affect the timing of HCG production and when it can be detected. If your periods are irregular, you might miscalculate when your period is due.

If it's important to confirm your pregnancy right away and depending on how far along you are in your pregnancy, your health care provider might recommend that you have an ultrasound, repeat a urine test at a lab or have a blood test to measure your HCG levels.

Are there different types of home pregnancy tests?

With most tests, you place the end of a dipstick in your urine stream or dip the dipstick in a container of collected urine. A few minutes later, the dipstick reveals the test result — often as a plus or a minus sign, one line or two lines, or the words "pregnant" or "not pregnant" on a strip or screen.

Follow the test instructions for how long to wait before checking results — usually two or more minutes. Most tests also have a control indicator — a line or symbol that appears in the result window. If the line or symbol doesn't appear, then the test isn't working properly. Try again with another test.

Some home pregnancy tests are more sensitive than others. In other words, the amount of HCG needed to be detected in the urine to produce a positive test result is lower in some tests.

Always check the test's expiration date and read the instructions carefully before you take the test.

How accurate are home pregnancy tests?

Many home pregnancy tests claim to be 99 percent accurate. However, home pregnancy tests differ in the ability to diagnose pregnancy in women who have recently missed a period. If you have a negative test but think you might be pregnant, repeat the test one week after your missed period or talk to your health care provider.

Could medications interfere with test results?

Fertility drugs or other medications that contain HCG might interfere with home pregnancy test results. However, most medications, including antibiotics and birth control pills, don't affect the accuracy of home pregnancy tests.

Could a positive result be wrong?

Although rare, it's possible to get a positive result from a home pregnancy test when you're not actually pregnant. This is known as a false-positive.

A false-positive might happen if you had a pregnancy loss soon after the fertilized egg attached to your uterine lining (biochemical pregnancy) or you take a pregnancy test too soon after taking a fertility drug that contains HCG. An ectopic pregnancy, menopause or problems with your ovaries also might contribute to misleading test results.

Could a negative result be wrong?

It's possible to get a negative result from a home pregnancy test when you're actually pregnant. This is known as a false-negative. You might get a false-negative if you:

• Take the test too early. The earlier after a missed period that you take a home pregnancy test, the harder it is for the test to detect HCG. For the most accurate results, repeat the test one week after a missed period. If you can't wait that long, ask your health care provider for a blood test.
• Check test results too soon. Give the test time to work. Consider setting a timer according to the package instructions.
• Use diluted urine. For the most accurate results, take the test first thing in the morning — when your urine is the most concentrated.

What happens next?

Based on your test results, consider taking the following steps:

• Your home pregnancy test is positive, or you've taken a few home pregnancy tests and gotten mixed results. Make an appointment with your health care provider. You might need a blood test or ultrasound to confirm your pregnancy. The sooner your pregnancy is confirmed, the sooner you can begin prenatal care.
• Your home pregnancy test is negative. If your period doesn't begin, repeat the test in a few days or one week — especially if you took the test before or shortly after a missed period.
• You continue to get negative test results, but your period doesn't begin or you still think you might be pregnant. Check with your health care provider. Many factors can lead to missed menstrual periods (amenorrhea), including thyroid disorders, low body weight, problems with your ovaries, excessive exercise and stress. If you're not pregnant, your health care provider can help you get your menstrual cycle back on track.

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Feb. 24, 2021

1. Pregnancy tests. Office on Women's Health. //www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/pregnancy-tests?from=AtoZ. Accessed Dec. 11, 2019.
2. Home use tests: Pregnancy. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. //www.fda.gov/medicaldevices/productsandmedicalprocedures/invitrodiagnostics/homeusetests/ucm126067.htm. Accessed Dec. 11, 2019.
3. Bastian LA, et al. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of early pregnancy. //www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Dec. 11, 2019.
4. Hatcher RA, et al, eds. Pregnancy testing and assessment of early normal and abnormal pregnancy. In: Contraceptive Technology. 21st ed. New York, N.Y.: Ayer Company Publishers; 2018.

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See also

1. Can birth control pills cause birth defects?
2. Pregnancy due date calculator
3. Symptoms of pregnancy

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